Welfare of Dogs (Scotland) Bill
This Member’s Bill seeks to improve the health and wellbeing of dogs by encouraging responsible ownership and providing for the registration of unlicensed litters.
The Bill is at Stage 1
Contents
Overview
This is a Member’s Bill, introduced by Christine Grahame MSP. The Bill aims to improve the health and wellbeing of dogs by:
- establishing a more responsible and informed approach to obtaining and owning a dog
- allowing the Scottish Government to create a register of litters where puppies are sold or given away by someone who is not a licensed breeder
Under the proposals, the Scottish Government must make and publish a code of practice that should be followed by:
- a person who wants a dog to keep as a pet
- a person who is considering selling or giving away a dog to someone else
Under the code, potential owners must consider:
- whether their own situation is suited to owning a dog
- whether they will be able to provide for all of the dog’s needs throughout its life
The Bill also sets out that the Scottish Government can make a register of unlicensed litters of puppies. This would be to ensure that where litters are not born under a dog breeding licence they are still accounted for. Under this change, it would not be possible for puppies to be sold in Scotland by someone who is not regulated in some way.
Read more about what this Bill does in the Explanatory Notes (191KB, pdf) posted 20 June 2023
Why the Bill was created
The aim of the Bill is to improve the health and welfare of dogs.
The Member’s view is that buying a puppy or dog in a responsible way can make a difference to that animal's welfare. The Member also believes it could change the nature of the puppy trade.
The Bill aims to:
- help to influence the behaviour of those getting a puppy or dog
- lower the demand for puppy farms and other similar practices
Read more about why this Bill has been created in the Policy Memorandum (288KB, pdf) posted 20 June 2023