'Time to get tough on livestock worrying' says Highland MSP
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Holyrood is seeking the public's views on tougher penalties for livestock worrying.
A draft law which would increase the penalties for dog-owners whose pets chase, attack or kill farmed animals is to be considered by a Scottish Government committee.
The rural economy and connectivity committee has issued a call for views on the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill, which aims to “strengthen and update the law”.
The Member’s Bill introduced in the Scottish Parliament by Emma Harper MSP would provide additional powers for the investigation and enforcement of the offence and increase the maximum penalty to six months’ imprisonment, a fine of £5,000, or both.
It would also allow a court to make an order disqualifying convicted persons, for such period as the court sees fit, from owning or keeping a dog, or preventing them for taking dogs onto agricultural land on which livestock is present.
The Bill provides police and inspectors with new powers to seize a dog for the purpose of identifying its owner or gathering evidence, and further extends the definition of “livestock” to reflect a more up-to-date list of the species now farmed in Scotland, such as llamas, alpacas, ostriches, farmed deer, buffalo, and enclosed game birds.
Committee convener Edward Mountain MSP said:“Dog attacks cause suffering to farm animals, resulting in distress and significant financial cost to farmers.
“Emma Harper believes the current law in relation to livestock worrying is out of date and that tougher enforcement powers and penalties are needed to act as a deterrent.
“The purpose of the committee’s call for evidence is to understand the need for further legislation in this area and to seek views on whether the additional powers and increased punishments proposed are sufficient and proportionate.”
Views should be sent to rec.committee@parliament.scot by Friday, August 28.
The Member’s Bill was introduced on May 14. It updates the existing law on “livestock worrying”, in the main, by amending the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953.
The bill:
increases the maximum penalty to a fine of £5,000 or imprisonment for six months
allows the courts to ban a convicted person from owning a dog or allowing their dog to go on agricultural land
gives the police greater powers to investigate and enforce livestock worrying offence, including going onto land to identify a dog, seize it and collect evidence from it
allows other organisations to be given similar powers
extends the “livestock worrying” offence to cover additional types of farmed animal
renames the offence as that of “attacking or worrying livestock”, with the intention of emphasising how serious it can be.
