Scotland’s leading animal welfare charity, the SSPCA, is calling for the creation of a Scottish National Animal Offenders Register to allow enforcement agencies to monitor bans, track repeat offenders, and identify links between animal abuse and other crimes.
Currently, information about offenders is held separately by organisations such as Police Scotland, the Crown Office, local authorities and animal welfare bodies which makes it more difficult to identify repeat offenders or monitor individuals who have been banned from keeping animals.
Equine welfare cases can be particularly complex because horses require specialist care, appropriate land, nutrition and regular veterinary attention. When individuals who have previously been banned from keeping animals are able to acquire horses again, the consequences can end up including severe neglect, untreated illness, malnutrition and long-term suffering.
Key aims of the proposed register:
• Helping enforcement agencies identify individuals who have previously been banned from keeping animals
• Preventing repeat offending by ensuring bans are visible and enforceable across Scotland
• Allowing relevant partners, such as licensing officers, to check applicants for animal-related businesses or activities
• Strengthening links between animal welfare enforcement and wider safeguarding concerns, given the recognised links between animal abuse and other forms of harm
Repeat offender risk
“Sadly, we continue to see cases where horses and other animals suffer because individuals who have been banned from keeping animals are able to acquire them again,” said Nicola Strachan, head of advocacy and strategic partnerships at the SSPCA.
“When bans are breached, the consequences for the horse can be severe, often leading to neglect, poor health and long-term suffering.
“A National Animal Offenders Register would help close that gap by allowing enforcement agencies and relevant partners to identify repeat offenders more quickly and ensure that bans are visible and properly enforced.”
‘Joined-up system’ needed
“At the moment, information about animal cruelty offences can sit across different organisations, including police, local authorities and ourselves as an enforcement agency, but information is not widely shared,” continued Nicola.
“A more joined-up system would help ensure that someone who has been banned from keeping animals cannot simply move area, use someone else’s name, or acquire animals online without that history being visible to those responsible for safeguarding welfare.
“Horses are highly sensitive animals with complex physical, behavioural and social needs. Most owners work incredibly hard to provide the right care, but stronger systems are needed to protect animals from the small number of people who repeatedly fail them.
“Measures like a national register would help prevent further suffering and strengthen Scotland’s ability to respond to serious welfare offences.”
Proposed changes
The proposal is the first of four key asks in the charity’s manifesto which comes ahead of the next Scottish Parliament election on Thursday 7 May.
The other three asks include embedding animal welfare into the Scottish curriculum, review the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 and the introduction of a ‘permitted list’ of animals that can be legally kept as pets.
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