We would like to introduce you to the bright and beautiful Joy.

She was raced 60 times before ‘crashing out’ with a serious injury at what would be her final race, which cost her one of her legs. Since being saved from the industry, Joy would go on to win people’s hearts in the Holyrood Dog of the Year 2023 with MSP Mark Ruskell.

Now, Joy urgently needs you to help her fellow greyhounds who are still trapped in the cruel industry by pledging your support for Mark Ruskell's consultation for the Proposed Prohibition Greyhound Racing (Scotland) Bill, which would ban dog racing.

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This is Joy’s story 

Born into the racing industry, Joy ran her first race at 18 months old in Tralee, Ireland. She would go on to be raced across the UK for the first 3 years of her life as a commodity.

Until one day on the 21st of October 2021, when Joy sustained a significant leg injury during a race. Her leg was amputated and, unable to race, Joy was no longer of use to the racing industry.

Although her leg was not saved; her life was. Joy was rescued from the racing industry and would go onto flourish into a happy, healthy girl with a sunny smile in a loving home.

Her former trainer was convicted of cruelty

During her time in the industry, Joy was trained out of Rebecca Perkins’ kennels. Perkins, a former Greyhound Board of Great Britian (GBGB) trainer with 17 years of experience, was convicted in 2023 of animal cruelty following the disturbing discovery of 37 ill and emaciated greyhounds living in soil-laden squalor. Several dogs were too ill to be saved. A further four bodies were found. All endured traumatic cruelty. For her shocking acts of neglect and abuse of these gentle dogs, Perkins was sentenced to 36 weeks in jail and handed a lifetime ban on keeping animals.

Joy’s road to recovery

Just two weeks after her surgery, Joy would find her forever home in Scotland with two kind-hearted greyhound-lovers.

Although originally intended to be a foster home, it didn’t take long for her new mums to become besotted with Joy and know that they had become what is deemed a ‘foster fail’ - which was a success for Joy!

In her new beginnings, Joy had to adapt to living as a dog in a home, not a kennel – with all new smells, stairs and loud, scary sounds - and life with three legs. Her family described her as being like a puppy - everything inside her home and outside in the world was new to her - and Joy was amazed and overwhelmed in equal measure.

Following her operation, Joy was in a lot of discomfort and her stump was sore and inflamed.

Unfortunately, like many rescue greyhounds initially, she was ‘switched off’ and timid. Her sweet, playful nature was yet to be unlocked.

However, thanks to plenty of love, attention and care provided by her mums, Joy was able to heal and this brave girl soon conquered all – including the stairs.

A smiley girl in her loving home

 

When you first meet 5-year-old Joy, you notice her big, jolly smile - not that she is a three-legged dog – or a ‘tripawd’ as her mums affectionally calls her.

Joy loves making friends, whether it be human or canine chums. She is an infectiously playful and generous girl who always happy to share her toys (even her coveted collection of squeaky balls).

 

As her two pawrents have transformed the lives of many greyhounds through fostering and adopting, Joy is a loving sister to fellow rescue greyhounds DeeDee and Kizzy. Her favourite thing in the world is to go on walks and run around with her sisters, followed closely by morning treats!

Joy named herself and lives up to her name

Throughout sharing her story, we have called her Joy. However, upon arriving at her new home, her original name was Gloria. But Joy didn’t bat an eyelid at the name Gloria, never recognising it as her own and her new family always knowing it wasn’t quite right.

Then, when her mum exclaimed how she was ‘an absolute joy’ and her head immediately popped up and her face beamed – that was it! With her joyful smile and delightful personality, she had found her name: Joy.

She was crowned Holyrood Dog of the Year in 2023

As Joy has a way of making everyone adore her, she won people’s hearts to triumph in the Pawblic Vote at the 2023 Holyrood Dog of the Year alongside MSP Mark Ruskell.

Looking pretty in pink and gleefully smiling for the crowd and cameras, her mums said Joy ‘wowed everyone she met on the day’.

This made Joy the most recent of a trio of Pawblic Vote winners with Mr Ruskell, who had previously won with rescue greyhound Bluesy and his former racing dog, Bert. With their wins, each dog helped to raise awareness of the inherent welfare issues of the greyhound racing industry.

Joy needs you to help her human friends to end dog racing in Scotland

Today, Joy calls on you to pledge your support for her Holyrood Dog of the Year teammate Mark Ruskell’s consultation for the Proposed Prohibition Greyhound Racing (Scotland) Bill.

Should this bill be passed, dog racing in Scotland would become illegal and the waning, outdated industry would finally be put out of its misery. 

Please take just a minute of your time to support the main aims of the bill.

Pledge your support

Scotland is on track to end greyhound racing

Recently, Joy joined Unbound the Greyhound coalition members, supportive MSPs and fellow rescue greyhounds outside the Parliament to deliver the campaign’s open letter to the Scottish Government. After months of gathering signatures, an incredible 22,655 of you signed your name in support of an end to greyhound racing in Scotland – thank you.

Although Joy is one of the lucky ones, there are many greyhounds who won’t be – or haven’t been - so lucky.  Horrifyingly, according to GBGB’s own report, 2,718 greyhounds died and there were 22,284 total injuries suffered between 2018-2022 across the UK. However, this data only captures regulated GBGB tracks and not the unlicensed Thornton Stadium in Fife.

Greyhound racing has no future in modern Scotland. Together, we can secure this ban!

Thank you for your support.

Read more about the campaign