New Zealand greyhound racing ban sparks calls for a similar move in Wales

Animal welfare charity the League Against Cruel Sports has welcomed moves to ban greyhound racing in New Zealand and called on the UK Government to adopt similar measures and wind down the industry in England and Wales.

The ban, announced by the New Zealand Government today, is based on the unacceptably high number of deaths and injuries suffered by the dogs, a situation mirrored in the UK.

The ban will come into force in 2026, allowing time for the greyhounds to be rehomed and will leave only four countries across the world which still allow greyhound racing to take place.

Welcomed

Emma Judd, the League’s head of campaigns, said: “We welcome the decision by the New Zealand Government to ban greyhound racing and call on the UK Government to follow suit and end the appalling death toll and unacceptably high rate of injuries.

“Greyhound racing on oval tracks at great speeds is inherently unsafe with dogs being sacrificed simply for the profits of the gambling industry.”

The Greyhound Board of Great Britian, the industry’s governing body has been stipulated by the UK government to provide death and injury figures for racing greyhounds every year since 2017 and they paint a bleak picture.

Deaths

In 2023 alone, 109 greyhounds died racing on greyhound tracks and 4,238 injuries were sustained by the dogs, a high proportion of the 15,000 active racing greyhounds in the UK.

A further 55 greyhounds were found no home or designated unsuitable for homing so were euthanised as the industry didn’t have a use for them anymore.

Since 2017, 1,234 greyhounds have died at trackside and a total of 31,359 injuries were sustained by the dogs.

A report conducted by Professor Andrew Knight into greyhound racing established in 2018 that racing around oval tracks put huge strain on the greyhounds’ bodies and made deaths and injuries inevitable.

Accidents or pile-ups at or approaching the first bend are notorious and the report also highlights significant welfare concerns around the kennelling and standards of care applied to racing greyhounds.

“Callous”

Emma added: “With greyhound racing now taking place in only four countries, it’s time for the UK Government to step in and ban it and prove it is serious about its promise to improve animal welfare in this country.

“The greyhound industry has a callous disregard for the lives of racing greyhounds so we are calling for the ‘sport’ to be phased out and the animals given new loving homes with families.”

Australia, Ireland, the United States and the UK are the only countries in which greyhound racing continues. The sport has been ended by many states in the USA with only two tracks remaining.

The Welsh Parliament also has the power to ban greyhound racing in Wales, with the Welsh Government recently consulted on whether to consider a phased ban on greyhound racing.

The consultation closed in March 2024 and is awaiting publication of an outcome.