Majority of Scots want greyhound racing to be 'phased out'

Ross Hunter
Thu, 19 January 2023

New polling has found that a majority of Scots want greyhound racing to be phased out

A MAJORITY of Scots are opposed to greyhound racing, according to new poll.

Analysis carried out by Panelbase on behalf of an American organisation opposed to the sport found that six in ten people want the Scottish Parliament to phase out greyhound racing.

The welfare of the dogs was raised as the biggest concern among respondents, with most believing that dogs bred for racing have a bad quality of life.

There are no active licenced tracks in Scotland with the last remaining site, Shawfield in Rutherglen, hosting no races since 2020.

However, one unlicenced operational greyhound track in Scotland located in Thornton, Fife remains in business.

The Scottish Government is currently undertaking research into the sport with MSPs expected to reach a conclusion about its future next month.

Bob Elliot, Director of Scottish animal welfare charity OneKind, said the “outdated” sport had no place in a contemporary Scotland:

"The statistics are clear; the majority of people in Scotland want to see a greyhound racing ban.

"Time and time again, we’ve seen doping scandals, horrifyingly high numbers of injuries and deaths – over 1,000 dogs killed on the Greyhound Board of Great Britain’s regulated tracks across a five-year period – and the abysmal treatment of raced greyhounds.

“We’ve also heard heart-breaking accounts of traumatised greyhounds during parliamentary debates, and inspirational accounts of the incredible people who rehabilitate them. These dogs are the lucky ones. Others will be killed when they no longer make money for their ‘trainers’.

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"How much more does the Scottish Government need to hear? Greyhound racing is a cruel and outdated ‘sport’ which has no place in a modern Scotland. These sensitive, lazy and loving dogs, affectionately known as ‘couch potatoes’ by their families, deserve so much better. Nothing short of a complete ban on greyhound racing will suffice."

Last year, a Holyrood committee looking at the subject heard that some dogs in Scotland were given cocaine and that some racers as old as 10 “seldom” see daylight.