Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 12 September 2013
12 Sep 2013 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Dogs (Compulsory Microchipping)
I congratulate Claire Baker on securing the debate.
Despite recent efforts to encourage responsible dog ownership, there are too many examples of poor control and indiscriminate breeding. The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association reports eight dog attacks a month. Recently a family pet was subjected to a horrific mauling by a Staffordshire bull terrier on an Aberdeen street, and an Inverness man nearly lost an eye after being attacked by a dog as he sat on a bench beside the River Ness. Such attacks demonstrate the need for action to promote responsible dog ownership and address illegal breeding. Microchipping will not solve the problem, but it can help to identify culprits, as well as make it easier to reunite stray dogs with their owners.
The public mood appears to be increasingly in favour of compulsory microchipping. As we heard, elsewhere in the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland introduced the measure in April last year, the Westminster Government has announced that it will be introduced in England by April 2016 and Wales plans to have it in law by March 2015.
Over the past year, with the help of the Dogs Trust, I have been pressing the Scottish Government to introduce compulsory microchipping in Scotland. In May I was pleased when the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment agreed to meet me and representatives from the trust to discuss the issue. We had a very constructive meeting and I very much welcome the cabinet secretary’s agreement to undertake to proceed with a national consultation on the compulsory microchipping of dogs and the control of dogs in Scotland, which should answer some of Christine Grahame’s questions. I would be grateful if the minister could give us an idea of the timetable for that consultation in his closing speech.
There are specific issues relating to puppy farms and to the cross-border movement of dogs, in particular from the Irish Republic and from eastern Europe. However, the most pressing issue that has been raised with me as an MSP is the indiscriminate breeding of dogs in social rented properties. I recently visited Angus Dog Rescue near Arbroath and saw at first hand the consequences of that. Dog rescue centres across Scotland such as the one in Angus are seeing a significant increase in the number of dogs that are being abandoned and are experiencing a particular problem regarding the breeding of certain types of dogs such as bulldogs and Staffordshire bull terriers.
I am in no doubt that when properly cared for and raised in a responsible environment, such dogs make wonderful family pets, but sadly more and more indiscriminate breeding of those dogs has resulted in many dangerous feral animals and concern has been expressed to me that in time there will be a serious or fatal accident because of that.
It is my understanding that current legislation allows for tenants in social rented housing to own dogs only after notifying the landlord and that the breeding of dogs is not permitted. However, I am told that that legislation is not always being enforced and it has been suggested to me that a small number of properties already known to the authorities are often at the heart of the problem. Will the minister look at that problem? Will he liaise with the Minister for Housing and Welfare to review current guidance on the keeping of dogs in the social rented sector? Perhaps he will agree to meet representatives of organisations such as Angus Dog Rescue to learn more about the indiscriminate breeding of dogs and how that serious issue may be addressed.
I pay tribute to the work of all Scotland’s dog charities and the many individual volunteers who strive to secure for so many abandoned and neglected dogs the loving homes that they deserve, with responsible owners who know how to control and bring out the best in these wonderful animals.
I hope that the Government will listen to public opinion, pay heed to the excellent work of the Dogs Trust, and bring Scotland into line with our neighbouring countries by introducing compulsory microchipping of dogs in Scotland as soon as possible and ideally prior to the change in the English law in 2016.
12:57
Despite recent efforts to encourage responsible dog ownership, there are too many examples of poor control and indiscriminate breeding. The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association reports eight dog attacks a month. Recently a family pet was subjected to a horrific mauling by a Staffordshire bull terrier on an Aberdeen street, and an Inverness man nearly lost an eye after being attacked by a dog as he sat on a bench beside the River Ness. Such attacks demonstrate the need for action to promote responsible dog ownership and address illegal breeding. Microchipping will not solve the problem, but it can help to identify culprits, as well as make it easier to reunite stray dogs with their owners.
The public mood appears to be increasingly in favour of compulsory microchipping. As we heard, elsewhere in the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland introduced the measure in April last year, the Westminster Government has announced that it will be introduced in England by April 2016 and Wales plans to have it in law by March 2015.
