LOCAL MSP Kenneth Gibson met with the Dog’s Trust when the charity visited the Scottish parliament recently.

The UK’s largest dog welfare charity was at Holyrood to discuss its Dog Manifesto and priority animal welfare issues for the new Parliament with 68 MSPs, including Mr Gibson.

The Scottish Government has recently consulted on the sale and use of electronic training aids. Dogs Trust is deeply concerned by their use, a notion the Scottish public support, with 77 per cent of those polled by YouGov supporting a ban.

Mr Gibson said: “I am proud to support Dogs Trust in raising awareness of the welfare issues that electronic shock collars and other aversive training devices can cause to dogs. Such devices use pain or fear to train dogs and like Dogs Trust I believe this hugely affects the wellbeing of man’s best friends.

“The charity’s rehoming centres in Scotland only use reward-based training and I want to see these methods guaranteed for all dogs to ensure their welfare.”

To read Dogs Trust’s Scottish Manifesto visit www.dogstrust.org.uk/news-events/news/dogs-trust-public-affairs-news.