Animal charity urges Scottish Government to deliver ambitious animal welfare reforms (14-07-26)

Scottish animal welfare charity OneKind has written to the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government team to urge the Government to make animal welfare a priority in this parliamentary session.  

The SNP’s manifesto ahead of the elections did not include a single animal welfare commitment (apart from a minor mention of fish). Similarly, there were no animal welfare commitments in the previous Programme for Government. In fact, the word ‘animal’ didn’t appear at all in the whole Programme. 
The charity is calling for commitments relating to the following issues in the forthcoming Programme for Government:  
  • Ending the use of farrowing crates for mother pigs, which cause intense suffering to the sows trapped inside them. The previous Scottish Government committed to consulting on the issue in an earlier Programme for Government but failed to do so. 
  • Tackling the animal welfare crisis that is the ‘exotic pet’ trade. OneKind urges the Government to introduce a permitted list of species that can legally be kept as pets, as recommended by the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission.  
  • Updating Scotland’s animal welfare and wildlife laws to better account for our modern understanding of animal sentience and welfare, and to be more consistent and enforceable. 
Jason Rose, CEO of OneKind, said: 
“Scotland has made important progress on animal welfare in recent years, but there is much more to do.  
“Animal welfare is a key concern to Scots and the public needs reassurance that the recent manifesto does not indicate a weakening of the Scottish Government ’s commitment to improving animal welfare. 
“Issues such as the use of farrowing cages for mother pigs, the trade in wild animals being kept as ‘exotic pets’, and outdated wildlife protections are matters of growing public concern. Meaningful action in these areas would demonstrate Scotland’s commitment to high welfare standards and to the wellbeing of animals and reflecting the values of Scots.” 
OneKind emphasised that animal welfare is not only an ethical issue but is closely connected to human wellbeing and the health of ecosystems. The charity said it looks forward to working constructively with the new Scottish Government during the coming parliamentary session.  
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Notes to Editor 
For more information please contact: 
Eve Massie Bishop - [email protected] 
  1. OneKind is a Scottish animal welfare charity founded in 1911, that works to end cruelty for all animals: wild, farmed, and companion. Through lobbying, high-impact campaigns and public education, OneKind creates meaningful change to free Scotland’s animals from suffering. 
  1. OneKind’s letter to the Programme for Government can be seen here. 
  1. The charity’s supporter e-action can be seen here. 
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