Jackson Carlaw MSP for Eastwood has called for harsher sentences to be dished out to people who cause unnecessary harm and pain to animals in Scotland.
The campaign led by Battersea Dogs and Cats Home is requesting that the maximum sentence for animal cruelty in Scotland be increased from the current 1 year to 5 years.
Comparative research conducted by the organisation, which looked at 100 jurisdictions across the world discovered that Scotland is among the most lenient of nations when it comes to sentencing for animal cruelty with a maximum one-year custodial sentence for the worst offenders.
Whilst the law in Scotland is stronger than the legal position in England and Wales where the maximum sentence is just 6 months, the nation compares unfavourably with a large number of other countries.
From 2011 to 2018, 656 people in Scotland were convicted of animal cruelty offences and Mr Carlaw has said that stronger punishments are required to deter acts of harm against animals.
Jackson Carlaw MSP for Eastwood and Leader of the Scottish Conservatives said:
"When representatives from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home visited Holyrood recently, I was delighted to add my support to their campaigning efforts to increase the maximum sentence for animal cruelty in Scotland.
"Increasing the maximum sentence from 1 year to 5 years will act as a deterrent against animal cruelty and punish the most serious offenders."
"There is no excuse for inflicting unnecessary pain and harm on innocent animals and a change in the law is required.”