Charity calls for firework ban around dog rehoming centre
The public is being urged to support a bid by a local Dogs Trust branch to ban to introduce a firework control zone around its rehoming centre.
Dogs Trust Glasgow has launched a petition calling for the council to implement restrictions in Broomhouse to limit the private use of fireworks, like back garden displays, for a specific period of time.
Public, organised displays would still be possible within the zone.
Glasgow City Council considered a similar application from the charity last year, but the initial application was refused.
The charity, which has a rehoming centre with 60 dogs near Broomhouse, said staff at the centre witness the 'extreme anxiety and distress' caused to dogs by fireworks.
'It's really upsetting to see and made worse knowing that there is little that can be done to help them while fireworks are going off all around them,' Lee-Ann Howieson, Dogs Trust's regional public affairs officer for Scotland said.
'Our Glasgow rehoming centre is particularly affected as it's in a residential area where private displays are frequent, unpredictable and can go on for hours.'
Ms Howieson said the fireworks season is a 'really difficult time' for the team in Glasgow, and she said dogs respond in 'all sorts of ways, including hiding, not eating, trembling, shaking, panting, and trying to escape from their kennel'.
'When the team is aware of public displays, they can at least prepare as best they can by having more staff and volunteers working to assist distressed dogs and provide enrichment activities and medication.
'However, the day-to-day work at the centre is also greatly affected during fireworks season as we are unable to rehome dogs or take in new dogs due to the additional stress fireworks cause.'
The charity estimates that half of pet dogs in the UK fear fireworks.
During fireworks season last year, at their two practices near Dogs Trust Glasgow, ScotVet saw an 80% to 92% increase in dogs being prescribed calming and anti-anxiety medication.
Dogs Trust said implementing a fireworks control zone around Bonfire Night would be a positive step forward for dog welfare in the area.
'We are glad that Glasgow City Council is again considering a firework control zone in our area and are hoping for a more positive outcome this year. We urge locals to please have their say and support the proposal,' Ms Howieson said.
Glasgow City Council's fireworks control zone consultation is open until June 18, and opinions are sought from locals living in the area and people with a connection to the area. To comment on the application for a Firework Control Zone visit: www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/Broomhouse/
Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
a day ago
- Scotsman
Paws in the door: Dogs Trust backs pet-friendly proposals – but says 'more must be done'
Dogs Trust, the UK's largest dog welfare charity, believes the Housing (Scotland) Bill is a step in the right direction for renters with pets. However, the charity is urging the Scottish Government to go further to ensure people with dogs are properly supported in the rental market. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Currently, many renters across Scotland face significant barriers when trying to secure pet-friendly accommodation. Alarmingly, around 15% of handover enquiries received by Dogs Trust cite accommodation issues as the reason for needing to rehome their dog. Dogs Trust, which rehomed more than 600 dogs across Scotland last year, has welcomed the inclusion of pet-friendly provisions in the Bill, which completed Stage 2 in the Scottish Parliament last week. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Crucially, this will give tenants in both the private and social rented sectors the right to request to keep a pet in their property without fear of the request being unreasonably refused by their landlord or housing provider. The Bill also includes a time limit within which a landlord must respond to a tenant's request to keep a pet. Dogs Trust Backs Pet-Friendly Proposals to the Housing (Scotland) Bill but says "more must be done" The charity is particularly pleased that the Scottish legislation has gone further in extending these rights to those in social housing than the Renters' Rights Bill – which is currently progressing through Westminster. However, Dogs Trust believes stronger protections and clear guidance are needed to ensure no one has to choose between a place to live and their much-loved pet. Dogs Trust is now calling on dog owners and supporters across Scotland to write to their MSPs asking them to support amendments to the Bill that will better safeguard the rights of renters with pets. These amendments include: A reduction in the number of days in which a landlord should respond to a tenant's request to keep a pet. A protection that if a landlord fails to respond to a tenant's request to keep a pet within the response period, it can be treated as unreasonable refusal, which would allow a tenant to make an appeal. The inclusion of pet ownership as a provision under a written tenancy agreement once consent to keep a pet has been granted. To write to your MSP, visit: Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Owen Sharp, Chief Executive of Dogs Trust, says: "The Housing (Scotland) Bill is a huge step forward in addressing the need for greater availability of pet-friendly accommodation in Scotland. Sadly, the struggle to find suitable accommodation is still very real for many dog owners. Too often, people face the heartbreaking decision to give up their beloved pet simply because they can't find a home that allows dogs. 'We hope MSPs will support amendments to strengthen the Bill and that once passed, the Bill will mark the start of a culture shift in attitudes towards renting with pets, meaning no one is denied the joys of dog ownership simply because they rent a home.' Dogs Trust has also welcomed the decision by the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee that guidance must be developed alongside the Bill and hopes that this will provide greater clarity for tenants and landlords around definitions in the Bill. This includes what is 'reasonable' grounds for a landlord to deny a tenant's request to keep a pet and what are 'reasonable' conditions for a tenant to be able to keep a pet.
