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We are calling on all candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections to sign up to key pledges to enhance animal health and welfare, support the veterinary profession, and protect public health in Scotland.
A group of leading Scottish vets is calling on all candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections to sign up to key pledges to enhance animal health and welfare, support the veterinary profession, and protect public health in Scotland in accordance with the WHO definition of One Health.
Launched a month ahead of the elections on 6 May, the 12-point manifesto compiled by the British Veterinary Association’s (BVA) Scottish Branch spans pledges in areas including pet welfare, animal sentience, disease control, agriculture funding and veterinary workforce capacity. BVA is asking its members across Scotland to write to their parliamentary candidates to ask them to commit to taking action on these priority issues if they are elected.
The 12 pledges, available in full here, are:
Launching the manifesto, BVA Scottish Branch President Kathleen Robertson said:
“In creating this manifesto we’ve set out the issues that matter most across the Scottish veterinary community. The profession has an integral role to play in keeping our pets healthy, protecting animals and the public against disease threats and maintaining high standards in our food chain, and we know how hard vets have worked to meet demand and prioritise animal health and welfare throughout the pandemic.
“We’d like to see candidates from all parties commit to action on the most pressing animal welfare issues in Scotland, as well as efforts to boost capacity in the workforce so that vets can meet the post-Brexit demand for services like certifying animal products for import and export. Following the elections, we’re looking forward to engaging with the new parliamentary intake to put these pledges into effect.”
The manifesto can viewed on the BVA website.
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