BVA condemns "heart-breaking" figures for unclaimed dogs
Almost 400 abandoned dogs have been put down in the past four years.
The BVA has condemned figures released by Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie that reveal one in nine dogs found by local authorities in Scotland are put down if not claimed.
The BVA are now calling for microchipping to be introduced to Scotland as a matter of urgency to help lost pets to be reunited with their owners.
The Scottish Liberal Democrats obtained the figures through a freedom of information request. The figures reveal that local authorities have found over 12,500 lost or abandoned dogs in the past four years. Of these, over 3,200 were re-homed and almost 400 were put down.
BVA President John Blackwell said: “The euthanasia of healthy dogs is heart-breaking and unfortunate. Although we recognise the pressure on local authorities’ resources, every step should be taken to reunite pets with owners and to re-home healthy animals. Euthanasia should not be a routine way of processing abandoned animals.
“We are pleased to see that almost 8,000 dogs were reunited with their owners last year and we suspect that many of these reunions would be due to the fact that owners had their pets microchipped. The Scottish government should introduce compulsory microchipping as a matter of urgency, such as that being introduced in 2015 and 2016 in Wales and England. Owners should ensure that their contact details are always kept up to date and this allows loved pets to be traced back to them and reunited. This can only be a good thing for animals, owners and wider society.”
Ronnie Soutar BVA Scottish Branch President said: “I know from working and living in Scotland how dear dogs are to the people of this nation and I will not be alone in being dismayed by these figures released today. We all need to work together – owners, the Scottish government, local authorities and animal welfare groups – to make sure how we treat these unclaimed dogs is a true reflection of Scotland’s commitment to animal welfare.”
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
