Scotland moves to ban greyhound racing for good

Scotland has backed a law to permanently ban greyhound racing, marking a turning point for animal welfare and aligning with a global decline in the sport.

In Scotland, a landmark decision has been announced: the government has officially backed a law that will permanently ban greyhound racing. It’s not just about ending a sport, but about shutting down an industry long tied to gambling, where dogs were often treated less as companions and more as tools of profit.

The proposal was introduced by Green Party MP Mark Ruskell and has won broad cross-party support. Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie confirmed the government’s stance, closing the door on half-measures like stricter licensing or enhanced oversight. The message was clear: no compromises, only a full stop.

A tradition with a darker side

Dog racing once had a deep cultural footprint in Britain, particularly in the post-war years, when thousands flocked to stadiums to watch the lean, muscular greyhounds sprint around the track. Yet behind the glamour of speed and spectacle was a shadowy world of abandonment and mistreatment. The sport, for many, was less about community and more about cash.

That shift in perception has accelerated in recent years. In Scotland, the last operational track—Thornton Stadium in Kirkcaldy—closed in March. With its doors shut, the law now feels less like a practical necessity and more like a moral statement. As Jim Fairlie put it, the government wants to “draw a line under a practice that no longer belongs in a modern, compassionate society.”

A global trend against the races

Scotland is hardly alone in this. Wales and New Zealand have taken similar steps, tightening the noose on a sport once celebrated. Today, only nine countries still permit greyhound racing, among them Ireland, the United States, and Australia. Italy bowed out much earlier: its final greyhound stadium closed in 2002, ending an era that had already begun to fade from memory.

The human cost behind the spectacle

The numbers are grim. The coalition Unbound the Greyhound, an alliance of nine organizations, reports that nearly 4,000 greyhounds have died in the UK since 2017 as a direct result of racing. These deaths are not just statistics; they’re reminders of the price animals pay when entertainment collides with exploitation.

Critics argue that a ban is unnecessary. The Greyhound Board of Great Britain insists the sport is already effectively dead in Scotland, since no official races are currently taking place. But supporters of the reform disagree. The point, they say, is to make sure there’s no chance of a revival, no loophole that allows another generation of dogs to suffer in the name of profit.

Source: Mark Ruskell MSP – Scottish Greens | Facebook/SAGE