Scottish Green MSP introduces bill to ban greyhound racing
Scottish Green MSP Mark Ruskell has formally introduced his proposed Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Scotland) Bill, which aims to end greyhound racing in Scotland.
Mr Ruskell will need a minimum of 18 signatures from cross-party MSPs to press ahead with the proposed Bill. He is confident of receiving these signatures in the days ahead.
This is a key step in the process of delivering this much-needed ban, and would signal the end for Scotland’s last remaining dog track.
Data showed 17,930 recorded injuries among registered greyhounds and 2,412 deaths between 2018 and 2021 across the UK.
Mr Ruskell said: “There is nothing safe or humane about greyhound racing. It is badly dated and has no place in a Scotland that cares about animal welfare.
“Forcing dogs to race around an oval track at 40 mph will always be dangerous, and must be stopped.
“The industry has failed to regulate itself or live up to any of the standards it tells us it upholds, with hundreds of greyhounds dying or being injured every year.
“The way that we treat vulnerable and voiceless animals is a mark of our values and who we are as a nation. The Scottish Parliament has rightly taken action to ban the use of wild animals in circuses. It’s time we stopped greyhound racing for good.
“I hope that as many MSPs as possible back my bill and that we can finally put paws before profit and end this cruel gambling-led activity.”
If successful, the proposed Bill would introduce a criminal offence for a person to use or permit the usage of greyhounds in racing at racetracks in Scotland.
The penalties being proposed are analogous to the penalties for a person committing offences under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 and will be treated with the same seriousness.