Further regulation of the process for buying dogs should be welcomed, says the Rural Affairs & Islands Committee, but registering unlicensed litters is unlikely to make a difference to issues around traceability.
The Committee’s report concludes its stage 1 scrutiny of the Welfare of Dogs (Scotland) Bill which aims to establish ‘a more responsible and informed approach to acquiring and owning a dog’ and ‘regulate the selling or transferring of puppies from unlicensed litters’.
In light of a growing number of problems across Scotland resulting from people buying dogs which suffer from poor health or buying breeds unsuitable for their lifestyles, the Committee agrees that further measures are needed to promote the more responsible acquisition of dogs.
It says that educating people looking to buy puppies and dogs, so that they buy the right dog for their lifestyle, and avoid the pitfalls of purchasing through unscrupulous breeders, is key.
To this end, the Committee agrees with Part 1 of the Bill which would establish a code of practice and require both buyers and sellers to sign a certificate to confirm they have thought through the practicalities of owning a dog before taking on the responsibility.
It also says that a publicity campaign to raise awareness of the code of conduct is essential but calls on the Scottish Government to do all it can to ensure the campaign is more effective than some previous campaigns, which have had a limited impact.
However, the Committee does not agree with Part 2 of the Bill and the proposed requirement to register unlicensed litters. Members agree this approach wouldn’t give any indication about a dog’s welfare or whether it had been bred by a responsible breeder. Neither, the report says, do local authorities have the finances or the resource to be able to enforce it.
Instead, the Committee calls on the Scottish Government to continue to explore whether a UK-wide single microchip database would help solve the problem. If this is not possible, the Committee asks the Scottish Ministers to detail what other measures they will take to improve the traceability of dogs.
Launching the report, Beatrice Wishart, Deputy Convener of the Committee, said; “This is an extremely well-intentioned Bill, introduced at a time when dog welfare issues are, as we heard from stakeholders, almost at an unprecedented level.
“We were told that a fifth of people spend less than two hours researching whether to get a puppy and a third say they wouldn’t know how to spot a rogue breeder. Clearly measures are needed to promote the best chances for a dog’s happy and healthy life and to support buyers in making responsible decisions for their families, lifestyles and their finances.
“We support the Bill’s aim of influencing unscrupulous breeding by educating prospective dog owners and that is why publicity should be maximised around the strengthened regulation this Bill would create.”
“It is also vitally important that a solution is found to reassure buyers about the origins, health, and well-being of puppies they are buying, and we will continue to press the Scottish Government on this.
“Thank you to everyone who contributed to this inquiry.”