Dogs

New laws banning XL Bully type dogs have been laid in Parliament, as the UK government adds the breed to the list of dogs banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act. Under the new rules, which come into force at the end of the year, it will be illegal to breed, sell, advertise, exchange, gift, rehome, aban

New legislation to prevent the chasing and killing of wild mammals for sport has been passed by the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish government’s Hunting with Dogs Bill will close loopholes in existing laws that have allowed the practice of illegal hunting to continue. A new two dog limit for

The Scottish Parliament will consider stage three of the Hunting with Dogs Bill tomorrow. The bill was introduced last year, two decades after a failed attempt by the Scottish Parliament to ban hunting with the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act, back in 2002.

Parents who buy puppies as Christmas presents from unauthorised breeders could be getting duped into helping to fund organised crime in Scotland. That was the stark warning today from the Crown Office as law agencies look to choke off a source of revenue for gang networks all over the country.

Former sheriffs have questioned "bizarre" proposals to create a specific offence for the theft of dogs. Douglas Cusine said: “The suggestion of having a specific offence of stealing a dog is bizarre. The existing law covers this and an accused could be put on indictment which could result in f

An MSP has launched a consultation on creating a specific crime of stealing dogs in Scotland, even though doing so is already a crime. Scottish Conservative MSP Maurice Golden's plans would see anyone convicted of stealing a dog face up to five years in prison, even though there is no such limit und

MSPs are set to debate and vote on stage one of the Scottish government’s Hunting with Dogs Bill, which aims to tighten legislation and put an end to illegal hunting. Speaking ahead of the debate on 25 October, environment and land reform minister Mairi McAllan said: “The chasing and kil

Dog thefts have risen, new figures from Police Scotland show. In 2020/21 there were 88 crimes in which dogs were stolen or there was an attempt to steal them, up from 62 in the preceding financial year.

A law requiring dogs of banned breeds to be put down is “unfit for purpose”, according to the Scottish SPCA. The Dangerous Dogs Act, which came into force in 1991, bans the ownership of certain dogs in the UK.

A new offence of "pet abduction" is to be created to address the escalating problem of dognapping. Justice Secretary Robert Buckland QC MP's legislation will reflect the fact that stealing a pet can be cruel to the animal and traumatic to its owner.

Friday 26 February 12 - 4pm

A new member's bill introduced at Holyrood proposes to improve the welfare of puppies and dogs.

The Scottish government should consider legislating to require dog owners to hold insurance so that victims of dog attacks can be fairly compensated, a lawyer has said. Heather Tierney, a senior solicitor at Watermans, said victims are often left with "little option" in terms of compensation because

Dog control laws have been made the subject of a public consultation amid worries over careless owners. Community safety minister Ash Denham MSP has pledged to "keep communities safe from irresponsible owners" and their out-of-control dogs.