Call to ban greyhound racing in Wales gets cross party support
'As a nation of animal lovers, there can be no place for such an activity'
ANIMAL WELFARE: Cut The Chase wants legislation to be brought in to end greyhound racing (Image: Martin Phelps)
A call by Welsh animal charities to end greyhound racing has received cross party support in the Senedd. Members from all four parties issued a joint statement, earlier this month, supporting a ban on the controversial activity in Wales.
In a Statement of Opinion, hosted on the Senedd website, Carolyn Thomas MS (Welsh Labour), Jane Dodds MS (Welsh Liberal Democrats), Janet Finch-Saunders MS (Welsh Conservative), Peredur Owen Griffiths MS (Plaid Cymru) and Buffy Williams MS (Welsh Labour) declared their support for Cut The Chase.
Last year, Blue Cross, Dogs Trust, Greyhound Rescue Wales, Hope Rescue and RSPCA joined forces to campaign for a phased end to greyhound racing. The Cut The Chase coalition aim to raise awareness about its dangers and say that dogs’ welfare is regularly compromised in the name of public entertainment.
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“We cannot ignore the mental scars that are left with these animals long after they are retired,” said Peredur Owen Griffiths MS. “There is only one track left in Wales and that is in my region. I would like our country to show an example to the rest of the UK by shutting this track down and ending this so-called sport.”
During a debate in the Senedd in March 2023, wide ranging support was given from politicians to bring an end to greyhound racing. This followed a petition launched by Hope Rescue, which attained over 35,000 signatures and a report from the Senedd’s Petitions Committee, in which a majority of committee members announced support for greyhound racing coming to an end in Wales.
The Statement of Opinion was published ahead of National Greyhound Day, on June 2. It reads:
This Senedd:
- Notes the Senedd petition signed by 18,707 people from Wales, calling for a ban on greyhound racing in Wales
- Recognises the cross-party support in the Senedd and among the Welsh public for an end to greyhound racing in Wales
- Believes that the risk of injury and death to racing greyhounds for the purposes of entertainment are unjustifiable
- Recognises that there are welfare issues that affect racing greyhounds at every stage of their lives; from cradle to grave
- Encourages the Welsh Government to bring forward legislation to end greyhound racing in Wales
A spokesperson for the Cut The Chase Welsh Coalition said: “The Welsh Government has listened to the evidence from a wealth of experts in the animal welfare sector and has a unique opportunity here to establish that in 2023 scrutiny will be taken to ensure no more dogs suffer. Now is the time for Welsh residents to band together and back the message to cut the chase and protect the welfare of all racing greyhounds in Wales.”
Janet Finch-Saunders MS said: “There is strong, cross-party support in the Senedd to bring about an end to greyhound racing in Wales. As a nation of animal lovers there can be no place for such an activity.”
