Review the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006
We’re campaigning for a review of the Act and you can help.
What we’re campaigning for
After 20 years since its introduction, we’re calling for a review to modernise the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.
Why we’re campaigning
This legislation must tackle today’s issues including the alarming growth and changing landscape of animal abuse like online trade in animals and sharing animal abuse footage online.
How we will do this
We want The Five Domains Model of Animal Welfare integrated into the Act, updating the current Five Freedoms catching up with the Dutch government, who have proposed changing the legal model underpinning its Animals Act. We need legislation in Scotland that cares for animals beyond their basic needs and want to lead the way in the world.
We must collaborate with veterinary professionals, animal welfare organisations, enforcement bodies, and online platforms to develop and implement relevant legislative reforms. Ensure that legal guidance and sentencing frameworks are appropriately updated.
The Hidden Victims of Blood Sports
Why Scotland needs stronger enforcement
I didn’t know I was part of a game. I was just a cat, living my quiet life in Alloa, until the night the dogs came. They were sent to find me, trained to kill. The man holding their leads didn’t see me as a living creature. To him, I was sport, something to be chased, cornered, and destroyed.
When the attack started, I tried to run, but there was no escape. I was attacked while he filmed on his phone. He’d done it before, to badgers, to foxes, sending his dogs to fight and kill while he watched and recorded.
The Scottish SPCA and Police Scotland found the videos and brought him to court. The footage showed the deliberate, sustained cruelty. This was not neglect. It was entertainment built on suffering.
No animal should suffer such cruelty
I am just one of many victims. Animal fighting is still not a thing of the past. It still happens, often hidden online or shared through encrypted groups. Behind every video or photograph is a real animal experiencing terror and agony.
The people who do this are not just cruel, they are organised, often repeat offenders. That’s why Scotland needs stronger enforcement and better information-sharing between agencies, so that cruelty like this is uncovered faster and punished more severely.
No animal should suffer in silence or be used for someone’s amusement. Every act of cruelty leaves scars that never fully heal.
What we’re asking candidates and political parties to do
We invite you to meet with us, hear the evidence behind our proposals, and explore how you can place animal welfare at the centre of your commitments. These are practical, achievable steps that will:
- Reduce animal abuse
- Strengthen enforcement
- Make Scotland safer and fairer for animals and people alike
What we’re asking Scotland to do
Use your voice for Scotland’s animals.
We are asking for Scotland’s support. You can do this by learning more about the issues we’re tackling, showing and sharing your support on social media, and adding your voice to the call for change.
Every conversation matters. Every show of support helps us make the case that animal welfare is not a luxury — it is essential to Scotland’s wellbeing.
Animals count in Scotland — Let’s make them count for something.
Support us from £5 a month
Every £1 helps us rescue, protect and advocate for Scotland’s animals.
