Scotland follows Wales in banning greyhound racing

Scotland has become the second country in the UK to ban greyhound racing in just over 24 hours as MSPs backed a Bill to end the sport.

The Greyhound Racing (Offences) (Scotland) Bill was supported by 70 votes to 27 at Stage 3. There were 19 abstentions.

It will make it an offence to operate a racing track for greyhounds and for a dog owner to race their animal on one.

Green MSP Mark Ruskell brought forward the Bill, which will effectively shutter the only remaining Scottish track, at Thornton in Fife, where there has been sporadic racing in recent years.

Mr Ruskell said: “I’m delighted that we’ve got my member’s Bill over the line and that we will finally end this cruel gambling-led sport in Scotland.

“Greyhound racing belongs in the past, and my Bill ensures that no more dogs will be forced to endure it.

“The case against greyhound racing has never been stronger and the international consensus to end the suffering of these dogs is now unstoppable.

“This week Scotland and Wales have both voted to join the many countries around the world who have already banned it.

“It has been deeply personal for me. In 2015, my family rehomed an ex-racing greyhound called Bert. He sadly passed away last year.

“He was a wonderful dog, kind and affectionate and so patient with kids – and even with cats – but what I didn’t fully understand, until I started working on this campaign, was the trauma that Bert had endured while racing.

“It is only through love that these dogs heal from their years spent in an exploitative industry.

“Over the course of my Bill, I have spoken to dozens and dozens of dog owners with greyhounds like Bert; gentle souls who had been scarred.

“I also heard about the patient work of re-homers across Scotland to bring these dogs into their lives and heal them.

“This Bill would not have been possible without the support of campaigners, dog owners and the thousands of people who took part in my consultation.

“It is a big step forward for animal welfare in Scotland, and I am grateful to everyone who has helped us to get to this stage and to get this bill passed.”

Animal rights campaigners welcomed the passing of the Bill, with a spokesperson for Say No To Greyhound Racing in Scotland saying: “Since 2017, we’ve stood together as a grassroots group, fighting tirelessly and successfully to stop a new track at Wallyford in East Lothian and to secure a nationwide ban on greyhound racing in Scotland — groundbreaking legislation that marks a historic step forward for animal welfare.”

Emma Slawinski, chief executive at the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “We look forward to the Welsh and Scottish governments implementing the ban on greyhound racing as soon as possible, and for the UK government to catch up and follow their lead.

“The UK government has pledged to deliver the most ambitious animal welfare reforms in a generation, and banning the dangerous sport of greyhound racing in England should be part of their strategy.”

Owen Sharp, chief executive of Dogs Trust, said: “Tonight’s announcement that greyhound racing will be consigned to the history books in Scotland is a landmark victory for dog welfare. This incredible news comes just hours after Wales also took decisive action to end greyhound racing – two huge steps towards ending the needless suffering of greyhounds.

“We are hugely grateful to Mark Ruskell for introducing this Bill, and to the MSPs who backed it. This legislation sends an unmistakable message: the welfare of dogs must always come first.”

Wednesday’s vote at Holyrood comes after the Senedd in Wales voted on Tuesday to ban the sport in a move hailed by campaigners as a “landmark moment for dog welfare”.

Hannah Spencer, who was elected MP for Gorton and Denton in a Commons by-election last month, praised fellow Green parliamentarian Mr Ruskell for “the determination and compassion” on the issue.

Greyhound Board of Great Britain data from 2023 showed 109 dogs had died trackside in the UK, an increase on deaths in 2022, whole there were 4,238 injuries in 2023.

While the Scottish Government supported the Bill, the Scottish Conservatives and Scottish Labour were critical of the move.

Tory MSP Finley Carson said: “It’s got to be recognised that it’s hard to conclude anything other than this process has been a waste of precious parliamentary time. Time that will not improve the welfare of one single greyhound in Scotland.

“There is no active track, there is no ongoing racing, and yet we have been asked to pass a total ban without ever exploring the very thing that has improved welfare in England and Wales – licensing, robust legislation, regulation and proper oversight.”

Scottish Labour MSP Rhoda Grant said: “As this Bill stands, it does nothing to improve the welfare of any animal in Scotland.

“It will stop a novel greyhound racetrack being opened in Scotland, but I don’t think in any event that a track would have received planning permission had it sought to open.”