Fife MSP brings bid to ban greyhound racing in Scotland one step closer

Mark Ruskell MSP has launched a consultation for his proposed bill that would make it illegal to hold races in Scotland. If it reaches the statute books, it would sound the death knell for Thornton Greyhound Racing Stadium which has been operating for almost 90 years.

Mr Ruskell described greyhound racing as “a cruel gambling-led sport” and said: “There is nothing safe about forcing dogs to run around an oval track at 40 mph. It is wrong, and it must be stopped.”

But the Green MSP’s bill is opposed by the sport with the track owners arguing the debate has been skewed. Under pressure, they also fear this could be the end of the road for a traditional working class sport.

The gates at Thornton first opened on May 30, 1936. The sport was one of many to blossom in the 1940s and 50s, with its core audience of working men coming from the Kingdom’s pits and dockyards. Their decline has mirrored greyhound racing’s diminishing presence. Scotland’s big tracks, Powderhall in Edinburgh, and Shawfield in Glasgow, have both closed along with all others, except the modest track on the outskirts of Thornton. The ‘flapper’ track still operates races each weekend and midweek trials, but the numbers trackside the unlicensed venue off the A92 at have dwindled.

After giving evidence at committee stage of the Bill, Paul Brignal, track owner, said: “It is part of Scotland’s heritage, but it’s more of a club these days. We excluded the public during COVID because of restrictions and we’ve not seen them come back in the same numbers. We need to do something to address that, but the stuff going on at the Scottish Parliament has just sucked the life out of us. We’re just carrying on until they make a decision. It would be a travesty if it closed,” he said. “It is not a big industry - people who race dogs do it for fun.”

The gulf between the track owners and sports’ governing body and the campaign to end the greyhound racing is significant. Mr Ruskell argues the sport has run its last race. Mr Ruskell said: ““The industry has shown that it cannot be trusted to regulate itself, with hundreds of greyhounds dying or being injured every year.

“The way that we treat vulnerable voiceless animals is a mark of our values and who we are as a nation. The Scottish Parliament has already taken action to ban the use of wild animals in circuses. It’s time we stopped greyhound racing.

“With only one racetrack left in Scotland, there has never been a better time to put paws before profit and end these races. No dog can be left behind. I hope that as many people as possible take part in my consultation and that we can use it to develop the most appropriate and robust legislation possible and deliver an end to this abusive and badly-dated practice.”

Dogs Trust, the UK’s leading dog welfare charity, welcomed the launch of a consultation into the future of greyhound racing in Scotland.

Owen Sharp, chief executive, said: “It is simply not acceptable that across the UK, more than 2200 greyhounds have died or were put to sleep since 2018, and more than 22,000 injuries recorded, all in the name of entertainment. We worked with the greyhound industry for many years to try to improve the welfare of dogs involved in greyhound racing.

"However, it’s clear that progress has not been made quickly enough, or on a big enough scale to have any impact, and industry is a long way from ensuring the welfare of all the dogs involved.”

A spokesperson for the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB), which regulates licensed British greyhound racing, said:

“As regulator for the licensed sector of our sport in Great Britain, we have been clear that greater regulation is the only way to safeguard greyhound welfare. A ban would only jeopardise welfare.

“We continue to work with the Scottish Government and others in Holyrood to show how a licensed sport can safeguard the welfare of racing greyhounds and ensure they receive far more protection than domestic pets.”