A Scotland Where Every Animal Is Treated With Respect
Scotland can become a world leader in animal welfare.
Together, we can create a cruelty-free space where wildlife is respected,
animals can lead a dignified existence, and where all life is treated as precious.
Pets are central to many people’s lives. But all too often the bonds between domesticated animals and humans are exploited for profit. We will encourage breeding practices that put pet health front and centre, and ensure better prevention and education measures to further enhance pet wellbeing, reduce the number of dog attacks and stop abusive trends.
We are committed to working with farmers to ensure all animals in their care can lead the best lives possible. Industrial-scale systems that treat animals as numbers instead of sentient beings will be outlawed. All farming methods will be governed by species-specific welfare regulations and sentience legislation that reflect the latest science.
Scotland is a nation of animal lovers. By placing our compassion, empathy and kindness at the heart of our laws, our nation can take great pride in leading by example on the international stage.
- Review and update Scotland’s animal welfare laws to take account of the latest scientific understanding of animals’ sentience, agency and welfare needs, as well as expanding the range of species protected under law.
- Make the laws protecting wildlife easier to enforce by reviewing, modernising and consolidating wildlife legislation into a single, consistent Act with ethical principles at its heart.
- Ban electric shock collars for cats and dogs to reduce needless suffering during training.
- Clamp down on the trade in exotic pets so that animals are left to thrive in their ideal habitats, with better regulation of the sale of exotic animals online and in pet shops as well as new legislation to clarify the species that can be kept safely and fairly in a home environment.
- Roll out a new public education campaign so that people are better informed about the welfare needs of exotic species and the level of care they require.
- Bring in tougher rules around fireworks to minimise stress for all animals.
- Phase out harmful agricultural practices, including the abuse of antibiotics to stimulate unnatural growth, the use of farrowing crates for pigs and cages for chickens, as well as the killing of day-old male chicks.
- Accelerate a transition to high-welfare nature-friendly animal farming, with new regulation supporting livestock with plant-rich diets, cage-free rearing, and calf-at-hoof dairying, as part of broader regenerative farming practices.
- Make Scotland a world-leader in farm animal welfare and fight moves by the UK Government to sign us up to trade deals that undermine our high standards.
