Standing Against Greyhound Racing

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What is greyhound racing?

Greyhound racing is a dangerous ‘sport’ in which greyhounds risk their lives or face serious injuries while racing around an oval track in pursuit of a mechanical hare.

Why should greyhound racing should be banned?

Greyhound racing is cruel from the cradle to the grave, with dogs disappearing before they even get to the racetrack, and some being euthanised instead of rehomed once they’re not required anymore.

When racing, running around the oval tracks at great speeds puts a huge strain on greyhounds’ bodies meaning deaths and injuries are inevitable.

This is why we believe that greyhound racing should be banned and the greyhounds found good homes with kind people.

What do greyhounds usually die of?

The industry’s governing body the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) tells us how many dogs die each year, but it doesn’t tell us what happened to the dogs that don’t make it to the track.

The figures it published includes the number of deaths while racing and euthanised at trackside and the number of dogs designated unsuitable for rehoming once they stop racing.

These figures also show the type of bone and muscle injuries greyhounds face as a result of their racing career.

How long do greyhounds live?

Up to 15 years according to the Greyhound Trust. Greyhounds usually retire from racing at three to five years old.

Why is greyhound racing bad?

Greyhounds race around an oval track at high speeds which is inherently dangerous causing deaths and injuries.

There are concerns about overbreeding with some of these dogs disappearing, and poor welfare in the industry where some greyhounds live in unhygienic, dirty damp kennelswith poor lighting.

There are so many greyhounds retired from racing it is hard to rehome them all and some are euthanised.

Is greyhound racing cruel?

Yes, greyhounds are dying trackside from injuries sustained in the races.

Is greyhound racing legal?

Yes, but we are calling for a ban in England. Many governments across the world have banned greyhound racing.

Where is greyhound racing banned?

The sport is being banned in both Wales and Scotland after two landmark bills were passed by the Welsh and Scottish parliaments in 2026.

Greyhound racing is now illegal in 42 states in the USA and is being phased out in New Zealand this year.

Is greyhound racing still popular in UK?

Greyhound racing has dwindling audiences, but it has strong links with the gambling industry and many races are run behind closed doors to drive up their profits.

Why do people protest greyhound racing?

Because it is cruel and greyhounds are dying and getting injured.

Why do greyhounds stop racing?

Once they get older they slow down and can no longer races successfully. Sadly many die or get injured before the end of their careers.

Greyhound death and injury figures

Every year, the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) is stipulated by the government to provide death and injury figures for racing greyhounds.

These figures, which go back to 2017, show a huge number of deaths and injuries every year.

Are there any reports that are critical of greyhound racing?

Yes, a series of reports have been published that are very critical of greyhound racing.

A report into greyhound racing conducted by Professor Andrew Knight and published by greyhound campaigners Greyt Exploitations, established in 2018 the dangers of racing at great speed around oval tracks.

Accidents or pile-ups at or approaching the first bend are notorious, and the report quotes from another source that congestion here accounts for many fatalities.

The report also highlights significant welfare concerns around the kennelling and standards of care applied to racing greyhounds.

Most recently, another report was published in 2026 by the League Against Cruel Sports and GREY2K USA Worldwide – Reaching the Finish Line; Time to end dog racing in the UK – which highlighted the inherently dangerous nature of racing greyhounds around oval tracks.

The report also highlighted overbreeding, a poor quality of life for greyhounds kept in kennels for up to 95 per cent of the time, and the challenges in finding homes for the dogs once they retire.

A report carried out by researchers at the University of Melbourne found a rising death rate among racing greyhounds in the UK and a series of animal welfare problems in the greyhound racing industry.

The report establishes that greyhound trackside fatalities have risen by 30 per cent between 2022 and 2024 despite the Greyhound Board of Great Britain issuing figures that masked the trend.

Support our campaign to ban greyhound racing by taking action today.

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