Scottish Animal Welfare Commission minutes: 14 August 2025

Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) members

• Cathy Dwyer, Chair
• Libby Anderson
• Mike Radford
• Mike Flynn
• Andrew Kitchener
• Pete Goddard
• Paula Boyden
• Ellie Wigham
• Harvey Carruthers
• Marie Haskell

Scottish Government

• Andrew Voas, Veterinary Head of Animal Welfare
• Simon Girling, Veterinary Adviser, Animal Welfare Team
• Sam Turner, Leader, Wildlife Management Team
• Andy McKinlay, Policy Officer and Secretariat Support, Animal Welfare Team

Apologies

• James Yeates, SAWC Member

• Madeleine Campbell – Animal Welfare Committee Chair

Items and actions

Welcome

The Chair welcomed the members to this third plenary meeting of 2025. 

Updates and Activity since last plenary meeting

SAWC

Since the last plenary meeting in May 2025:

SAWC received a letter about firework control zones from the Minister for Victims and Community Safety, and subsequently had a meeting with Madeleine Campbell of the Animal Welfare Committee to discuss the animal welfare issues associated with fireworks

Cathy represented SAWC at an online meeting in June held by the EU Commission on exotic pets

Cathy represented SAWC at the annual EuroFAWC meeting, which took place in Vienna on 3-4 June

SAWC responded to a European Commission consultation on the genetics of dogs and cat breeding and digital solutions for their traceability

SAWC received and responded to correspondence on a variety of issues

SAWC’s working groups have continued to work on a range of animal welfare issues (see Work Group Updates section below)

Scottish Government

Officials continue to monitor and work with  DEFRA on issues which may extend to Scotland or have a potential impact in Scotland, including the Puppy Smuggling Bill, which is now going through the House of Lords

Work is ongoing in several other areas, including on:

• Canine fertility services
• Castration and tail docking of lambs
• Livestock transport between islands and mainland Scotland; and welfare of trade
• Welfare of fish at time of killing – guidance has been issued on the killing of salmon

Animal Welfare Commission

AWC provided a written update on some of its ongoing work, including activity around the following areas:

• International rehoming

• Livestock breeding
• Fur – responsible sourcing
• High concentration CO2 stunning of pigs
• Laying hen welfare in non-cage systems
• Safeguarding the welfare of farmed animals from the effects of climate change

Work Group Updates

Aquaculture

Members of the working group are finalising the report on their cleanerfish work.

Sentience

General work on the consideration of sentience is ongoing.

Foetal Sentience

A work group was set up to discuss at what point foetuses are thought to feel pain, in particular around closed seasons for deer.

Wildlife Welfare

Members are finalising work on an animal welfare risk assessment report on wild animal translocations.

An update on SG wildlife management work was also delivered, including on the Natural Environment Bill and the implementation of a wildlife traps licensing scheme.

Local Authorities Handling Animal Welfare Issues

The working group continues to discuss these issues and engage with local authorities across Scotland to learn about the issues they face.

Slaughter and Mobile Abattoirs

Members continue to draft a report, bringing together evidence gathered in this area.

Animal Experiences

Members continue to engage with stakeholders, discussing the welfare of animals used under a variety of different types of management, including the lives of these animals when not on exhibit/in use and how to measure their well-being.

Equine Welfare

Members are continuing to look into issues around equine welfare for leisure horses in Scotland, receiving insights from stakeholder meetings and evidence from publications. Awaiting new codes to be reported by NEWC (National Equine Welfare Council).

Review of 2006 Act

A work group is being launched to discuss the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, with the aim of reporting on and reviewing it, 20 years on.

Work Plan Discussion

Members discussed the current work plan and are now working on a revised version, which will be published in due course.

Next Meeting/s

The next plenary meeting will take place on 13 November.

Any other business

SAWC has been commissioned by the Scottish Government to recommend further robust, meaningful and achievable indicators of animal welfare for farmed animals which could be included in the next iteration of the Good Food Nation Plan.  A work group will be set up to discuss this.

Mike Flynn and Ellie Wigham represented SAWC at a Scottish Government Responsible Dog Ownership Expert Advisory Group meeting in June, along with other stakeholders.  Further meetings will take place in due course.

Recruitment to replace Simon Girling, who has now stepped down from SAWC, will take place in due course.