A draft version of the legislation that will ban greyhound racing in Wales has been published today.
Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca Davies explained he was publishing the draft of the Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Wales) Bill to give Senedd Members and interested stakeholders an opportunity to see the proposed scope and direction ahead of its formal introduction in the autumn.
When introduced, the new Bill would make it an offence to operate a stadium or similar venue in Wales and use it, or knowingly permit it to be used, for greyhound racing.
The Bill also makes it an offence to be involved in organising greyhound racing in Wales.
Work continues on the preparation of the Bill and there may be changes before it is introduced to the Senedd.
Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said: “I look forward to working with Senedd Members on the provisions of the Bill during scrutiny after the Bill is introduced in the autumn.”
The publication of the draft Bill today follows the introduction of an implementation group that Mr Irranca-Davies confirmed in July.
The group is chaired by Dr Emily Blackwell, a Senior Lecturer in Animal Behaviour and Welfare at Bristol Vet School and will guide the transition towards a ban on greyhound racing in Wales.
The group is made up of dedicated individuals, representing a broad spectrum of the greyhound racing industry, animal health and welfare, and social and community sectors.
The Deputy First Minister added: “We want Wales to be an exemplar for the highest standards of animal health and welfare.
“The ban is one way we can work towards meeting that goal, and the implementation group has a key role to play.
“Its combined knowledge will help us as we progress with this important work.”
James Fitch, Public Affairs Manager at Dogs Trust, says:
“The publication of the Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Wales) Bill marks a significant step towards ending greyhound racing in Wales, and we are pleased that the Bill will also prevent the training and trialling of greyhounds for racing in other locations.
“While the majority of the Bill is a step in the right direction, we would like it to go further and prevent the breeding of greyhounds in Wales for racing elsewhere.
“We also have some concerns around the timeframe outlined in the bill. It’s great news that the Bill could bring an end to greyhound racing in Wales as early as 2027, but we see no reason for it to continue until 2030, which the Bill outlines as a possibility. Every additional year puts more dogs at risk of death or serious injury. Dogs Trust, along with many other organisations in the animal welfare sector, is already prepared to rehome the dogs affected, so any delays are unnecessary.”
Since 2017, 4,034 greyhounds have died or been put to sleep because of their involvement with racing, while there have been more than 35,000 injuries, so the news that it is to be banned in Wales has been lauded by Dogs Trust, along with other members of the Cut the Chase coalition – RSPCA Cymru, Blue Cross, Greyhound Rescue Wales and Hope Rescue. Collectively, as the Cut the Chase Coalition, these leading voices in animal welfare have been campaigning to bring greyhound racing to an end in Wales and across the UK to stop the entirely preventable injuries and deaths of dogs involved in racing.
