Animal welfare is a matter which is devolved to the Scottish Parliament. The SNP Scottish Government have modernised the law on control of dogs in Scotland, in order to tackle the problem of irresponsible dog ownership. The Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 is designed to highlight the responsibilities of dog owners by putting in place a regime that will identify out of control dogs at an early juncture and provide measures to change the behaviour of these dogs and their owners before they become dangerous. This widens the scope for local authorities and the courts to take action against persons in charge of a dog where the dog’s behaviour is deemed to be out of control.
Crucially, the Scottish legislation, unlike the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 to which you refer, focuses on a “deed not breed” approach to regulation. This approach emphasises the protection of animals from irresponsible owners, and has been welcomed by the Dogs Trust.