Wales makes history and bans greyhound racing

After years of committed campaigning by animal welfare experts, the Welsh Government has finally #CutTheChase by committing to ban greyhound racing in Wales, leading the way as the first UK nation to put the lives of greyhounds over "sport".

The race is over in Wales, but there’s still work to do

Thanks to your support, we’ve reached the finish line in Wales. On 17 March, the Welsh Government voted to end greyhound racing.

While there’s reason to celebrate this historic decision, it’s not over yet — and we can’t keep putting greyhounds in danger in England with commercial greyhound racing. With your help, we can encourage them to stop this cruel "sport" for good.

The popularity of greyhound racing has steadily declined in Great Britain; a positive reflection of a modern society that doesn’t tolerate suffering in the name of fun. In a historic move, Wales has chosen to prioritise animal welfare, leading the way for the remaining UK nations. Sadly, greyhound racing is still legal and leads to hundreds of dog deaths and thousands of painful injuries each year.

Join us soon in calling for a full ban in England — it’s time to #CutTheChase.

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Give animals a voice

The race is over in Wales, but there’s still work to do

Thanks to you, we’ve almost reached the finish line in Wales. On February 18, the Welsh Government announced that it would pursue a ban on greyhound racing in Wales.

It’s not over yet, and we can’t put this ban on greyhound racing in danger. With your help, we can encourage them to stop this cruel 'sport' for good and set an example for the other six countries where commercial greyhound racing still takes place (including England, Scotland and Ireland).

Contact your Members of the Senedd to tell them that greyhound racing has no place in modern Wales.

Animals' lives are not to be gambled

Every year, thousands of greyhounds face a life of uncertainty, injury and even death in the name of sport, fun and profit.

Enough is enough, and an end to greyhound racing — where dogs chase a mechanical hare around a track — is long overdue.

We think this is possible through a phase-out program, and have joined forces with Blue Cross, Dogs Trust, Greyhound Rescue Wales, and Hope Rescue to protect future generations of dogs from the dangerous consequences of these races.

The industry’s own data shows that — across England and Wales — thousands of injuries have occurred in recent years as a result of racing, while hundreds of dogs have lost their lives. That level of suffering, purely for entertainment, is simply unacceptable.

Jo Rowland, Chief Executive for the RSPCA

2,700 greyhounds died and over 26,500 injuries to greyhounds were recorded between 2018 and 2023

Data from The Greyhound Board of Great Britain.

Greyhound racing is cruel

Greyhound racing is a dangerous industry that causes thousands of injuries every year. Dogs suffer broken legs, head trauma, and even fatal injuries on UK racetracks.

While dog racing is still legal in parts of the UK, most countries have banned it due to serious animal welfare concerns. New Zealand recently announced a phase-out thanks to the efforts of local animal welfare charities. They joined Italy, Argentina, and most of the USA in ending this cruel practice.

Only nine countries allow commercial greyhound racing, including the UK nations — England, Scotland and Northern Ireland — as well as Australia, Mexico, Ireland, the United States, and Vietnam.

Wales has made its choice. It’s time for the rest of the UK to follow suit and protect these dogs from further suffering.

Greyhound racing statistics

Between 2018 and 2021, Hope Rescue's ‘Amazing Greys’ project helped over 200 racing greyhounds in Wales. Of these, 40 suffered serious, career-ending injuries, including severe fractures requiring major vet care, amputation or orthopaedic repair.*
Data from the Greyhound Board of Great Britain shows that over 2,700 greyhounds died and over 26,500 injuries were recorded from greyhound racing between 2018 and 2023. Data from the same source also showed that:
By the age of 3.5 years old, 50% of greyhounds are no longer racing.
By five years old, 90% of greyhounds are no longer racing.
Around 6,000 greyhounds leave the licensed industry each year, with many needing to find new homes. This leaves charities and rescue organisations to pick up the pieces

* Some of these dogs may have finished their racing lives outside of Wales, but were surrendered to the project due to their racing owners having links with the Welsh track. The true number of injuries in Wales is difficult to know, as there is no requirement to publish the number of injuries or deaths at an individual track level.