Will Scotland ban greyhound racing?
The Scottish government has suggested that it may follow Wales in banning the sport.
UK.- The British gambling sector was quick to express its disappointment when Wales became the first country in the UK to announce a ban on greyhound racing back in February. That measure is not yet in place, although deputy first minister Huw Irranca-Davies said it would be introduced “as soon as practically possible”. Now it seems the industry may face another loss in Scotland, even if it’s largely symbolic.
Scottish Green MSP Mark Ruskell has received cross-party support for a member’s bill for a greyhound racing ban. Scotland doesn’t currently host any licensed greyhound racing as the one remaining track, Thornton Stadium in Kirkcaldy, closed until further notice in March.
The Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) has therefore played down the significance of a ban in Scotland, suggesting that it has “no relevance”, but the move would increase the momentum of measures against the sport following moves in New Zealand and Wales.
According to the RSPCA, there are only nine countries that still allow commercial greyhound racing, including the four UK nations of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The UK secretary of state for culture, media and sport Lisa Nandy, has said that there are no plans for a ban in England, but pressure could start to mount with Wales and Scotland moving towards prohibition.
Support for the proposed greyhound racing ban in Scotland
The Scottish government had previously been unconvinced that a ban was needed, favouring a licensing scheme under which owners and trainers would be penalised if they breached animal welfare standards. But now agriculture minister Jim Fairlie, responding to Ruskell in a letter, said the government supports the principles of his bill.
Ruskell said: “This is a big step towards ensuring that we protect our greyhounds and halt this cruel gambling-led sport for good. With Wales and New Zealand taking action, we can’t let Scotland fall behind the pack.
“If we are a nation of dog lovers then we need to back that up with words and deeds, and deliver real protections.”
Ruskell has an ex-racing greyhound himself, which he says he rescued at around two years of age after it had been abandoned with a broken leg that hadn’t been properly treated.
“There is no safe way to force dogs to run around a curved track at 40mph, and I look forward to working with the Scottish government and MSPs from all parties to end it,” he said.
The Unbound the Greyhound coalition of nine animal welfare groups also welcomed the Scottish government’s support for the bill.
Eve Massie Bishop, from OneKind, said: “A nation that considers itself a leader in animal welfare must do better than to permit an industry that has cost the lives of 3,957 dogs since 2017. This isn’t ‘entertainment’, it’s cruelty. And Scots have spoken: cruelty has no place in our national identity.”
