Scotland Says No to Greyhound Racing

ANIMAL protection organisation OneKind and eight other organisations in Scotland, England and Wales are calling for an end to greyhound racing.

A Cruel Practice

Greyhound racing is a problematic practice with issues such as maltreatment, racing dogs are often kept in appalling, cramped conditions in kennels, endure physical and psychological abuse, are restrained with leashes at all times, and often do not receive the suitable veterinary care they need.

Records from the Greyhound Board of Great Britain have reported that many of the dogs are drugged to enhance their performance, including with substances such as cocaine which can cause seizures, vomiting and other consequences.

The industry is plagued with many animal welfare issues, puppies are bred in kennels for racing but not every dog is a born winner, most unfit puppies are put down.

Once the puppies have passed the selection process, they can spend up to 23 hours a day in a cramped cage or kennel. Puppies start racing at 18 months old, and many of them die before reaching the nominal “retirement” age of 4 or 5. Greyhounds routinely incur serious injuries during races, including broken legs, broken backs, and head trauma.

When dogs compete, sometimes substances are applied to their feet to deflate the pads or to speed up their recovery. Reports of arsenic, strychnine, and even other drugs or anabolic substances are common to ensure that the dogs reach their peak performance, at the steep cost of shortening their lifespan.

If greyhounds don’t win, they are often “retired”, some are put up for adoption, and others are sent to breeding farms, however, the fate of many of these dogs is unknown as racing organisations don’t track the dogs after they leave the tracks.

Scotland Says No

Greyhound racing is on the way out in Scotland and only one unlicensed track remains. Many citizens believe that it no longer has a place in modern Scotland. A recent poll revealed that over 60 per cent of Scots want the government to take action to end greyhound racing.

Spain also has greyhound racing, however, these dogs are primarily used for hunting hares and rabbits. Spain has a huge issue with the maltreatment of greyhounds, with more than 50,000 greyhounds abandoned each year, according to investigations.

If you want to support greyhounds in Spain, the Save the Galgos organisation campaigns for the rights of this breed.