MSPs take evidence on puppy dog tail shortening
Details of the new social security payments to be delivered by the Scottish government are outlined to parliament by Social Security Secretary Angela Constance
Higher Education Minister Shirley-Anne Somerville gives a ministerial statement on widening access to higher education
The Equalities and Human Rights Committee leads a debate on destitution, asylum and insecure immigration status in Scotland
Labour MSP Jackie Baillie leads this evenings member's debate on the Vale of Leven Hospital GP out-of-hours service
Committee convener Graeme Dey asks how confident Dr Parkin is that the results of the surveys are strong enough for policy making.
Dr Parkin says he still believes that this was the best way of doing this.
He says the results from this survey are stronger than other pieces of research for legislation.
Green MSP Mark Ruskell asks what involvement the BASC had in the studies.
Dr Tim Parkin from the University of Glasgow's School of Veterinary Medicine says there was a steering group with the BVA and other organisations as welll as the BASC.
He says the important thing from the owner survey was if the dogs were docked then they twenty times less likely to face injury.
Image source, ThinkstockDr Tim Parkin, from the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Glasgow, says the methodology has its flaws in terms of it being an online survey but that is a well known issues with those types of surveys.
Dr Parkin says there is potential for bias given who is completing the survey and it is an emotive issue.
Image source, bbcDr Tim Parkin from the University of Glasgow's School of Veterinary Medicine
Dr Tim Parkin from the University of Glasgow's School of Veterinary Medicine says the two studies were very different.
Dr Parkin says one was a survey with shooting people about injuries to dogs in work.
He says the second study was an examination of records from 16 practices of working breeds.
In 2013 the Scottish Government funded two studies by the University of Glasgow (Lederer et al and Cameron et al) to look at the incidence of tail injury in undocked working dogs.
Both studies concluded that tail docking of spaniels and hunt point retrievers may be appropriate, with Lederer et al writing that it would “significantly decrease the risk of tail injury sustained while working”.
Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee Graeme Dey introduces the first witness:
Image source, PAThe government held a consultation on tail docking, which received 906 submissions, external.
On the same day as the consultation analysis was published, Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “Scottish ministers have agreed to permit the shortening, by up to a third in length, of the tails of spaniel and hunt point retriever puppies that are likely to be used for working in their later lives.
"This will allow individual veterinary surgeons to use their professional judgement about whether shortening the tail of a puppy is justified by the possible avoidance of more serious injury in later life.”
Image source, bbcDougie Vipond reported on on the taildocking of working dog on Landward in April 2009.
Owners and breeders of some working dogs have been requesting a change to the law in Scotland so that a controversial veterinary procedure can once more go ahead.
Changes in legislation since 2007 mean vets may only operate to shorten a dog's tail in order to treat an existing injury or ailment.
Gamekeepers and shooters say that working dogs such as spaniels and terriers run the risk of injuring their tails while running through gorse and scrub.
Opponents of a re-introduction of tail docking for working dogs argue there is a lack of evidence for tail injuries sustained by these dogs. Others argue that the surgery is not minor and causes pain to the dogs, and that slow-healing wounds can require further, more serious, operations leading to, in extreme cases, extermination.
In England and Wales, an exemption from the docking ban exists for certified working dogs up to five days old. Petitions and political moves at the Holyrood parliament want to make the law similar in Scotland.
The Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee, external will shortly take evidence on the Prohibited Procedures on Protected Animals (Exemptions)(Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2017 [draft], external.
The subordinate legislation would permit the shortening, by up to a third and by a vet, of the tails of spaniel and hunt point retriever puppies where a vet believes they are likely to be used as a working dog and possibly risk serious tail injury in later life.
MSPs will take evidence from
Good morning and welcome to Holyrood Live on 30 May 2017.
We’ve opted for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee as it takes evidence on the vexed issue of puppy dog tail docking from both sides of the argument.
After topical questions, there will be a ministerial statement on social security benefits.
Image source, ThinkstcokEducation Secretary John Swinney will then give a ministerial statement on widening access to higher education.
The Equalities and Human Rights Committee will then lead a debate entitled ‘Hidden Lives - New Beginnings: Destitution, asylum and insecure immigration status in Scotland’
The member’s debate will be led by Labour MSP Jackie Baillie and will focus on the Vale of Leven Hospital’s GP Out-of hours services.