Favourite Pets
Report a Concern Donate
Heart icon Favourite Pets

    We Want to Introduce a ‘Permitted List’

    We want a ‘Permitted List’ introduced to ensure only animals with welfare needs that can be met in captivity are kept as pets.

    Sign the petition

    What we are calling for

    We’re campaigning for the introduction of a ‘Permitted List’ of animals that can legally be kept as pets in Scotland.
    Many wild and exotic animals are currently kept in environments that fail to meet their complex physical and behavioural needs, leading to widespread suffering through poor housing, inadequate diets, lack of social interaction, and limited opportunity to express natural behaviours.
    Access to these animals is too easy, with inconsistent care advice and a shortage of specialist veterinary support, often resulting in abandonment, repeated rehoming, and additional pressure on rescue centres. Some species can also pose risks to public health and safety.
    A Permitted List would ensure that only animals whose full needs can be met in a home environment are kept as pets, helping to prevent suffering, educate owners, reduce strain on rescues, improve public safety, and create a clear, enforceable system.
    To achieve this, we will work with a dedicated taskforce of stakeholders to address welfare risks, regulate acquisition, improve access to accurate information, and develop effective demand reduction strategies.
    Download the Manifesto

    Be their voice. Add your signature.

    Animals across Scotland need a stronger voice, and together, we can help shape the future of animal welfare.

    Your support helps demonstrate to MSPs that animal welfare matters across Scotland.

    Please take a moment to add your name and stand with Scotland’s animals.

    Please take 2 minutes to fill out this petition and let them know you support our manifesto.

    Support our Manifesto

    1871 Signatures (16%)
    12000 Goal

    Support our Manifesto

    We’re calling for a review to modernise the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, which, nearly 20 years since its introduction, no longer reflects the realities of animal welfare today. The legislation must address emerging challenges such as the online trade in animals and the sharing of animal abuse footage.
    We want to see the Five Domains Model of Animal Welfare integrated into the Act, replacing the outdated Five Freedoms and aligning Scotland with international best practice, as seen in the Dutch government’s proposed reforms to its Animals Act.
    The Five Domains Model recognises that an animal’s welfare is shaped not just by its physical health and environment, but also by its mental wellbeing, emphasising positive experiences as well as the absence of suffering. This would ensure our laws protect animals beyond their basic needs and position Scotland as a global leader in animal welfare.
    To achieve this, we will work collaboratively with veterinary professionals, animal welfare organisations, enforcement bodies, and online platforms to shape and implement meaningful legislative reform, ensuring legal guidance and sentencing frameworks are fit for purpose.

    {Your name will be here}

     

    Steve the Marmoset’s Story

    Why we need a Permitted List for pets to protect animals like Steve

    I was called Steve. I lived alone in a small cage, in a busy living room that was never dark, never quiet. I could hear televisions, children shouting, doors slamming. I was fed marshmallows and crisps because they made me seem “happy.”

    I wasn’t happy. I was stressed, underweight and constantly frightened.

    Marmosets like me are wild animals. In our natural homes, we live in groups, communicate constantly, and roam freely through trees. We’re social, intelligent, and need space, diet, and light that match the rhythms of the rainforest, not a living room shelf.

    When the Scottish SPCA found me, I was pacing the cage, over grooming my fur from stress. I was rescued, treated, and eventually transferred to a sanctuary that specialises in caring for monkeys. There, I finally met others of my kind. I have been given the ability to climb, play, and experienced things I’ve never have before — like choice.

    But there are more like me

    Across Scotland, people keep exotic species that can’t thrive in domestic settings, and often without understanding how complex our needs really are.

    That’s why the Scottish SPCA is calling for a Permitted List for pets, a simple, clear approach that allows only animals whose welfare needs can truly be met in a domestic environment, to be kept as pets. It’s not about taking pets away; it’s about preventing suffering before it begins.

    I was lucky enough to be found. Many others aren’t.

    Demand a National Animal Offenders Register

    Embed Animal Welfare into the Scottish Curriculum

    Review the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006

    Our Manifesto