Holyrood committee hears evidence on ‘failing’ dog control laws following Radio Clyde campaign

A review into Scotland’s dog control laws will be held at Holyrood today, following our ‘Lead the Way’ campaign.

MSPs will hear from a range of experts, as well as Radio Clyde’s Broadcast Journalist Natalie Crawford.

She launched the campaign - which highlighted thousands of children in Glasgow and the West have been viciously attacked by animals over the last three years - 18 months ago.

Holyrood’s Post-Legislative and Public Scrutiny committee also heard from Doctor Judy Evans from the Royal College of Surgeons, Doctor Alasdair Corfield from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine as well as the parents of two youngsters who were attacked by dogs.

The committee will now consider the evidence and decide what recommendations to make to the Scottish Government. This could include a change in legislation or a complete overhaul.

Natalie Crawford said: “This is an important day for the ‘Lead the Way’ campaign and the whole team at Radio Clyde is proud that our work has highlighted this important issue and that dog control laws are now being reviewed.”

Doctor Judy Evans from the Royal College of Surgeons, said: “The emotional trauma can be so difficult to deal with because it’s on-going. They have to deal with the trauma of the attack and of the constant operations to repair the damage.

“I have seen young children who have had massive bite marks and scarring to their face… I have seen tearing of the flesh. It can be so tricky to repair this sort of damage. There’s also a massive risk of infection because of the nature of the injury. It’s something that happens in bursts – we especially expect to see these sort of attacks around holidays, when children are most likely to be outside.”

The Parliamentary Committee also heard from Claire Booth whose son Ryan was attacked in 2015. He was six years-old at the time of the attack and has undergone five surgeries to repair damage to his ear, which was ripped off in the attack.

Claire said: “It is so important that dog control laws are changed as I don’t want anyone else to have to go through what our family has over the last few years.

“It’s been an emotional rollercoaster. Ryan in appearance is doing really well but he has a disfigurement. He is terrified of dogs now and I have experienced a lot of emotional trauma as a result of watching these two dogs maul my son. I’ve had flashbacks and I’ve been treated for PTSD.

“I thought the two dogs were going to kill him and it has been an emotional rollercoaster. Ryan is doing well but he has a disfigurement and he is terrified of dogs now. I have also had a lot of emotional trauma and been treated for PTSD."

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