Greyhound racing to be banned in Wales | Global News Avenue

The first car encountered by the Welsh government in the UK will be banned “as soon as possible” and “as soon as possible”.

Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies announced plans for the sport, which has been criticized for hurting dogs.

There is no timetable for announcing the ban, but Irranca-Davies said it could be “impossible” before the next Welsh parliamentary election in May 2026.

Afterwards, cross-party demanded a ban, government consultation and a petition that attracted 35,000 signatures.

There is only one dog track in Wales: the Valley Stadium in Ystrad Mynach.

The news was welcomed by a coalition of animal welfare charities, including The Dogs Trust, which said England, Scotland and Northern Ireland should follow suit.

“Greyhound racing is inherently dangerous to the dogs involved, and running around an oval track can cause significant harm to many dogs,” it said. “In some cases, the injury is so severe that it must be euthanized.” ”

RSPCA says it will protect dogs from “the inherent risks of competing racing.”

However, the Greyhound Commission of Great Britain (GBGB), which regulates the sport, said it was declared “not related to greyhound welfare, which is related to the pressure of extreme animal rights movements.”

It said the Welsh government failed to meet with the industry in Wales or its regulators and said its consultation “emphasized the lack of evidence supporting the ban case”.

“We have been in the consulting process sincerely as the regulator of the sport, but this statement is disappointing,” said CEO Mike Bird.

Ministers are under pressure to ban the movement, including their own Labour Party members.

Last Wednesday, Irranca-Davies said he would announce it in “spring” but six days later, he said: “Now is the right time to move to ban Greyhound racing in Wales”.

“I’m so happy to share with Sened today the power of what I’ve seen and I’ve listened,” he said.

Irranca-Davies noted that the ban in other countries, including New Zealand, was announced by the government in December.

The Welsh ban has no date yet, but the Deputy First Minister said: “I hope the ban will be implemented as soon as possible.

“To make sure that dogs, their owners, and people in the industry around the track can do some work that can reduce the activity from this activity while still protecting the welfare of dogs in the current industry, local communities and local economies.”

Wales will be the first British country to ban the sport.

The government will ask an “implementation group” to enrich the recommendations and learn from other countries.

In Welsh Parliament on Tuesday, the minister was responsible for when to introduce a ban, with the next election only over a year.

Llyr Gruffydd of Cymru welcomed the statement and told SENEDD that his party would “have what we need to do in our work with you to make sure the content introduced is suitable for the purpose”.

But he asked whether new legislation was needed in the Senate, saying there were “challenges” within 14 months before parliament was dissolved.

Irranca-Davies said different ways could be implemented and promised to come back after the break to “get more knowledge about the group’s time frame”.

Jane Dodds, leader of the Wales Liberal Democratic Party and owner of the rescue of the Greyhound, said it was an “absolutely good day”.

She said many people saw “the trauma and harm of these dogs, their pain is unnecessary. Their abuse is unnecessary and can be avoided.”

“From today on the ground we need to mark this on the sand and make sure that this stops.”

The move was also welcomed by several Labor members, including North Wales lady Carolyn Thomas.

“It’s a great day for thousands of animals in Wales,” she said.

Former Welsh conservative leader Andrew Rt Davies said he disagreed with anything he had said, but added that law enforcement was “very important”.

“Once you close the permitted track, illegal Greyhound racing will be conducted,” he warned.

This question is the issue that the Conservatives say is free voting for their MSS.

A Welsh conservative spokesman said: “While there are all kinds of views on Greyhound racing in Wales, it is important to make any changes in ways relevant to stakeholders, which is fair.”

Hefin David, Caerphilly’s Lady’s constituency covering the track by Ystrad Mynach, expressed concerns about what would happen to the land.

David said on social media platform X: “This track is on the flood level. I understand that the owners have introduced flood mitigation and eliminated flooding.

“The ban will mean that abandoned land will land in the flood level land adjacent to my constituency.”

He said the implementation team must study any financial commitments needed to remedy the land.

When BBC Wales asked him if he was considering compensating anyone in the industry, Irranca-Davies said it was not “a question we were thinking about at all”.

But he said ministers wanted to interact with the industry and its workforce and avoid the website becoming “desolate.”

The British government asked if it was considering imposing a ban in England, declining to comment.

A source told the BBC that it is monitoring GBGB for many welfare reforms and that officials are monitoring their progress.

The former British conservative government ruled that England’s ban on Greyhound racing.