Over recent weeks we have been highlighting the importance of good companion animal mental health. Here are some ways we can all support our animals and enrich their lives. Understand and provide for their needs Firstly, we should learn about the psychological needs of the species and breeds who might live with us (here are… Read more
Killing beavers is not the only harm we cause them
Earlier this week NatureScot released its beaver ‘management’ report for 2020. The admission that 115 beavers were shot under licence last year captured headlines and hearts. And quite rightly – shooting animals is abhorrent in most circumstances and particularly difficult to understand in a species that has recently returned to Scotland and is supposedly ‘protected.’… Read more
Mountain hare licences: the highs and lows
We were delighted last year when the Scottish Parliament voted to make mountain hares a protected species. Unfortunately, ‘protection’ for animals in Scotland comes with caveats. There are always exceptions to protections, usually in the form of a scheme that allows people to kill or disturb ‘protected’ species if granted a license. This is the… Read more
What’s the deal with trade deals?
You might have seen a lot about trade deals in the news or your social media feeds recently. But it is all quite technical, and it can be hard to know how important it really is. So here we have outlined why it matters. Since we left the EU, the UK must renegotiate trade deals…. Read more
Introducing the World Federation for Animals
There has been an exciting new development in the animal protection movement. The recent formation of the World Federation for Animals (WFA) offers a chance for non-human animals to be represented at a global level and for their wellbeing to be incorporated into the United Nations (UN) policy streams for the first time. What is… Read more
Our manifesto asks – what is happening now?
With only one day left until the elections, we return to our OneKind manifesto and consider the progress that has been made on a few topics and see which of our ‘asks’ were included in party manifestos. You can see more detail about party commitments on animal welfare in our previous blog or watch our… Read more
Parties’ animal welfare commitments for the 2021 Scottish elections
We hope that this blog will help you easily compare the commitments made by the five main political parties. This table shows some of the parties’ commitments on key animal welfare issues related to our campaigns. Below it we have given more detail on additional commitments each party has made. General Labour “will carry out… Read more
Considering deer
Deer are often portrayed as symbolic of a wild Scotland – the ‘Monarch of the Glen’ proudly surveying his homeland. The implication is that they are thriving and revered. In reality, Scotland’s deer face many challenges. Human activities over centuries have created an unbalanced ecosystem, in which deer have no remaining natural predators. Consequently, the… Read more
Scottish Government licensing of grouse moors
The Scottish Government has announced that it will introduce licensing of grouse moors, during a statement of its response to a commissioned review of grouse moor management. That report, conducted by a team led by Professor Werritty, recommended the licensing of grouse moors after a five year delay, if substantial change did not occur in… Read more
Out of sight, out of mind: Guest blog by Rhona O’Malley
Rhona is a member of the Edinburgh charity Advocates for Rabbit Welfare and is passionate about profiling rabbit welfare needs to give owners the support and information they need. Rhona wishes someone had raised her awareness to the innocent welfare mistakes she used to make and is now on a mission to be that voice… Read more
OneKind manifesto for 2021 Scottish elections
We have just published our manifesto for the 2021 Scottish Parliamentary elections. It outlines the actions we would like the incoming Parliament and Government to take to improve the welfare of Scotland’s animals. It contains 19 specific actions that we are calling for. They vary in form and complexity, but all are guided by a… Read more
Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Bill will become law
On Wednesday evening, June 17th, MSPs voted unanimously for the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Bill to become law. This is a big step forward for improving welfare for Scotland’s animals. The main functions of the Bill, which we have previously written about in more detail, are to increase maximum penalties for… Read more
