End Greyhound Racing in Scotland
The Dangers of Greyhound Racing
According to the industry’s own data, between 2017 and 2024, over 4000 dogs died from racing and around 35,000 injuries occurred on UK tracks. These numbers only cover tracks licensed by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain. A handful of unlicensed tracks operate with no legal requirement to record or publish injury or death data - meaning the true toll is likely higher.
Forcing dogs to sprint at maximum speed, on hard tracks, around tight bends, in close proximity to others is dangerous by design. Dogs routinely suffer broken legs, spinal injuries, heart failure, and fatal collisions during races. Off the track, many are confined to barren kennels for most of their lives, with limited socialisation and a lack of stimulation. Many are routinely drugged to suppress pain and boost performance, masking injuries until they become catastrophic. Once they are no longer fast enough to be profitable, they are often destroyed - killed and discarded out of public view like inanimate objects.
The Situation in Scotland
Scotland has only one remaining greyhound racing track: an amateur track at Thornton in Fife, which is (thankfully) not currently operating. This is an unlicensed track which means it is not accountable to even the minimal level of the regulatory standards set by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB).
Moreover, the dogs that race are owned by “amateurs” which only worsens the lack of transparency around their living conditions when not at the track.
There is currently a Bill passing through parliament that would end greyhound racing in Scotland, and we are ever so close to seeing it become law. Over the next few months, we will be doing everything in our power to see this over the finish line.
But our work won’t be over yet. We will work to ensure dogs are not being kennelled in Scotland and raced elsewhere. We will also support campaigning efforts to replicate the ban in England and Northern Ireland. Wales already has a ban progressing.
Read below to follow the journey of our campaign to end greyhound racing in Scotland and the milestones we’ve achieved so far.
#UnboundTheGreyhound
Upon the success of a government petition to end the “sport” of greyhound racing in Scotland, set up by members of Scotland Against Greyhound Exploitation (SAGE), animal advocacy groups banded together to support the cause. The petition amassed a huge amount of public support, becoming one of the most signed petitions in Scottish history.
Coordinated by OneKind - SAGE, the League Against Cruel Sports, Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, Grey2K USA, Hope Rescue Wales, the All Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group as well as Animal Concern launched a campaign entitled Unbound The Greyhound in June 2023 to put pressure on the Scottish Government to end dog racing in Scotland.
UPDATE on Greyhound Racing Bill (Scotland)!
We are thrilled that on the 29th January, 2026, there was a majority vote to move the Bill to ban greyhound racing in Scotland to Stage 2, bringing us one step closer to consigning this awful industry to the history books!
After 3 years campaigning for this Bill to go through, thanks goes out to every one of you who has stood by and supported this Bill at every stage.
The #Unbound the Greyhound Coalition thanks you!
