Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd – in the Senedd at 2:57 pm on 15 December 2021.
Diolch, Trefnydd. Before I ask my question, I'd like to thank those Members who joined Luke Fletcher and me on the steps of the Senedd last week to meet and hear from owners of former racing greyhounds, and we met quite a few greyhounds as well, and to listen to their concerns about greyhound racing in Wales.
The greyhound racing track, the Valley, at Ystrad Mynach, has recently been sold with the intention to become a licensed Greyhound Board of Great Britain track. It is anticipated that the increase in the number of races will lead to a fourfold increase in the number of dogs racing and, therefore, needing homes when they are no longer needed by the industry. We know that welfare organisations are struggling at the moment to cope with the 100 or so greyhounds leaving the track each year at present, on top of those dogs that need rehoming. Minister, I wonder if you would consider halting the expansion of the Valley track until you have had a chance to consider our request to ban greyhound racing in Wales. Thank you. Diolch yn fawr iawn.