Overview

Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Bill

The Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee wants your views on Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Bill.

What does the legislation do?

It is against the law to hunt a wild mammal using a dog except in limited circumstances. This became an offence under the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002.

This Bill replaces the 2002 Act. It will still be an offence to hunt a wild mammal using a dog except in limited circumstances. For example, hunting with dogs may be allowed to prevent the spread of disease or to protect other animals if the activity meets the requirements in the Bill about how it is done. However, it will always be illegal to chase and kill a wild mammal using a dog.

Where hunting is allowed, the Bill introduces new limits on the number of dogs that can be used. In some circumstances, people may be able to get a licence to use more dogs.

The Bill also bans trail hunting except in limited circumstances. Trail hunting is when a dog is used to find and follow an animal-based scent.

The Committee will not, as part of its scrutiny, address or explore issues which are outwith the scope of the Bill as outlined above. Submissions which contain offensive language, do not comply with GDPR requirements or are not relevant to the Committee’s scrutiny will not be published.

How to submit your views

Share your views on the purpose of the Bill (short survey) 

If you wish to provide a short response with your views on the Bill overall, please complete the survey.   

Please submit your views via the survey linked to below. 

If you wish to submit a more detailed response to the provisions in the bill, please click here to return to the main page for this Call for Views. 

We welcome written views in English, Gaelic, Scots or any other language.  

We would like to hear from you by 23:59 on Friday13 May 2022.

What happens next

The views you provide will be analysed and summarised by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).  A high-level analysis of responses will be made publicly available.