STV News
2 days ago
- STV News
Charity calls for firework ban around dog rehoming centre
The public is being urged to support a bid by a local Dogs Trust branch to ban to introduce a firework control zone around its rehoming centre. Dogs Trust Glasgow has launched a petition calling for the council to implement restrictions in Broomhouse to limit the private use of fireworks, like back garden displays, for a specific period of time. Public, organised displays would still be possible within the zone. Glasgow City Council considered a similar application from the charity last year, but the initial application was refused. The charity, which has a rehoming centre with 60 dogs near Broomhouse, said staff at the centre witness the 'extreme anxiety and distress' caused to dogs by fireworks. 'It's really upsetting to see and made worse knowing that there is little that can be done to help them while fireworks are going off all around them,' Lee-Ann Howieson, Dogs Trust's regional public affairs officer for Scotland said. 'Our Glasgow rehoming centre is particularly affected as it's in a residential area where private displays are frequent, unpredictable and can go on for hours.' Ms Howieson said the fireworks season is a 'really difficult time' for the team in Glasgow, and she said dogs respond in 'all sorts of ways, including hiding, not eating, trembling, shaking, panting, and trying to escape from their kennel'. 'When the team is aware of public displays, they can at least prepare as best they can by having more staff and volunteers working to assist distressed dogs and provide enrichment activities and medication. 'However, the day-to-day work at the centre is also greatly affected during fireworks season as we are unable to rehome dogs or take in new dogs due to the additional stress fireworks cause.' The charity estimates that half of pet dogs in the UK fear fireworks. During fireworks season last year, at their two practices near Dogs Trust Glasgow, ScotVet saw an 80% to 92% increase in dogs being prescribed calming and anti-anxiety medication. Dogs Trust said implementing a fireworks control zone around Bonfire Night would be a positive step forward for dog welfare in the area. 'We are glad that Glasgow City Council is again considering a firework control zone in our area and are hoping for a more positive outcome this year. We urge locals to please have their say and support the proposal,' Ms Howieson said. Glasgow City Council's fireworks control zone consultation is open until June 18, and opinions are sought from locals living in the area and people with a connection to the area. To comment on the application for a Firework Control Zone visit: Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Glasgow Times
3 days ago
- Glasgow Times
Plan revealed for land trageted by flytippers in Glasgow's Milton
Over £650,000 of funding to develop vacant and derelict land in Scotland is set to be used on a 'woodland enhancement' project on land next to Birsay Road. Almost £2m has also been allocated to a scheme which will see 42 flats developed on the former Tureen Street school in Calton — and plans have already been sent to Glasgow City Council. Cash for the two projects is coming from the Scottish Government. Glasgow councillors will be asked to accept the money on Thursday. Glasgow has the highest concentration of urban vacant land in Scotland, although it has been decreasing. The most recent figures show there were 781 hectares across 574 sites in 2024, down from 834 hectares over 599 sites in 2023. Green Action Trust, an environmental regeneration charity, is set to deliver the 'Milton Discovery Wood' scheme on behalf of the council. The land, which has a history of shallow coal mining, has been empty for at least 45 years. A council report states it is 'prone to flytipping and anti-social behaviour' and the funding will help to provide a 'parkland environment for community benefit'. Waste will be removed from the site and entrance ways improved to make it safer. Outdoor classroom spaces are planned to give 'nature play and education opportunities' to nearby schools. Construction is expected to start in February next year and be completed by June. The trust has said the wood will become a 'safe and accessible community resource' in an area which 'currently has little usable, attractive greenspace'. Planting, including trees, hedging and wildflower, is proposed as well as active travel routes. Community consultation is planned over the summer. In Calton, Thenue Housing Association is set to redevelop the former Tureen Street school, which has been derelict for at least 18 years and is on Historic Environment Scotland's building at risk register. Plans include partial demolition, stabilisation and façade retention of the B-listed former school buildings. The council report adds the site has become 'known for anti-social behaviour in the Calton area'. The housing association has already requested planning permission from the council and, if approved, work could start in December. A council report states vacant and derelict land 'constrains the economic potential of the city in addition to blighting local communities'. In Glasgow, development is hindered by 'a combination of poor ground condition, fragmented ownership and inadequate infrastructure'. This year is the final year of vacant and derelict land investment programme funding from the Scottish Government. In future, applications for support will come under its regeneration capital grant fund.
