Report to the People
5th June 2006
Protecting Animals
Every
time I read one of those horrible press reports about the suffering someone
convicted of animal cruelty has inflicted, I question the adage that we are a
nation of animal lovers.
Our
reputation as the friend of the furred and the feathered, though, was restored
somewhat last week when MSPs passed the Animal Health and Welfare Bill.
A
piece of legislation which local animal lovers helped shape, the Bill brings
animal welfare legislation into the 21st century.
Under the new laws, cruelty offences against
pets will carry a six month jail term and a fine of up to £5,000.
And,
crucially, those responsible for animals will now have a duty to care for their
animals’ welfare, rather than merely avoid cruelty - a most welcome shift in
emphasis.
The
Bill also outlaws mutilations and strengthens the laws against animal fighting,
making it an offence to arrange such a fight or cause one to take place.
Also, the minimum age at which you can buy a
pet is set to be increased from 12 to 16 and, to allow animals to be
taken to a place of safety before they start to suffer, inspectors will have
increased powers of entry.
Taken together, then, these
measures will give animals the level of protection they deserve - not only from
the cruelty of the animal abuser, but from the neglect of those who think pets
are mere fashion accessories or toys, there to be lifted and laid as they
please.
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