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Pet rights for renters included in Scottish housing bill
If passed, the bill will mean that private landlords can no longer unreasonably refuse a request to keep a pet.
Landlords will not be able to unreasonably refuse requests to keep a pet.

The Scottish government has published a new bill that could give renters in Scotland new rights to keep pets.

Under the Housing (Scotland) Bill, private and social housing tenants will have the right to request to keep a pet, which landlords will not be able to unreasonably refused. Currently, it is up to private landlords whether or not they choose to give a tenant written permission to keep a pet.

The bill, which follows three public consultations, will be looked at by MSPs before being voted on in the Scottish parliament.

Patrick Harvie, tenants’ rights minister, said: “A fairer, well-regulated rented sector is good for both tenants and landlords. Tenants benefit from improved conditions and security, while good responsible landlords will thrive when their good practice is recognised by regulation.”

The proposed legislation has been welcomed by Dogs Trust. With one in ten rehoming requests received by Dogs Trust involving issues with accommodation, the charity has been campaigning for greater rights for responsible pet owners who rent their home.

Claire Wilson-Leary, Dogs Trust’s public affairs manager, said: “We welcome proposals within the Housing (Scotland) Bill that, if passed, will mean landlords cannot unreasonably refuse consent for private tenants to keep a pet. We have long called for stronger rights for responsible dog owning tenants to be able to keep a pet.  
 
“We will be engaging with the Scottish government to clarify details of when it would be reasonable for landlords to refuse consent to ensure that tenants are not unjustly denied the right to keep a pet.”

Similar legislation for England is currently going through the UK parliament as part of the Renters (Reform) Bill.

Image © Shutterstock

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FIVP Practice Matters podcast returns for Series 2

News Story 1
 The Federation of Independent Veterinary Practices (FIVP) has announced that its podcast, FIVP Practice Matters, will be returning for a second series next year.

The bi-weekly podcast will return on Tuesday, 14 January 2025 with an episode on sustainability with Alison Lambert. The second series will include a range of new and familiar guests sharing veterinary initiatives and news from independent practices.

The podcast is available on Spotify and will now also be released on Apple Podcasts. More details about FIVP and the podcast can be found on its website

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Further cases of H5N1 confirmed in Norfolk

APHA has officially confirmed that two more cases of H5N1 have been found on premises in Norfolk.

Testing confirmed that highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 was present at premises near Attleborough, as well as premises near Hingham in South Norfolk. The case near Hingham follows a slaughter on suspicion which was declared on 23 December.

A 3km Protection Zone and 10km Surveillance Zone have been implemented at each premises, and all the poultry on each premises will be humanely culled.

A third case has also been identified near Beverley in East Riding of Yorkshire.

APHA is reminding bird keepers to remain vigilant and follow biosecurity measures to prevent more outbreaks. Details on the current disease control zones and biosecurity guidance can be found on the APHA website.