Earlier this week, Mark Ruskell MSP announced his intention to bring a bill to the Scottish Parliament to ban greyhound racing.

The legislation would make it illegal to hold races and put an end to Scotland’s last remaining dog racing track.

 

The Unbound the Greyhound coalition, co-ordinated by OneKind, has been working closely with Mark Ruskell to expose the reality of greyhound racing and we are very supportive of Mr Ruskell’s plans to take action to try and secure an end to dog racing in Scotland. 

Mr Ruskell said: 

“This cruel practice has no place in modern Scotland, greyhound racing is beyond reform and it’s time to bring it finally to an end.  

“All the evidence is there, from the deaths and the injuries to the investigations of those who champion animal welfare every day. The inherent risks of racing dogs at 40 mph around a curved track are too great, it’s dangerous and unethical. 

“Yet still there are some who refuse to accept that their race is run. Therefore I am compelled to introduce a Bill at the Scottish Parliament that will bring in new laws to phase the races out. 

“We cannot stand idly by and allow greyhounds to die, be injured or left abandoned. It is time to take action and I hope MSP colleagues will fully support my Bill”.

20,000+ people demand a phase out 

I’d also like to thank each of you who added their names to our open letter - an incredible 22,385 of you at the time of writing. We have surpassed our target signature count of 20,000 and the number signatures is still increasing. 

The sheer number of signatures has demonstrated the considerable support for an end to this industry in Scotland, which has led to significant parliamentary action. 

Next steps 

Mr Ruskell will share the details of the Bill in the coming months through a consultation. We will support the Bill and encourage our supporters to get involved.  

In the meantime, we will be handing in our open letter to phase out dog racing in Scotland to the Scottish Parliament very shortly.  

Dog racing is on its last legs in Scotland. Together we’ll Unbound the Greyhound.