Current Petitions

The next two petitions are considered together as they both relate to tail docking. PE1196, by Michael Brander, calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to amend the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 as a matter of urgency to allow the tails of working dogs to be docked. PE1230, by Dr Colin Shedden, on behalf of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, the Scottish Countryside Alliance, the Scottish Gamekeepers Association and the Scottish Rural Property and Business Association, calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to amend the Prohibited Procedures on Protected Animals (Exemptions) (Scotland) Regulations 2007 to allow prophylactic tail docking of working dogs under tightly specified circumstances. Do members have suggestions on how to deal with the petitions?15:15

We should continue the petitions. Colleagues will recall the research study by the University of Bristol and the Royal Veterinary College on the risk factors for tail injuries in dogs. We have been waiting for some time for the study to report. Interruption. I am informed that the tail injury paper was published a couple of days ago. I do not know what it says, but we should also write to the Scottish Government to ask for its response, including what actions, if any, it will take in light of the study recommendations. We should also write to the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Advocates for Animals. We should continue the petitions.

Bill Butler has provided an accurate and precise résumé of my thoughts on the subject.

Thank you for not feeling the need to share them with us nonetheless.

We should most definitely continue the petitions. I agree that we should ask the Government what action it is taking in response to the study, a copy of which is included in the extra papers that we have been given. It says:“Dogs with docked tails were significantly less likely to sustain a tail injury; however, approximately 500 dogs would need to be docked in order to prevent one tail injury.”One tail injury is one injury too many. My views on tail docking are well known: I am in favour of working dogs having their tails docked. We should ask the Government for its response to this piece of work.

In its letter to the committee, the Scottish Government has left a hostage to fortune. In the very last sentence, it says:“Only when the Royal Veterinary College/University of Bristol report is published will we have all of the necessary information available.”I hope that the Government will not now come back and say that it does not know enough on the subject.

Okay. So, we will seek responses from the Government and the organisations that members mentioned. Pending receipt of that information, we will continue the petitions. Are we agreed?Members indicated agreement.