Calls for national animal offenders’ register part of campaign to improve welfare laws

Scottish horse owners are being asked to “help push for modern animal laws” – as calls are made to create a national register for those who abuse and mistreat animals.

The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) has released its new manifesto ahead of the Scottish Parliament election on 7 May.

The animal welfare charity set out four key asks: the introduction of a national animal offenders register; embedding animal welfare into the education curriculum; a review of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, and the creation of a permitted list of exotic animals that can be legally kept as pets.

The aim of an animal offenders register would be to allow all relevant enforcement agencies to monitor bans, track repeat offenders and identify early links between animal abuse and other crimes – via connection to current intelligence systems.

“Horses are at risk from repeat and serious welfare offences, and we have seen individuals who have been banned from keeping equines go on to acquire or care for them again, with devastating consequences,” an SSPCA spokesperson told H&H.

“A register would be a vital tool in helping enforcement agencies to identify those individuals more quickly and prevent horses from falling back into harmful situations. For equines, early intervention can be the difference between recovery and long-term suffering or neglect.”

The spokesperson added that the SSPCA “strongly supports” embedding the five domains model into welfare legislation.

“This would move the law beyond simply preventing cruelty and recognise what good welfare actually looks like for horses, including their physical health, behaviour, environment and mental wellbeing. For animals as sensitive and complex as horses, this is essential,” he said.

“Scottish horse owners have a powerful role to play. We are calling on people to contact their MSPs and local candidates, to ask them to support our manifesto. By doing this, we can all help push for modern animal welfare laws that can help ensure horses across Scotland are properly protected, that bans are enforced and that welfare standards reflect what we now know about equine needs.

“This is about safeguarding horses today and for generations to come.”

Horsescotland chief executive Sonya Campbell Perry told H&H the organisation is “fully supportive” of the manifesto – describing it as “a significant step forward” for animal welfare.

“As the governing body for equestrianism in Scotland, we continue to work with partners like the SSPCA to ensure our government makes the right policy decisions for the highest level of welfare for our equines and their communities,” she said.

But Ms Campbell added that although the manifesto asks are “vital”, work must be done to “urgently address two further issues impacting horses in Scotland”.

“The decade-long lack of farriery-training provision is creating a critical shortage of qualified professionals, directly threatening equine health given the essential ‘no hoof, no horse’ principle,” she said.

“Secondly, the financial pressure from business rates and associated relief on equestrian businesses is jeopardising the necessary land management required to meet high welfare standards, particularly when considered through the lens of the five domains model.

“We believe this model should be used to direct guidance on rates and tax for all premises accommodating equines, which would then support a practical and supported roll-out of a livery yard licencing scheme to further increase and protect equine welfare in Scotland.”

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