This afternoon, the Scottish Government announced its plan to ban snares!

Such a ban would put an end to the severe mental and physical suffering of wild, farmed and companion animals that are trapped by these cruel devices.

"We are delighted that the Scottish Government has listened to the voices of Scotland’s people. Nothing short of a full ban will put an end to the suffering inflicted by snares".
Bob Elliot, OneKind Director

The Government's intention to ban snares comes after decades of OneKind campaigning for a snaring ban in Scotland.

An end to indiscriminate suffering

Welfare issues inflicted by snaring include strangulation, deep wounds, organ damage, exposure to attacks from other animals and mental suffering.

And while traps are set to primarily target predators to the red grouse, such as foxes and rabbits, these cruel devices are indiscriminate and catch a range of species, including cats, dogs, badgers and otters. In fact, up to 72% of animals caught in snares are non-target species.

Over the years we’ve recorded hundreds cases of snare use throughout the UK on our snare reporting tool, SnareWatch. These cases sadly include incidents of beloved four-legged family members becoming severely injured, or even killed after becoming trapped in snares.

A snaring ban will put an end to the severe suffering of many animals across Scotland (and in the case of domesticated animals, the suffering of those that care for them.)

Decades of campaigning for a snaring ban

We have long campaigned for a ban on the manufacture, sale and use of snares in Scotland. And our supporters have been by our side every step of the way.

While we’ve had successes along the way in achieving more stringent conditions placed upon snares, we’ve been very clear throughout that regulation cannot end the cruelty inflicted upon animals by snares and that only a ban put an end to this cruelty.

From marches throughout central Edinburgh to rallies outside the Scottish Parliament, petitions, letter-writing actions, and spreading awareness of snaring incidents throughout the UK, our supporters have played an invaluable role in securing today’s announcement of a plan to ban snares from the Scottish Government.

 

Scottish Government consultation

We are delighted that the Scottish Government has finally announced its plans to consign snares to history and is consulting on a snaring ban. 

We will produce a consultation response guide for our supporters shortly and urge you to please respond in support of the Scottish Government's plans to ban snares.

You can support our campaign work by making a donation today.

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