Greyhound racing could soon be a thing of the past in Wales, after Senedd members backed a petition to ban the sport once and for all.
The Minister for Rural Affairs, who is responsible for animal welfare in Wales, confirmed to Senedd members that she has now responded to a recent Petitions Committee report on Wednesday, February 15. The report saw a majority of members back phasing out the sport in Wales, which came after a petition was also launched, gathering 35,000 signatures.
The owner of Wales' last remaining track, Valleys Greyhounds in Caerphilly, said he will be starting a petition in response to the government's current stance, and is doubtful that the plans will really go ahead. RSPCA Cymru has urged decision-makers in Wales to phase out the sport.
Read more: Move to ban greyhound racing in Wales
A debate is due to take place on March 8 in the Senedd concerning the petition, but Malcom Tams who owns Valleys Greyhounds and has been in the industry for 50 years is still unconvinced it will be out of business any time soon. He said: "It would be a very long process if it did go ahead. Especially if we get a petition started to protest the idea which gets more signatures.
"I am quite frankly shocked to hear that they are backing the petition because if they ban greyhound racing here you'd think they would also be doing it in England. I bet the original petition wasn't even signed entirely by people in Wales so I don't know what to say.
"I'm a local businessman, and have built up a local business and invested a lot of money into it for this area. I don't believe there has been enough research into how I work, and whether people in Wales actually want greyhound racing to be outlawed."
Although the rest of the UK still allows greyhound racing, many parts of the world have already banned the sport, but unlike England, no specific statutory regulation or laws exist governing greyhound racing in Wales. It is also one of only ten countries in the world where commercial greyhound racing continues in 2023.
RSPCA welfare experts fear greyhounds are needlessly placed at serious risk of painful injuries and death when competing in the sport, and the RSPCA does not believe regulation will offer enough protection for greyhound welfare. Dr Samantha Gaines, head of the RSPCA’s companion animals department, said: “This is a huge moment for dog welfare - with the Welsh Government committing to a consultation on cutting the chase, by phasing out greyhound racing in Wales.
“With no vets at the track in Wales, and no requirement to publish statistics on injuries or deaths, it’s hard to gauge the true scale of welfare problems caused by greyhound racing in Wales. However, so long as this sport is allowed to continue, dogs are needlessly put at risk of serious injury and death all in the name of entertainment.”
The charity recently undertook a comprehensive internal review - alongside the Dogs Trust - which demonstrated serious concerns at every stage of a racing greyhound's life, including issues around inadequate welfare standards in kennelling and transporting the dogs.
The report - 'The Final Bend? P-06-1253 Ban greyhound racing in Wales' - made five recommendations in total, including considering the welfare of dogs travelling through Wales on their way to races, and for the Welsh Government to work with the industry on how they can comply with any new rules or regulations. The only recommendation in the Petitions Committee report not supported by the Minister was one stating that when “considering a ban on greyhound racing, the Welsh Government should also look at other sports where animals compete”.
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