NFUS pushes local authorities to use more dog control notices

NFU Scotland has this week ramped up its campaign against dogs worrying livestock after finding that only a small percentage of local authorities are using existing powers to curb out of control hounds.

The union has made a submission to Holyrood’s public audit and post-legislative scrutiny committee highlighting the ineffectiveness of the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 in reducing the number of out of control dogs and dog attacks. The union’s submission includes evidence from a recent case of livestock worrying as well as the results of a Freedom of Information request to all local authorities on their use of Dog Control Notices.

This found that between 1 December, 2017 and 31 May, 2018, 21 out of 32 local councils in Scotland issued no dog control notices for livestock worrying. Another seven only issued one.

Union policy manager Gemma Cooper said: “NFU Scotland is very supportive of the aim of the 2010 Dog Control Act, which is to ensure that dogs which are out of control are brought and kept under control, by tackling irresponsible dog ownership.

“However, figures on the number of dog attacks on livestock for the past five years show that the number of attacks remains far too high despite public awareness raising and partnership working.

“The 2010 Act introduced Dog Control Notices, but because these have been chronically underused they have not had a positive impact in terms of reducing livestock worrying. Local authorities have a statutory duty to issue these, and to monitor their effectiveness, but NFUS is very concerned that this does not seem to have occurred.”

She added that the union would also like to see a national database of dog control notices, which was envisaged when the legislation was introduced.

She said the union felt this should be an “underpinning component” of any new framework to tackle the issue.