Greyhound racing made illegal in Scotland

Greyhound racing has now been banned in Scotland - despite there being no operational tracks for almost a year.

In one of the last votes before the Scottish Parliament breaks up for the Holyrood election, MSPs passed the Greyhound Racing (Offences) (Scotland) Bill by 70 to 27. There were 19 abstentions.

This comes a day after the Senedd passed a bill to ban greyhound racing in Wales.

Greyhound racing has now been banned in Scotland.

It is hoped this new legislation will boost animal welfare rights in Scotland.

Mr Ruskell, the Green MSP behind the bill, said he is “delighted” parliament has decided to end “this cruel gambling-led sport”.

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He said: “Greyhound racing belongs in the past, and my bill ensures that no more dogs will be forced to endure it.

“The case against greyhound racing has never been stronger and the international consensus to end the suffering of these dogs is now unstoppable.

“This week Scotland and Wales have both voted to join the many countries around the world who have already banned it.”

He added: “It has been deeply personal for me. In 2015, my family rehomed an ex-racing greyhound called Bert.

“He sadly passed away last year - he was a wonderful dog, kind and affectionate and so patient with kids and even with cats.

Mark Ruskell MSP | Jane Barlow/Press Association

“But what I didn’t fully understand until I started working on this campaign was the trauma that Bert had endured while racing.

“It is only through love that these dogs heal from their years spent in an exploitative industry.

“Over the course of my bill I have spoken to dozens and dozens of dog owners with greyhounds like Bert, gentle souls who had been scarred and the patient work of re-homers across Scotland to bring these dogs into their lives and heal them.”

There are only two greyhound racing tracks left in Scotland.

Shawfield Stadium in Glasgow never reopened after the coronavirus pandemic and the site is now set to be redeveloped.

The other track is Thornton Stadium in Fife, which has not been operational since March 2025.

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Paul Brignal, owner of Thornton Stadium, said: “This was a terrible bill on all levels.

“The number of injuries we would expect is about 60 a year and most of them would make a total recovery. Even if they never raced again, they would go to good homes.

“I don’t understand the argument on an animal welfare basis that greyhound racing is in any way cruel, but Mr Ruskell has successfully done it.

“I could now go to prison for running a greyhound round a track, but I can take a child in a motorcar and if they broke their leg I would be fine.

“There has been incompetence throughout this whole process.”

He said many of the arguments made by MSPs in this debate are based on injury rates in England, which he estimates would take Scotland 150 years to replicate because of how much smaller the industry is north of the border.

Mr Brignal told The Scotsman he closed down the track last year because it was not worth spending the money to maintain it when this bill was being pursued.

He said there had been interest from betting companies to take over ownership of the stadium, but they pulled out because of this legislation.

Mr Brignal said: “I have lost quite a bit of money. If the track had been taken over that could have been millions a year.

“Mr Ruskell got all his information on greyhound racing from the internet and was not in a position to draft this bill - his only involvement is having an old greyhound as a pet.

“This is not the way to pass a bill.”