Please donate to help us Unbound the Greyhound

OneKind is leading a coalition of nine organisations, aiming to achieve a phase-out of both licensed and unlicensed greyhound racing in Scotland. Our campaign includes awareness-raising events and public advertising, as well as our open letter to the Cabinet Secretary and response to the Scottish Government consultation. Dog racing is on its last legs, but we really need your help to put it out of its misery for good. We truly believe we can do it, but only with your help. While a third of UK residents have welcomed a dog into their home as part of the family, of other dogs are still being bred and raced in the name of profit and entertainment, causing physical and emotional distress.

There is dwindling support for greyhound racing in Scotland, with 60% of Scots believing that the Scottish Government should put an end to greyhound racing, and 75% believing that greyhound racing is not important to Scotland’s economy.

The dark side of dog racing

While dog racing might seem like a “fun” pastime, there is a disturbing and dark side to this industry There are a multitude of welfare issues relating to dog racing. 2,718 greyhounds died and 22,284 were injured between 2018-2022 across the UK. That doesn’t even include the unregulated dog tracks that have no obligation to record figures, such as the last remaining track in Scotland - the unlicensed Thornton Stadium in Fife.

Raced greyhounds can be killed on ‘economic grounds’ if ‘unsuitable’ for rehoming or one cannot be found. The dog does not need to be euthanised by a vet.  

Dogs may be illegally doped with performance-enhancing drugs including cocaine, amphetamine, steroids, beta-blockers, and prohormones. Between 2018-19, 13 dogs tested positive for doping at the former Shawfield Stadium in Glasgow.

Most racing dogs reportedly spend 95% of their time in a kennel. While the GBGB requirements ensure that their physical needs are at least being met (though life in a kennel does not allow a dog to thrive), there is evidence that these standards are not met in many cases.  In the worst instances, dogs can live in dank, dirty kennels, suffer from untreated wounds and injuries, receive inadequate veterinary care, and be shouted at or roughly treated. A study in 2012 conducted by the University of Bristol found that 95% of greyhounds who are kept with another dog are constantly muzzled – a practice that is highly stressful for them.

Greyhounds were also forced to run during the 2022 heatwaves, where temperatures reached 30°C+ in some parts of the UK, such as Brighton which has a greyhound racing track. This came at a time when those with dogs were strongly advised to keep their dogs indoors to avoid heatstroke and potentially lethal consequences and to keep them cool with suggestions such as drawing the curtains, and providing cooling mats and cooling toys, and fans. 

Thousands of puppies are bred to supply a racing pool estimated to be 18,000 dogs across the UK. However, not all these dogs will make the racing grade and thus will be superfluous to the needs of the industry. The fate of dogs, once their days of being raced are over, is unregulated and frequently either unacceptable or unknown. GBGB does not share microchip records allowing individual dogs to be traced. 

Rehoming challenges

The industry relies on charities to rehome most of the greyhounds who need it - whether those that are no longer profitable to their ‘trainers’ or the dogs that don’t ‘make the cut’- and the sheer number puts further pressure onto already busy and hardworking rehoming organisations. Sadly, not all greyhounds will get the chance of a loving new home, some may be euthanised instead.  

Those who are rehomed can often find everyday occurrences, such as noisy household appliances, stressful because they have never been exposed to them before and missed out on crucial socialisation when they were puppies. The effects on dogs caused by the racing industry is such that they may need understanding and patience to adapt. With care and compassion, greyhounds make amazing family companions and are the ultimate couch potato. 

 

 

You can help 

 

I’m sure many of you will have dog companions at home and will be shocked to learn how many others are suffering in this cruel industry. But you can help to change that, by donating today. Your gift today will go straight to our campaigns which deliver stronger protection for animals, such as this campaign to end dog racing in Scotland. Please donate what you can and help us create a kinder world for all animals.

Kaas - a positive story!

You may have read Kaas' story who is one of the lucky ones. Five years ago, a local vet and an independent rehoming charity saved Kaaas' life when her ‘trainer’ took her to the vet to be put down because of a broken jaw. Her injury was completely treatable. Kaas was just two years old but had been used to race many times across the UK, including at Glasgow’s former Shawfield track. Thankfully, Kaas now lives in a loving home and rocks her signature squinty jaw. You can read Kaas' full story in our blog.