OATA is putting its support behind a new documentary from Responsible Reptile Keeping (RRK) examining the Don’t Pet Me report recently published by the SSPCA, One Kind and Born Free Foundation in Scotland.

The report – and campaign – is aimed at creating a ‘permitted list’ of pets in Scotland that can be kept. And it is firmly aimed at banning certain pets from people’s homes.

The documentary examines the arguments around permitted/positive lists and includes respected voices from across Europe who have witnessed firsthand what happens when positive lists for pets are introduced.

OATA’s Chief Executive Dr Matthew Bond says: “We welcome this documentary examining this Scottish campaign that aims to deprive people of their pets. The whole campaign from these anti-keeping groups is very misleading. It’s trying to stir up fear by labelling some pets as ‘wild animals’.  Pet fish like goldfish and guppies, reptiles like tortoises, birds like budgies, or small mammals like chinchillas are not wild animals and to suggest otherwise is nonsense.

“We know this will feature in the forthcoming Scottish elections in May so we are working with RRK and a host of other pet trade and keeper organisations to call for politicians to reject these calls for permitted lists because it is a pet ban by another name.

“Educating people to pick the right pet for their lifestyle and care for it properly is the key to happy and healthy pets – and their owners and we are working to find ways to embed owner education at the heart of better pet-keeping.”

Watch the documentary here on YouTube.