Fox Control - Email Your MSP

Following the January statement by RANE Minister Mairi Gougeon MSP, where she announced further restrictions on fox control using dogs, a huge amount of work has been going on behind the scenes to mitigate the damage of the Scottish Government's intentions.

SACS has been working tirelessly on a number of advocacy points, which are ongoing, but as lambing and nesting seasons approach it's the perfect time for SACS members to get involved directly with the political fight.

Members will be aware that the Minister proposed to limit the number of dogs used to facilitate fox control to just two, but as a response to pressure from SACS and other stakeholders she included a new licensing scheme allowing multiple dogs to be used where alternative forms of fox control aren't effective. The problem is, there is no guarantee that this will pass into law - especially as anti-fieldsports politicians have a strong influence in the Scottish Parliament, and these extremists want to see the use of dogs in fox control completely banned.

While we're waiting for the draft Bill to arrive, please help keep this issue on your MSP's agenda (and help to educate them) by using the template in this document. Instructions on how to find and contact your MSP are included. This has been designed for fox control practitioners, but other members who want to help can adapt the template text in their own way if they wish. It is important that the emails come from you, our members, complementing our staff team's direct advocacy work. And remember, when communicating with your MSP please be professional even if you don't really like them!

Please contact the office for assistance if you're struggling to use the template. Thank you for your support, and watch our news updates for progress over the next few months.