11 Nov 2026
Officials say the Scottish courts need similar guidance to that of their English counterparts when dealing with cruelty cases.
Vet Times
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A welfare group has demanded new sentencing guidelines for animal cruelty cases in Scotland, following the implementation of similar measures in England.
The call came as Scottish SPCA officials criticised the punishment given to a Paisley man for his treatment of a dog used in fights.
Sean Alexander Mullen, 36, was barred from keeping animals for 15 years by the Paisley Sheriff Court on 5 November, for offences of causing unnecessary suffering, keeping and training animals for fighting and possession of equipment for fights.
He was also given a six-month restriction of liberty order and told to carry out 200 hours’ unpaid work.
But although it claimed to welcome the sentence, the SSPCA said it was also “disappointed” by it, arguing a custodial punishment and lifetime ban would have reflected the “savage” nature of his case.
The group also highlighted guidelines issued by the Sentencing Council as it argued Scottish authorities “must follow suit”.
An SSPCA inspector said: “Until then we will continue to see sentencing that is not in line with the animal welfare crimes committed.”
The case stemmed from a tip-off to the charity’s Special Investigations Unit last December that Mullen was keeping a Patterdale Terrier with facial injuries sustained in fights.
That dog and two others were subsequently seized in a search of Mullen’s Paisley home, where training equipment and fighting paraphernalia were also found.
A vet who examined the injured dog described his facial wounds as “extensive” and warned he was likely to have been suffering for weeks or however long the injuries had been left without treatment.
The inspector added: “No animal should ever be at risk of such horrific suffering.”