Ban greyhound racing

Greyhound racing kills and injures dogs. From 2017–2023, 1,230 dogs died trackside, many more were destroyed, and there were over 31,000 injuries. We believe it’s time to follow Wales and ban this cruel sport.

The industry breeds more dogs than are needed for racing - approximately 15,000-20,000 dogs are bred in Ireland each year, and some are also bred in Britain. We are concerned that dogs live in poor kennel conditions, and overbreeding creates a surplus, overwhelming rescue centres.

A 2019 RTÉ documentary estimated up to 6,000 greyhounds are killed annually for not being fast enough. There are concerns about greyhounds being exported to countries with poor welfare laws.

We believe no animal should suffer for sport or entertainment.

The government has no plans to ban greyhound racing. While the government recognises the concerns some people have about greyhound racing, there is legislation in place to protect the welfare of racing greyhounds in England and a regulatory body – the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) – that has made many improvements to greyhound welfare.

The government also recognises the important contribution greyhound racing makes to the country’s cultural life and its rural economy, providing some 5400 jobs across Great Britain as well as being the sixth most popular sport in terms of viewership.

The welfare of racing greyhounds in England is covered by the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010. The 2006 Act allows action to be taken where there is evidence of cruelty to an animal or a failure to provide for an animal’s welfare needs. This includes where greyhounds are raced at tracks or kept at trainers’ kennels. Further to these general provisions, welfare standards at all English greyhound tracks are set by the 2010 Regulations.

The 2010 Regulations include the requirement that all tracks must have a vet present while dogs are running, who must inspect each greyhound intended to run in every race, trial, or sales trial to ensure that the greyhound is fit to run. Temperature-controlled kennelling must also be provided at the track, and all racing greyhounds must be permanently identified. Tracks must also keep records of any injuries sustained to greyhounds while at the track.