Meeting of the Parliament 16 December 2025 [Draft]
I thank Maurice Golden for his constructive engagement throughout the bill’s parliamentary journey, and I thank the non-Government bills unit for its work and regular engagement with my officials.
No one should ever underestimate the challenges that exist for a member who seeks to take forward their own legislation, and I pay tribute to Mr Golden and his supporting officials for developing legislation that has reached the final stage of its scrutiny process.
I thank the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee for its stage 1 report and recommendations and for its further consideration of the bill at stage 2. I must also express my thanks to all the stakeholders who offered their views on the bill’s provisions in evidence sessions and in writing to help to inform policy discussion on the bill.
As a dog owner and a dog lover, I recognise the emotional benefits that dogs bring to our lives. Dogs can lift our mood and provide companionship, and they are treated as members of the family. Therefore, to lose a much-loved dog through theft is horrendous. Dog theft causes distress and can have a profound and devastating impact on victims.
Research and study by the University of the West of England in Bristol tell us that the emotional turmoil experienced by dog owners after their pet has been stolen can lead to owners feeling a sense of grief, and, owing to the closeness of the human-animal bond, it can feel like a devastating loss, with owners experiencing anxiety, sadness, sorrow and despair.
During the stage 1 debate, we heard from many members who spoke passionately about the positive impacts that dogs can have on our lives and the importance of the role that dogs can play within the family setting by bringing happiness, companionship and a sense of purpose. There are also other mental and physical benefits of having a pet.
There is widespread understanding across the Parliament of the impact and emotional turmoil faced by owners who have had their dog stolen and of the very concerning consequences for the health, welfare and wellbeing of dogs that have been stolen.
The amendments that the committee agreed to at stage 2 have addressed the concerns that were raised in the committee’s stage 1 report and have improved and strengthened the bill.
Should Parliament pass the bill this afternoon, there will, of course, be more work to do during the implementation stage. For example, Maurice Golden’s stage 2 amendments to section 2 allow for regulations made by the Scottish Government to be capable of prescribing a category of dog within the description of “helper dog”. That category is wider than the category of assistance dog—for example, it can include a working dog and a support dog. That improved future flexibility in the bill does not affect the aggravation’s operation in relation to assistance dogs as defined by the Equality Act 2010, which remains unchanged.
I have commissioned the Scottish Government’s responsible dog ownership expert advisory group to provide the Government with advice as to what types of dogs it considers could be added to the aggravation offence in section 2 of the bill and, importantly, how to define them. The focus will be on working dogs and support dogs. Those who are working on the definition will take into account the views that were expressed during the stage 1 debate and at stage 2, and they will be listening to the stage 3 debate in order to ensure that all points that are raised are carefully considered.
We recognise that dogs are sentient beings and that they have an emotional connection with, and impact on, their owners. I want to share with members a quote from Henry Wheeler Shaw, an American humorist, lecturer and author, who is credited with the famous quote:
“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself”.
That quote aligns very well with the bill’s overarching policy aims, which recognise that it is not the monetary value of a stolen pet that matters most to an owner, nor is it the breed or pedigree of a stolen dog—it is the loss of a member of the family.
By passing the bill today, Parliament can help to raise awareness of, and shine a light on, the heartbreak that is caused by the theft of a dog. The Scottish Government will support the bill at stage 3 today.