Latest death and injury figures in Greyhound racing shows need for UK-wide ban
The latest deaths and injury figures released by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) shows the need for a UK-wide ban on greyhound racing, say the Scottish Greens.
Last year, 346 dogs died in the racing industry and there were 3,809 injuries. GBGB only started recording the deaths and injuries in the greyhound racing industry in 2017.
The average lifespan of a greyhound is 10-14 years. Greyhounds forced to race typically retire between 3-5 years old. In the past seven years since their records began, there have been 3,957 dogs killed and 35,168 injuries, meaning many of these dogs died well before their time for the sake of a so-called ‘sport’.
Scottish Green MSP Mark Ruskell introduced the Greyhound Racing (Offences) (Scotland) Bill this year to make greyhound racing illegal in Scotland.
In Wales, plans have also been scheduled to end greyhound racing for good. Mark says this should be a starting point, with the rest of the UK learning from our nations.
Mark said:
“I am proud that my Bill is moving through Parliament at the moment to protect greyhounds and make racing illegal in Scotland. I want to see a UK-wide ban as soon as possible to end the needless suffering of these gentle creatures.
“These beautiful dogs deserve a better life than dying young or being left in severe pain for the sake of so-called entertainment. They are forced to run round a track at 40mph speeds, colliding with each other, resulting in broken legs, necks, and too frequently, deaths.
“My own dog Bert is a greyhound. When I rescued him, he was around two years old and had been discarded with a broken leg that had never been properly treated. He was frightened, anxious and dealing with an unhealed break at such a young age. He’s now 12 years old and a completely different dog who has brought such love into our family, but he should never have been put through trauma caused by racing to begin with.
“One dead or injured greyhound, caused by racing, is one too many, and this industry has thousands on its hands. If you have ever met a greyhound, you will know how loving and trusting they are. You will see their individual personalities shine through. How could anyone possibly think it is acceptable to subject them to such pain and injury in this day in age?
“The figures across the UK are harrowing, but unfortunately not surprising. So long as greyhound racing is legal, these numbers will continue to grow. I hope that both Scotland can lead by example and the rest of the UK can catch up with us, by ending the sport for good to put paws before profits.”