By July, Dogs, Cats and Other Domestic Pets May Have a 5-Point Charter Guaranteeing Animal Rights In Scotland

A huge development. It definitely will affect different nations. Shows a real understanding of the needs for such a law. Also shows just how far behind the US is in terms of animal welfare.

“The bill would make it mandatory for pet owners to provide a suitable environment, a suitable diet, allow pets to exhibit normal behavior patterns, be housed with, or apart from, other animals and be protected from suffering, injury and disease.

The bill, which amends laws dating back to 1912, will ensure that only people over 16 can be responsible for animals and creates an offense of causing an animal to suffer unnecessarily, The Scotsman reported Tuesday.”

Scottish pets to get charter of rights

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EDINBURGH, Scotland, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- By July, dogs, cats and other domestic pets will have a 5-point charter guaranteeing animal rights under a bill moving through Scotland's parliament.

The bill would make it mandatory for pet owners to provide a suitable environment, a suitable diet, allow pets to exhibit normal behavior patterns, be housed with, or apart from, other animals and be protected from suffering, injury and disease.

The bill, which amends laws dating back to 1912, will ensure that only people over 16 can be responsible for animals and creates an offense of causing an animal to suffer unnecessarily, The Scotsman reported Tuesday.

A government spokeswoman said brochures containing the cat and dog codes, which will be available in veterinarians' offices and public libraries, would be a minor part of the $450,000 allocated for publicizing the animal welfare measures.