Greyhound racing ban would be milestone for animal welfare
Banning greyhound racing would be a milestone for animal welfare and set a crucial precedent for other UK nations, says Scottish Green MSP Mark Ruskell.
Speaking ahead of giving evidence this morning as part of the parliamentary scrutiny of his Member’s Bill to end the cruel gambling-led sport, Mark has urged MSPs from across parliament to ensure that Scotland is at the forefront of change by becoming the first nation in the UK to end racing.
According to the RSPCA, there are only 9 countries in the world that still allow commercial greyhound racing, including all 4 UK nations.
Mark said:
“I am delighted that we are so close to finally ending greyhound racing and putting a stop to a sport that has caused far too much pain and far too many premature deaths for dogs.
“Getting this bill over the line would be a milestone for animal welfare in Scotland, and would ensure that we are at the forefront of change across the UK.
“The Welsh government has said it will take action. We can’t let Scotland fall behind.
“There is a very personal aspect of this for me. I had a former racing greyhound called Bert who was a lovely and affectionate dog, but still carried a lot of trauma and injury from his days of being made to race. I don’t want other dogs to have to go through what Bert and thousands of other dogs did.
“In years to come there will be people who are shocked that we forced dogs to race at such speed in order to enrich gambling companies. It's time to put a stop to it.”
Data from 2023 showed that 109 greyhounds died trackside in the UK, an increase on the number for 2022. There were 4,238 injuries to greyhounds during racing in 2023.