Big Win for Greyhounds in Scotland!
Five months after the Unbound the Greyhound coalition stood with MSP Mark Ruskell in front of Holyrood for the introduction of his Bill to make it an offence to race greyhounds in Scotland, we are thrilled that Agriculture minister Jim Fairlie has written to say that the Scottish Government supports the general principles of the bill!
The 23rd April saw MSP Mark Ruskell introduce his bill to prohibit greyhound racing.
In his letter, the minister stated that the Government “acknowledges that there are genuine risks associated with racing greyhounds around tracks of oval design” adding “this is supported by evidence”.
This means that the Bill will now move to stage two, with further discussions to be held to allow for some proposes amendments by Scottish ministers. Members of the Unbound the Greyhound coalition have also been invited to participate in these discussions, ensuring that all aspects are considered.
Animal campaigners worldwide are ready to see the sun go down on greyhound racing for good.
The Scottish government may get a lot of things wrong, but they've made the right call on this one and we couldn't be happier!
While the details of the bill still need to be agreed on, this is a big win for Greyhounds, not just in Scotland, but in all nine countries that still allow this cruel sport to continue. A year ago, four of those nine countries were in the UK. Every country that bans Greyhound racing sets a precedence, an acknowledgment that it is a cruel sport that sees thousands of Greyhounds suffer or die each year.
Earlier this year, we shared the brilliant news that Wales would ban Greyhound racing, and with Scotland following suit, it'll be just England and Northern Ireland that need to wake up and see that its time for an end to Greyhound Racing. Let's help the process along by signing this petition: Ban greyhound racing - Petitions
The Unbound the Greyhound coalition are thrilled by the amount of support from people from throughout Scotland and beyond.
The Unbound the Greyhound coalition.