Scottish Animal Welfare Commission minutes: 22 May 2025

Attendees and apologies

Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) members

• Cathy Dwyer, Chair
• Libby Anderson
• Mike Radford
• Mike Flynn
• Simon Girling
• Andrew Kitchener
• Pete Goddard
• Paula Boyden
• Ellie Wigham
• Harvey Carruthers
• James Yeates

Animal Sentience Committee (ASC)

• Michael Seals, Chair

Scottish Government

• Andrew Voas, Veterinary Head of Animal Welfare
• Sarah Gibbons, Animal Welfare Team
• Lesley Brown, Communications

Apologies

• Marie Haskell, SAWC Member

• Madeleine Campbell – Animal Welfare Committee Chair

• Andy McKinlay, Policy Officer and Secretariat Support, Animal Welfare Team

Items and actions

Welcome

The Chair welcomed the members to the second plenary meeting of 2025. 

The Chair also welcomed Michael Seals, Chair of Animal Sentience Committee (ASC), and gave a briefing on SAWC, introducing all members.

Summary of current ASC work

Presentation and follow-up discussion from Michael Seals on ASC. Including points on:

• Briefing of ASC’s background and how the committee operates
• Progress and gaps in legislative compliance and its enforcement
• Importance of enforcement of reports
• Ongoing and future topics for the Committee

Questions/Discussion topics included:

• Pressures on local authorities, APHA, and farmers alike, and considering how to move forward
• Merit of education and training, including for local authority inspectors, and potential impact of school curriculum on animal welfare knowledge

Updates and Activity since last plenary meeting

SAWC

Since the last plenary meeting in Feb 2025:

SAWC published a report on fish sentience

SAWC published a report on aversive training methods

SAWC are continuing looking at lower noise fireworks and other alternatives to reduce harm to animals

SAWC beginning to look at potential value of early years education of animal welfare and arranging discussions with appropriate stakeholders

SAWC received and responded to correspondence on a variety of issues, including dog kennelling/training; parrot trade; cat ownership; and equine welfare

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

Member Simon Girling will be stepping down from SAWC as he moves into new role with SG

Scottish Government

Officials continue to monitor and work with DEFRA on issues which may extend to Scotland or have a potential impact in Scotland. Key interests include: greyhound racing, slaughter of farmed trout, castration and tail docking of lambs

There is an ongoing Members Bill in the UK Parliament on the import of dogs, cats and ferrets. Legislative process now starting to allow this to comply in Scotland

The Welfare of Dogs (Scotland) Bill has gone through Parliament. A code of practice is continuing to be developed with stakeholders and a marketing campaign to be delivered

Issued review on Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Act 2020

Work is ongoing in several other areas, including:

• canine fertility service licensing
• poultry handling
• information sharing review
• welfare of farmed salmon
• welfare of birds of prey used for displays

Animal Welfare Commission

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

• International rehoming
• Livestock breeding
• Responsible fur sourcing
• Precision breeding
• High concentration CO2 stunning of pigs
• Laying hen welfare in non-cage systems
• Safeguarding farm animals from effects of climate change

Work Group Updates

Aquaculture

Members of the working group are continuing to draft an initial report on the use of cleanerfish in salmon farming.

Dog Training

Members of the working group have published a report on aversive training methods.

Sentience

Members of the working group have released fish sentience report. General sentience work is ongoing.

Wildlife Welfare

Members are continuing work on an animal welfare risk assessment report on wild animal translocations. Additional areas of interest include:

• Future research to investigate welfare indicators in wild animals
• Deer management, including firing competency, and foetal cognition and suffering

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 are engaging with stakeholders to continue 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).

Work Plan Discussion

Members discussed if any potential revisions should be made to the current work plan.

New and Emerging Issues

Future media handling of SAWC publications continued to be discussed.

Next Meeting/s

The next plenary meeting will take place on 14 August.

Any other business

EuroFAWC’s annual meeting in 2025 is taking place in June, in Vienna.  Cathy will represent SAWC at the event.