The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
Displaying 2045 contributions
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Meeting date: 3 May 2023
Jim Fairlie
What about microchipping?
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Meeting date: 3 May 2023
Jim Fairlie
Claire, just for a bit of clarification, is it right that you represent the Dogs Trust?
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Meeting date: 3 May 2023
Jim Fairlie
All those things have an inherent risk. Is your problem with greyhounds the weighting of the risk?
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Meeting date: 3 May 2023
Jim Fairlie
Last week, the owner of the Thornton track said that the Scottish SPCA has an open invitation to go there at any time, so you can walk in the door the same as anybody else. If the track covers all the welfare conditions that would be required in that sport, which is legal at the moment, surely you cannot hold the sport responsible for an individual who does something inadequate at home.
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Meeting date: 3 May 2023
Jim Fairlie
That goes back to the whole-life experience of the dog, so what you are actually asking of people who have greyhounds is to be responsible for their whole-life experience.
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Meeting date: 3 May 2023
Jim Fairlie
I want to pick up on a couple of things. The term “inherent risk” has been used several times today. We do not regulate field trials for spaniels or Labradors, sheepdog trials, agility dog trials or pigeon racing. Do you have concerns about those? I am looking for a straight yes or no answer; I do not want you to go into any depth. Gilly Mendes Ferreira, that question is for you, because Claire Calder will not have any comment on pigeons.
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Meeting date: 3 May 2023
Jim Fairlie
Have you, as the Dogs Trust, attended the Thornton greyhound track either incognito or in an official capacity? You said that you had taken in a number of dogs and you cited the Welsh unregistered track. Do you have figures for the number of dogs that have been raced in Scotland that you have had to deal with?
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Meeting date: 3 May 2023
Jim Fairlie
Do I have time for another very quick question, convener?
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Meeting date: 3 May 2023
Jim Fairlie
Gilly Mendes Ferreira, I apologise that I am coming back to you. You talked about the individual you visited whom you could not bring any prosecution against. I have a couple of questions that you might not be able to answer. First, how did you know that the dog required a visit from you to establish whether its welfare was in jeopardy?
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee
Meeting date: 3 May 2023
Jim Fairlie
Surely, then, that is the responsibility of the person who owns the dog and not the track.