There are 760 racing dogs in Scotland

The plea was made to MSPs on the Scottish Parliament's public petitions committee.

The campaigners called for the creation of an independent regulatory body, answerable to parliament, which would ensure all dogs had "passports" on a central database.

The proposed body would be supported by a levy from bookmakers and oversee regular veterinary inspections and the re-homing of retired dogs.

The committee was told that about 450 of the 760 racing dogs in Scotland were run at unlicensed or "flapper" tracks.

Some of the worst cases of cruelty that we have dealt with have involved greyhounds at the end of their career Doreen Graham SSPCA

The tracks have no requirement for vets to be present or for doping tests.

Of the existing six tracks in the country, only one, Shawfield in Glasgow, is registered with the industry-led British Greyhound Racing Board (BGRB).

Andrew Wood, from Dumfriesshire, said the measures could help ditch the sport's "Del Boy image" and attract a wider following.

"Scotland must make a start in pulling together all those who have an interest, creating a fair, honest and accountable sport," he told MSPs.

Howard Wallace, from Gorebridge, near Edinburgh, who races greyhounds in Ireland, said that a levy on the �221m Scots bet on greyhound racing every year offered "an opportunity to regenerate" the sport.

Welfare Bill

Doreen Graham, of the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA), said it was among a number of groups which had worked with the BGRB to formulate a greyhound charter to protect the dogs but this could not be implemented across Scotland due to the predominance of "flapping" tracks.

"Some of the worst cases of cruelty that we have dealt with have involved greyhounds at the end of their career," Ms Graham told MSPs.

"We want to see some statutory body in place which would actually offer a degree of protection."

Central Scotland MSP Alex Neil, who backs the petition, said the issue of a levy was reserved to Westminster, but the welfare measures could be incorporated in an animal welfare Bill which is expected to be published early in the next parliament.

MSPs agreed to write to Sports Minister Mike Watson, the various greyhound administrative bodies and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) to seek their views on the proposals.