Holyrood’s Environment, Climate Change & Land Reform Committee is considering proposals to provide further protections to animals and wildlife in Scotland.

The committee has today launched a call for views on plans contained in the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Bill.

The bill increases the maximum available penalties for the most serious animal welfare offences including: maltreating animals; attacks on service animals; destroying nests and damaging wild birds; poaching; possessing or selling unlawfully taken hares and rabbits and introducing invasive non-native species.

The bill also provides extra protection to service animals (the so-called ‘Finn’s Law’) and introduces fixed penalty notices for animal health and welfare offences.

Committee convener Gillian Martin MSP said: “Surely it is incumbent upon us to do all we can to protect our animals and wildlife. We believe that so much more can be done and that is why it is so important that we ask as many people as possible how we can strengthen the existing protections and collectively create a framework that will positively impact animals and wildlife in Scotland for years to come.”

The call for views is open until 12 November – more information can be found here.