Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Scotland) Bill Consultation
Proposed by Mark Ruskell MSP
Since the Scottish Parliament was established in 1999, many subjects have been highlighted through the public petitions process. Petitions have helped issues get the attention and scrutiny they deserve and in some cases the law has been changed as a result.
The proposal for this bill is inspired by Petition PE1758: End Greyhound Racing in Scotland, which has provided a focus for recent parliamentary consideration of the welfare of racing greyhounds.
The concerns are not new. When the Scottish Parliament first discussed the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Bill 2006, I raised questions about whether the provisions of the bill would fully address the needs of greyhounds.
In the years since, it has become clear to me that the welfare of racing greyhounds has not been adequately protected by existing law.
Too many dogs are injured and die as a result of racing on tracks in the UK. The inherent risks of racing greyhounds on tracks at high speed have not gone away. Given the weight of evidence, I believe it is now time to follow many other jurisdictions around the world and to end greyhound racing for good.
This consultation puts forward that proposal and I hope that it will engage people on all sides of the debate.
Mark Ruskell MSP
8th February 2024
What does the Bill propose?
Find out more about our Proposed Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Scotland) Bill, why it is important and how it will protect greyhounds from harm.
Consultation: Closed
The public consultation opened on 07 February 2024 and closed on 01 May 2024. A total of 790 responses were received and the consultation response analysis will be made available in due course on the Scottish Parliament website.