SAGE: Greyhound racing ban calls grow

A petition by Gill Docherty, on behalf of Scotland Against Greyhound Exploitation (SAGE), points out the practice is legal in just eight countries around the world, with two race tracks, one of them unlicensed, still active north of the Border. Shawfield Stadium in Rutherglen, near Glasgow, is governed by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB), while Thornton Greyhound Stadium in Kirkcaldy is an independent track – a so-called flapping course. Figures from the sport’s governing body show almost 1,000 racing dogs lost their lives across the UK last year with 104 dying from terminal illness, natural causes or other reasons, while 72 were sudden deaths. There were also almost 5,000 injuries sustained by racing dogs, many of whom are passed on to charities for rehoming. 

Campaigners are also concerned about the damage doping is doing after several dogs were found with drugs in their system at Shawfield. 

Last year, there were 10 positive dope tests, including four with traces of the Class A drug, at the Scottish track. Experts say cocaine can cause acute tremors, seizures, heart problems and even death in dogs. 

Ms Docherty acknowledged Shawfield reduced its activity to a “single night of racing per week” last month through a lack of dogs to make up a race card on a second night. While Thornton aims to race twice a week, it has also been hit by a lack of dogs. 

The SAGE petition says: “Evidently racing greyhound numbers are at their lowest in Scotland, therefore a ban at this time would place the smallest possible burden on rescue organisations to ensure that, if implemented in a phased manner, all dogs currently racing in the country can be rehomed responsibly. 

“We feel that the time is now for the Scottish Government to put legislation in place that would make greyhound racing illegal. This would see the closure of the last two greyhound tracks in Scotland and prevent the opening of any further tracks.” 

Ms Docherty said a legislative change to ban racing was needed to tackle the high number of injuries, deaths and positive drugs tests and to reflect the “lack of public support for this unsavoury use of animals for human entertainment and gambling profit”. 

Pointing out that the petition has gathered more than 5,000 signatures in just a few days, Ms Docherty added: “Scotland has led the way in the UK in so many different things and this would be such an easy one to do.

“We have two racing tracks on their knees here and by taking action now ministers could say we are leading the way in animal and especially dog welfare in Scotland.”

The GBGB has been required to publish injury and death statistics every year since 2017 and announced plans for improved welfare and reduction of injuries in the sport last year.

SAGE has been protesting outside Shawfield for the last two years and have also held demonstrations in Kirkcaldy with Ms Docherty adding: “There is a declining support and appetite for this exploitative use of dogs for entertainment.

“Changing animal welfare legislation is key to ensure the closure of the last greyhound tracks in the country but also to ensure that no further tracks could be opened in the future.

“Scotland has an opportunity to lead the way by banning the racing of greyhounds in the name of entertainment.”

The GBGB launched Greyhound Commitment last year setting out expectations how the sport and industry should be run with “welfare at its heart” in a bid to further improve the sport’s integrity and reduce injuries and deaths.

A spokeswoman said they had “zero tolerance policy” on the mistreatment of greyhounds and welfare of the animals on every race course is monitored by the governing body.

She added:“Greyhound racing remains a thriving sport in Great Britain, employing over 7,000 people and drawing audiences from across the world. At the heart of the sport’s continued success and appeal is our commitment to welfare. Within Scotland, racing at Shawfield Stadium is enjoyed by thousands of people each year who pay little attention to the handful of animal rights activists who occasionally protest at the track.

“The health, well-being and happiness of racing greyhounds is paramount in our sport; indeed, the protection that registered racing greyhounds receive far outstrips that of many pet dogs. As with all GBGB licensed stadiums, greyhounds racing at Shawfield Greyhound Stadium are inspected by a vet both before and after racing and their welfare is closely monitored. Strict sanctions are applied to anyone who is found to be in breach of our Rules of Racing.

“Our Greyhound Commitment, which was launched in 2018, sets out our expectations for how our sport should be run with greyhound welfare at its heart and establishes our ambitions for the future. Through this, we are determined to improve standards even further and are continuing to develop initiatives that ensure we continue to deliver a sport that is safe, welfare-driven and run with outstanding integrity.”