Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and the Scottish SPCA, Scotland’s leading animal welfare charity, have established a formal partnership to “promote and encourage” a high level of animal welfare in the Scottish livestock industry.
“The aim of the new partnership is to take the existing much-valued working relationship between our two organisations to a new level,” said QMS. “It will build on the existing collaboration and trust between us, to the benefit of the Scottish red meat industry and the cattle, sheep and pigs reared on Scottish farms.”
QMS also pointed out that its commitment to animal welfare is highlighted in the organisation’s animal welfare and wellbeing charter which “clearly articulates the priority placed on animal welfare and wellbeing by QMS and others working in the Scottish red meat industry”.
The charter identifies “five freedoms” as the minimum standard of animal welfare. These are:
- freedom from hunger and malnutrition,
- freedom from discomfort,
- freedom from pain, injury or disease,
- freedom to express normal behaviour, and
- freedom from fear and distress.
Scottish SPCA chief executive, Stuart Earley, commenting on the new partnership, said: “I am extremely pleased about the development of our relationship with the farming community. Many of our officers come from the farming community and, like farmers, we are practical when it comes to animals. We want to work with farmers to improve animal welfare, which in turn should help their businesses operate more efficiently.
“We are here to work with the farming community and while we will always champion animal welfare, we will also champion Scottish farmers and provide support, guidance and any other assistance we can.”