Over the past year, with the help of the Dogs Trust, I have been pressing the Scottish Government to introduce compulsory microchipping in Scotland. In May I was pleased when the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment agreed to meet me and representatives from the trust to discuss the issue. We had a very constructive meeting and I very much welcome the cabinet secretary’s agreement to undertake to proceed with a national consultation on the compulsory microchipping of dogs and the control of dogs in Scotland, which should answer some of Christine Grahame’s questions. I would be grateful if the minister could give us an idea of the timetable for that consultation in his closing speech.
There are specific issues relating to puppy farms and to the cross-border movement of dogs, in particular from the Irish Republic and from eastern Europe. However, the most pressing issue that has been raised with me as an MSP is the indiscriminate breeding of dogs in social rented properties. I recently visited Angus Dog Rescue near Arbroath and saw at first hand the consequences of that. Dog rescue centres across Scotland such as the one in Angus are seeing a significant increase in the number of dogs that are being abandoned and are experiencing a particular problem regarding the breeding of certain types of dogs such as bulldogs and Staffordshire bull terriers.
I am in no doubt that when properly cared for and raised in a responsible environment, such dogs make wonderful family pets, but sadly more and more indiscriminate breeding of those dogs has resulted in many dangerous feral animals and concern has been expressed to me that in time there will be a serious or fatal accident because of that.
It is my understanding that current legislation allows for tenants in social rented housing to own dogs only after notifying the landlord and that the breeding of dogs is not permitted. However, I am told that that legislation is not always being enforced and it has been suggested to me that a small number of properties already known to the authorities are often at the heart of the problem. Will the minister look at that problem? Will he liaise with the Minister for Housing and Welfare to review current guidance on the keeping of dogs in the social rented sector? Perhaps he will agree to meet representatives of organisations such as Angus Dog Rescue to learn more about the indiscriminate breeding of dogs and how that serious issue may be addressed.
I pay tribute to the work of all Scotland’s dog charities and the many individual volunteers who strive to secure for so many abandoned and neglected dogs the loving homes that they deserve, with responsible owners who know how to control and bring out the best in these wonderful animals.
I hope that the Government will listen to public opinion, pay heed to the excellent work of the Dogs Trust, and bring Scotland into line with our neighbouring countries by introducing compulsory microchipping of dogs in Scotland as soon as possible and ideally prior to the change in the English law in 2016.
12:57
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott)
Con
The next item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S4M-06981, in the name of Claire Baker, on the fact that 82 per cent of Scots are in favour...
Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
I am pleased to be having this members’ business debate, and I thank all the MSPs who supported the motion. I also thank the Dogs Trust for its campaign to p...
Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP)
SNP
On the question of cost, what does it cost for local authorities to keep an up-to-date database?
Claire Baker
Lab
The scheme down south is operated by a private provider so the cost of maintaining the database falls on the dog owners. That issue would be explored fully i...
Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP)
SNP
I apologise in advance to members for having to leave the chamber before the debate concludes. As members know, the Presiding Officer has arranged for commit...
Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (Lab)
Lab
I support the motion and I congratulate Claire Baker on bringing it to the Parliament. Many reasons for microchipping can be advanced. First, it causes no ha...
Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP)
SNP
I thank Malcolm Chisholm for referring to the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010, although I think that the trouble on cyclepaths is to do with the owners, ...
Claire Baker
Lab
Will the member give way?
Christine Grahame
SNP
I have only two minutes. I am just suggesting tests. I am not trying to prevent the idea from going forward; I want us to consider the law of unintended cons...
Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
I congratulate Claire Baker on securing the debate.Despite recent efforts to encourage responsible dog ownership, there are too many examples of poor control...
Fiona McLeod (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP)
SNP
I add my thanks to Claire Baker for bringing this important debate to Parliament. There have been a lot of interesting facts and figures from previous speake...
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I thank my colleague Claire Baker for bringing this important topic to the chamber for debate. I will pick up on a couple of the points that Christine Graham...
The Minister for Environment and Climate Change (Paul Wheelhouse)
SNP
I congratulate Claire Baker on bringing to the chamber today an important subject for debate. Indeed, the debate has been of great quality and has shown the ...