Greyhound racing just turned 100, and says its dogs are fine. But are they?

This year marks the centennial of greyhound racing in Britain, with the first race held on July 24, 1926, in Manchester. The Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) released its 2025 welfare figures, touting high standards for licensed racing. However, further analysis reveals a troubling trend: dogs in 2025 were 77% more likely to die at the racetrack than they were in 2022, despite fewer races and racetracks operating.

This equates to 161 dogs dying at the track in 2025, or more than three per week. The GBGB, responsible for promoting and regulating the sport, presents this data alongside its own efforts to minimize poor welfare. The UK government, in October 2025, reaffirmed its lack of plans to ban greyhound racing in England, citing improvements made by the GBGB, such as its 2022 welfare strategy and mandatory vet presence at races.

Animal welfare scientists argue that once animals are recognized as sentient beings, their welfare extends beyond mere suffering minimization to ensuring a life worth living. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of greyhound welfare, researchers employed AI agents and public websites containing data on 31,028 dogs and 1.27 million races between January 2022 and March 2026.

This analysis revealed that male and female dogs race in equal numbers, with most dogs being black and starting racing before age two. However, the individual experiences of dogs, such as the black male dog from Ireland who raced 15 times before his racing records ended abruptly in August 2023, highlight the potential for poor welfare.

Some racetracks recorded serious incidents up to five times more frequently than others, a fact not captured in the aggregated national data. Most dogs are bred and reared in the Republic of Ireland, beyond the GBGB's regulatory reach. The GBGB's annual reports, while useful, do not provide a complete picture of greyhound welfare across the entire life cycle.

Welfare charities, including Blue Cross, Dogs Trust, Hope Rescue, and the RSPCA, have raised concerns about breeding practices and the poor welfare experienced by dogs at various life stages, such as excessive time in kennels and health issues post-racing. The UK is not the only country facing similar challenges, with New Zealand, Wales, Scotland, and a second Australian state recently ending greyhound racing due to animal welfare concerns.

These findings underscore the need for independent data collection and analysis to inform public acceptance and government policy on greyhound racing, rather than relying solely on industry-provided figures.