Promoting Responsible Dog Ownership in Scotland: Microchipping and other Measures. An Analysis of Consultation Responses

Footnotes

1. http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/Making-dog-owners-accountable-7de.aspx

2. This includes organisations who do not operate in Scotland, an organisation that provides the database rather than a microchipping service, someone who offers a service to cats, and individuals who chip only their own dogs.

3. One respondent specifically said the numbers provided related to 2013. Other responses are assumed to relate to 2012.

4. Breeding of Dogs Act 1973 as amended by the Breeding and Sale of Dogs Welfare Act 1999.

5. Further details will be available in the published joint response from the BVA and BSAVA on the Scottish Government website in due course.

6. There was little information available about the other half of this group. Some described themselves as "dog owners" or "former dog owners". Two individuals said they worked for local authorities. The two organisational respondents in favour of compulsory muzzling were from a dog rescue service and a training / agility organisation.

7. See http://www.yellowdoguk.co.uk/. This campaign makes use of yellow ribbons, bandanas, or vests to allow a dog owner to signal to members of the public or other dog walkers that their dog needs space, and should not be approached by people or other dogs. Some dogs may need space from other dogs (and people) for a wide variety of reasons: because the dog is ill, elderly, injured, in season, in training, nervous around other dogs, etc.

8. In Table 8.4, 17 of the 27 organisational respondents who said "yes" were enforcement agencies. These 17 agencies comprised 71% of the total 24 enforcement agencies who answered Question 22b.

9. "Stick and flick" is being promoted by a number of woodland agencies as a solution to the problem of dog fouling on forest paths.

10. The Green Dog Walker scheme is a campaign to encourage volunteers to wear an armband (or their dogs wear the green GDW collar) to show they have "taken the pledge" to always: clean up after their dog; carry extra dog waste bags; be happy to be approached to 'lend' a dog waste bag to those without; and be a friendly reminder to other dog walkers to clean up after their dogs.

11. Question 20 in the original on-line response form read as: "What other measures do you think might help promote responsible dog ownership?" This question was dropped from the consultation questionnaire and on-line response form when it was amended on 10 January as it was almost identical to Question 24. See paragraph 2.4 above.