18th May 2005
You Can Help Shape Animal Welfare Reforms
MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Duncan
McNeil, is urging his constituents to help shape the Scottish Parliament’s
plans to strengthen animal welfare legislation.
Views
are being sought on the draft Animal Health & Welfare (Scotland) Bill,
which will introduce a raft of reforms, including placing a duty on animal
owners to care for the welfare of their animals, rather than merely avoid
cruelty – a fundamental shift in emphasis.
Encouraging
everyone in the Inverclyde area who cares about animal welfare to contribute to
the consultation, Mr McNeil said:
“There
is no doubt that the existing law is out of date. It was designed for the 19th century, not the 21st.
That’s why we have brought forward a draft Bill to update and reinforce
the legislation which protects animals from cruelty and neglect.
“The
draft Bill proposes to introduce a Duty of Care on animal keepers; allow animals
to be taken into care before they start to suffer; raise the age for buying
animals from 12 to 16; introduce a general prohibition on mutilations; and
strengthen the law prohibiting animal fighting.
“These
proposals send out a clear message that animal cruelty can no longer be
tolerated. I particularly support
the plans to place a duty on animal owners to care for their animals, rather
than just avoid cruelty. This, I
believe, represents a fundamental – and welcome – shift in emphasis.
“It
is important, of course, that those who care about animal welfare have their say
on these plans and I urge them to contribute to the consultation exercise which
is now underway.”
Leonora
Merry, of the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, added:
“The
Scottish SPCA welcomes the publication by the Scottish Executive of a draft
Animal Health and Welfare Bill for Scotland. The Society looks forward to
playing a major role in the enforcement of this Bill, which will consolidate and
modernise existing animal welfare legislation almost 100 years old. The 'duty of
care' contained in the draft Bill will make great steps towards enabling
Scottish SPCA and other Inspectors to prevent animal cruelty.”
The
key proposals of the Bill include:
Anyone
wishing to make a submission can access the consultation document and the draft
Bill online at:
The
consultation closes on Monday 4th July 2005.
ENDS
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