In This Issue
Unique pet store offers boutique boarding for dogs
Falling profits and closure threats – has the Pets at Home bubble burst?
Forthglade opens new £8 million factory in Devon
PATS Sandown gears up for new February show date
Barnsley becomes first UK council to run pet crematorium
Nineteen 87 launches new ‘Buy Direct’ website
PetSafe Brand launches global marketing this Christmas
Nutriment creates new range of five raw food products
Scruffs offers more than £1,200 worth of prizes in Christmas giveaway
Argos targets cat owners by selling half a Christmas tree
Get your own copy of Pet Trade Xtra
Winners of Pet Industry Federation Awards revealed
Billy + Margot announced as an official sponsor of Crufts 2019
OATA welcomes Scottish Government plans to review pet shop licensing
Brits to splash £274 million on pets at Christmas
Nominations deadline extended for Ceva Animal Welfare Awards 2019
Pets at Glee welcomes new team member
Tails.com launches duck treats in time for Christmas
The best of the previous Pet Trade Xtra
Dog toy gets set to become a Christmas bestseller
Raw pet food recalled after salmonella alert
Pet firm's social media campaign hits a million
Pet shop set to close after 53 years
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OATA welcomes Scottish Government plans to review pet shop licensing

 

OATA has welcomed news that the Scottish Government is to look at introducing new legislation on pet shop licensing in Scotland following a campaign by Jeremy Balfour MSP.

 

Mr Balfour’s office this week confirmed it has received a letter from the Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Roseanna Cunningham which states:

 

“I hereby indicate that the Scottish Government will initiate legislation, within the current session of the Parliament, to improve animal welfare by enhancing local authority pet shop licensing powers and update the licensing system currently set out in the Pet Animals Act 1951, including in relation to licence conditions, fees and inspections.”

 

OATA Chief Executive Dominic Whitmee said: “I’m pleased that Mr Balfour’s proposed Members Bill to look at a variety of issues relation to pet shop licensing in Scotland will now be taken up by the Scottish Government within this current session of Parliament.

 

“For many years OATA has been calling for a common, coherent and consistent set of mandatory licensing standards for pet shops which are properly enforced by well-trained and knowledgeable local authority inspectors.

 

“Whilst we fully support proposals to strengthen the licensing regime in Scotland, as we have found in the English experience with Animal Activities Licensing, a good outcome will depend on the detail of what is actually proposed and care is needed to ensure any changes are applied sensibly and proportionately. We would not want to see excessive and unnecessary burdens on business that in reality contribute little or nothing to improving animal welfare.

 

“As this proposed legislation concentrates purely on pet shops we would expect OATA to be consulted at an early stage because, as our reports into pet shop licensing across the UK have revealed, more than 70% of the shops that require such a licence sell fish.*”

 

OATA will now be writing to the Cabinet Secretary to register its interest in the progress of the new legislation.

*OATA Freedom of Information report 2016 showed that in Scotland alone there were 156 licensed pet shops and 71.8% sell fish (112 shops), 57.1% sell small mammals, 44.2% sell reptiles, 41% sell birds, 4.5% sell cats (7 shops) and 3.2% sell dogs (5 shops).

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