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SNP ministers under fire for lack of action to crack down on dangerous dogs

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A north-east MSP has criticised the Scottish Government for not doing enough to tackle the issue of dangerous dogs and online puppy sales.

Conservative Nanette Milne said she was disappointed that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had not included a commitment to address the issue in her new 18 month programme for government.

The Tory claimed her predecessor Alex Salmond, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, had pledged to re-examine the issue.

The criticism comes weeks after three men admitted running an illegal puppy farm in the north-east, selling animals in such a bad state they died within days of being sold.

Frank James, his brother Edward and 18-year-old son Sean, all pleaded guilty to keeping 72 dogs in horrific conditions at Eastermains Ardlogie, Fyvie. Many of the animals suffered from lice, skin sores and matted hair.

Mrs Milne said: “Victims and their families want to see action to promote responsible dog ownership in Scotland as well as measures to address puppy farming in Scotland.

“They will be angry that the promise of action to address dangerous dogs by SNP ministers has not been kept.

“And they must urgently bring forward proposals to help tackle the indiscriminate breeding of dogs.”

Scotland’s new Justice Secretary Michael Matheson has acknowledged that people were increasingly using the internet to buy and sell pet animals.

He said it was a concern because “there are no clear controls or methods of enforcement” and the Pet Animals Act 1951 did not cover internet sales and advertising.

In a letter to Mrs Milne, the minister said the government supported the Pet Advertising Advisory Group but admitted that neither the police or animal charity Scottish SPCA operated a monitoring system for online sales.

Mr Matheson said investigations and enforcement action may follow complaints from the public, however.

“I believe that the investigations from the SSPCA have resulted in successful prosecutions on the back of intelligence gathered from the internet and they are currently conducting inquiries in a case of sick dogs being sold online,” he added.