Greyhounds forced to undergo security checks and wear visitor passes during Holyrood visit
MUTTS BE JOKING Greyhounds forced to undergo security checks and wear visitor passes during Holyrood visit
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GREYHOUNDS yesterday had visitor passes put round their necks by jobsworth security staff after they were led into Holyrood for a photocall with an MSP.
Parly guards at the public entrance even put the pooches' beds through metal scanners normally reserved for items like rucksacks and handbags.
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Dogs were given visitor badges
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The move has been branded bizarre
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Scottish Green MSP Mark Ruskell wants to end greyhound racing
They allowed the dogs to keep their collars and coats on as they took part in their checks.
But their beds were then passed through scanners.
Staff at the reception then wrapped visitor passes around the necks of the hounds, which they were seen wearing throughout their visit to Holyrood.
A Holyrood source said: 'Security staff were robust with the dogs. The visitor passes were no joke.'
The checks were mocked by parliamentary sources, with a Scottish Tory insider joking: 'People will find this bizarre approach by Parliament staff as somewhat over the top or even barking mad.
'Here's hoping they show some common sense if dogs visit Holyrood again in support of other legislation, such as Maurice Golden's plans to crackdown on dog thefts.'
The bizarre checks came despite security staff having prior knowledge of the animal's arrival to the Scottish Parliament, for an event to tie in with the launch of Mr Ruskell's member's bill.
A Scottish Green spokesman told us: 'As far as we knew they were guests so they had to have passes.
'They may have gotten a lot of attention, but they were very well behaved guests.'
Parly chiefs last night admitted they had searched the dogs 'like all visitors' — but insisted the visitor passes were a 'bit of fun'.
However, this was disputed by our insider who said staff insisted on the dogs wearing the lanyards.
A Holyrood spokesman said: 'Like all visitors, the greyhounds and their baskets were searched by our security staff.
'But the wearing of 'visitor passes' was a bit of fun initiated by the photocall organisers to help promote the Bill.'
Lewis Hamilton's beloved dog Roscoe diagnosed with pneumonia as carer gives health update
Some sources said they were surprised to see dogs in parliament, having believed they were not allowed in unless they were guide dogs or other working dogs.
But Holyrood will welcome more mutts to the Scottish Parliament on Monday for the annual 'Dog of the Year' contest, run by the The Kennel Club and the Dogs Trust.
Mr Ruskell's rescued greyhound Bert, is in the running for top dog, alongside SNP MSP David Torrance's golden retriever Buster and Scottish Tory MSP Craig Hoy's black lab Roma.
Two bills around dogs are going through Holyrood, with Mr Ruskell's ban on greyhound racing being introduced to parliament on Wednesday and Scottish Tory MSP Maurice Golden's bid to make dog theft a specific criminal offence also being considered by MSPs.
Nats chiefs came under fire last year as they refused to bring in a ban on XL Bullies, only to u-turn months later and follow England and Wales by making it illegal to own the dogs without a permit.
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