Animal charity campaigning for cruelty register

Watchdogs are calling for a register to detail those who are cruel to animals.

The list of shame is part of the Scottish SPCA’s pre-election manifesto to clamp down on cruelty.

The charity’s blueprint, A Better Scotland for Animals, also makes a series of demands that identify the worst trends in animal cruelty in Scotland today.

It targets the use of cruel snares, which leave birds and small mammals to die in agony, often set by gamekeepers whose only interest is keeping grouse stocks up.

And it demands tougher measures to stop thugs needlessly cutting off the ears of bulldogs to make them look fierce.

Key demands include a national register for people who are cruel to animals; a ban on live animal exports when for fattening or slaughter and a review aimed at tightening up the ban on foxhunting.

Mike Flynn, chief superintendent of the Scottish SPCA, said: “Animal welfare transcends political views and we will be campaigning hard to get cross-party backing for our manifesto.

“Scotland has made great strides in animal welfare in recent years, but there’s always more we can do.”

A survey of almost 3000 people carried out by ScotPulse on behalf of the Scottish SPCA shows the majority of Scots support every single item in the charity’s manifesto.

The charity is also calling for animal welfare to be a compulsory part of the school curriculum.

Visit www.scottish spca.org/manifesto to view and sign the petition.