Tayside campaigners for tighter controls on Staffordshire bull terriers are celebrating an early victory at the Scottish Parliament.
Ian Robb and Dr Alison Kennedy travelled to Holyrood to ask the petitions committee to consider introducing tighter controls on the breed that has become a symbol of the criminal underclass.
Dr Kennedy, chairwoman of Perthshire Abandoned Dogs Society, told MSPs crippling pressure is being put on animal shelters.
She said: “We are witnessing a crisis in animal welfare and a reduction of what was a fine breed of dog to pariah status.
“The Staffie known for a century as the perfect family pet and the nanny dog because of its love of children and desire to protect them from harm is now unwanted and seen as something to fear rather than to love and trust.”
She added: “At the sharp end of this mounting crisis are animal shelters, both small and large, all over Scotland.
“These shelters are under great pressure both emotionally and financially to cope with the ever-increasing number of abandoned Staffies.”
Dr Kennedy revealed Brown Street kennels in Dundee had seen a 56% increase in abandoned Staffies, with similar pictures in Fife, Perthshire, Angus and across Scotland.
Mr Robb, vice-chairman of Angus Help for Abandoned Animals, revealed his organisation has had a record year for cases involving the breed, with 41 of the 54 dogs it has taken in 2011 being Staffies.
Responding to the submission, the committee agreed to ask the Scottish Government if they had any plans to introduce new controls on dogs before considering the matter further.
They have not ruled out passing the matter on to the rural affairs committee.
Speaking to The Courier after the session, Mr Robb welcomed the day’s developments.
“I feel the Scottish Government don’t have a clear understanding of what is going on with Staffies,” he said. “Hopefully this will help with that and is a useful first step in the process.”
Dr Kennedy said: “I thought it went very well indeed.”
Angus South MSP Graeme Dey, who attended the committee to support his constituent, Mr Robb, was “absolutely delighted” by the committee’s decision.
He said: “I think today provides a fine example of what the public petitions committee was set up to do.”