Sloppy Scottish Pet Shops Put Animals, Customers, At Risk

by Maria A. Schulz

Animal advocates in Scotland are calling for tougher laws to regulate the Scottish pet trade industry, stating that the current laws are not strict enough and are insufficiently enforced.

Advocates for Animals, an Edinburgh-based group, says a study it commissioned into the pet shop industry shows that not only the animals sold there, but the people who buy them, are at risk.

Jordi Casamitjana, an animal welfare consultant and specialist on behavior in captivity, conducted the investigation earlier this year. The investigation involved visiting 107 premises out of the estimated 250 pet shops in Scotland.

The report found that at least 9% of shops visited were illegally open because they did not hold a valid pet shop license. Moreover, 57% of shops contained caged animals that were in distress most likely caused by their living conditions.

It also found that 43% of young mammals were kept in small enclosures that failed to meet the minimum size recommended under the law as they grew older and outgrew the space provided.

When asked about any possible problem in giving a pet as a surprise to someone with a ten year old child, 55% of pet shop employees failed to mention any potential problems with health, welfare or safety issues for the animal or the child.

In addition, almost every single employee failed to mention the risk of getting a disease from an animal.

According to the report, these problems are most prevalent in shops that claim to specialize in selling exotic animals.

"The Executive must radically reform Scottish pet shop legislation to provide better protection for the animals in pet shops and also for the unsuspecting members of the public who are often ignorant of the level of commitment and cost of caring for specific animals," said Ross Minett, the director of Advocates for Animals.

"Far too many animals are being kept in pet shops in unacceptable conditions and nothing is being done to prevent 'impulse buying', which often leads to animals being abandoned or not receiving the proper care," Minett remarked.

He said the report is particularly worrisome given that it's now Christmas, a time of year when many people are tempted to buy pets, especially after the recent blockbuster film, Finding Nemo, which features a charismatic clownfish.

A spokesman for the Scottish Executive said new legislation is planned in order to address failings in the current laws which have not been updated for more than 50 years.

"The Scottish Executive will be introducing an animal health and welfare bill in the next parliamentary session, and the purpose of that is to update and modernize animal welfare legislation," the spokesman said.

Tougher exotic pet laws were urged earlier this year, when the RSPCA asked the British government to force pet shops and traders to comply with specific minimum standards of care for exotic animals.

A report by the Companion Animal Welfare Council (CAWC) highlighted a loophole in existing law that shows that domestic pets and exotic animals are not even covered by existing animal welfare legislation.

According to an RSPCA spokeswoman, the current Pet Animals Act is outdated and fails to recognize the specific needs of exotic animals.

"We would like to see a number of codes of conduct introduced which relate to the care of specific animals," the spokeswoman said. "Pets like reptiles need heating and a specialized diet, and these codes mean we could prosecute traders who didn't provide them."

"We would like to be able to monitor and supervise how well traders care for their animals," she added.

The trade in exotic animals has increased by 49% in the last two years, with approximately 100,000 reptiles imported into Britain last year through Heathrow Airport.

© 2003 Animal News Center, Inc.