Greyhound deaths spark renewed calls for a ban in England

New figures released by the governing body of greyhound racing show a rise in the number of deaths at races last year, sparking renewed calls by the League Against Cruel Sports and Animal Aid for a ban on the sport in England.

The Greyhound Board of Great Britain figures show 161 greyhounds were euthanised at trackside last year, an increase of 31 per cent on the previous year, and the highest number since 2020.

Also, 3,648 greyhound injuries were recorded during 2025 bringing the total of injuries up to 38,816 since 2017 when figures started being recorded. The trackside death toll since 2017 has now reached 1,518.

John Petrie, head of campaigns at the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “These shameful death and injury figures show the scale of pain and suffering greyhounds face at the hands of the greyhound industry, with far too many dogs being literally raced to their deaths.

“It’s time for change. The UK government, which pledged to deliver the most ambitious animal welfare reforms in a generation, needs to follow the lead of other governments around the world and ban greyhound racing in England.”

Isobel McNally, campaigns manager at Animal Aid, said: “These figures show that greyhounds are still being killed and injured for entertainment in the UK.

“While the industry talks about welfare improvements, its own data reveals rising deaths and ongoing harm on a large scale. This is not a system that is working for animals. It continues to expose them to risk, suffering and premature death.”

Flaws in the way the GBGB death and injury figures have been presented in recent years have now emerged in a new report carried out by researchersat the University of Melbourne.

The fatality rate between 2022 and 2024 was presented as stable by the GBGB but actually rose by 30 per cent – by reporting the information to only two decimal places the GBGB was issuing figures that actually masked the rise.

Another report issued earlier this year by the League Against Cruel Sports and GREY2K USA Worldwide – Reaching the Finish Line; Time to end dog racing in the UK – 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.

Two landmark bills banning greyhound racing in both Wales and Scotland were passed by the Welsh and Scottish parliaments earlier this year.

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

The most recent GBGB Figures issued yesterday show a further 35 greyhounds were destroyed last year after being labelled as poor candidates for adoption and ‘designated as unsuitable for homing’.