SUNDAY MAIL EXCLUSIVE: Green MSP Mark Ruskell, who was inspired to campaign for the change after adopting an abandoned ex-racing greyhound, told of his delight.
Greyhound racing is to be banned throughout Scotland after an MSP’s bid to outlaw the controversial sport won SNP backing.
Mark Ruskell, of the Scottish Greens, said he was “delighted” after Holyrood ministers wrote to him last week revealing they would back the principles of his Bill to ban dog tracks.
In April, the Sunday Mail highlighted Ruskell’s long-running campaign to end the sport – triggered by rescuing an abandoned racing greyhound with a broken leg.
He told us how Bert, 13, has become a beloved family pet but was initially riddled with anxieties and injuries from his track career when they adopted him more than a decade earlier.
In a letter to Ruskell seen by the Sunday Mail, agriculture minister Jim Fairlie said the Scottish Government would back the legislation, noting “there are genuine risks associated with racing greyhounds around tracks of oval design and this is supported by evidence”.
Data from 2023 shows 109 greyhounds died trackside in the UK and 4238 more were injured. Ruskell said: “I am really grateful to the Sunday Mail for shining a light on the terrible damage done by racing.
“I saw lots of people sharing Bert’s story after the Sunday Mail published it, and there are dogs like him all over Scotland. When I rescued him, he was two years old and had been discarded with a broken leg that had never been properly treated.
“He’s now 13 and a different dog who has brought such love into our family. He should never have been put through trauma caused by racing.
“There is no safe way to force dogs to run around a curved track at 40mph, and I look forward to working with the Scottish Government and MSPs from all parties to end it.”
It comes after the Welsh government announced plans this year to ban greyhound racing, as did New Zealand.
The RSPCA said only nine countries in the world still allow commercial greyhound racing, including all four UK nations.
Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Ruskell added: “I am delighted that the government is backing my bill. If we are a nation of dog lovers then we need to back that up with words and deeds, and deliver real protections.”
The proposed Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Scotland) Bill would make it an offence to race greyhounds at tracks in Scotland.
The closure of Shawfield Stadium in Rutherglen in 2020 means Thornton Stadium in Fife is Scotland’s last greyhound racing track.
Animal charities were delighted by the news. Eve Massie Bishop of animal welfare charity OneKind, which leads the Unbound the Greyhound coalition against racing, said: “A nation that considers itself a leader in animal welfare must do better than to permit an industry that has cost the lives of 3957 dogs since 2017.
“Scots have spoken: cruelty has no place in our national identity. It’s time to bring this outdated industry to an end and we’re thrilled that the Scottish Government is backing this proposed ban.”
Claire Calder, Head of Public Affairs at Dogs Trust, said: “We are delighted that the Scottish Government will support the general principles of the Greyhound Racing (Offences) (Scotland) Bill. We have long campaigned for greyhound racing to come to an end in Scotland to prevent the unnecessary deaths and injuries to greyhounds involved in racing. “We look forward to the passage of the Bill through Parliament so that greyhound racing will finally come to an end in Scotland. We remain committed to supporting stakeholders to ensure the welfare of dogs currently involved in racing is not compromised, and along with the Scottish SPCA, we are ready to take greyhounds into our care.”
Claire Haynes of the Scottish SPCA, said: “This is a significant step forward for animal welfare in Scotland. Greyhound racing puts dogs at risk of serious injuries and, in some cases, even death. Ending this practice will prevent further needless suffering.”
