The case for a ban on greyhound racing just got even stronger

In a new study, researchers from the University of Melbourne used AI to analyse the records of over 31,000 greyhounds and more than a million race starts between 2022-2026.  

The study found:

1. Increasing death rates 

The rate of on-track deaths increased by 30% between 2022 and 2024 despite the number of race starts falling. Reporting methods used by the industry obscured this increase, creating the impression that dogs’ welfare was stable when, in reality, more dogs were dying relative to the number of races being run.
 

2. GBGB’s welfare strategy isn’t working 

More than two greyhounds have continued to die on UK racetracks every week since the introduction of the industry’s welfare strategy in 2022. Whatever the GBGB is doing, isn’t working. Where greyhounds are bred, trained, and forced to race, injuries and deaths are inevitable.
 

3. Major gaps in transparency 

Researchers noted that while on-track fatalities are reported, there is no publicly accessible system that tracks what happens to individual dogs after they sustain injuries or leave the industry. With around 40% of greyhounds leaving the industry every year, and its increasing reliance on Government funding to plug a gap in public support, we believe the public deserve to know what happens to these dogs. Visit our own Greyhound Watch, launched in May for exactly this reason. 

These findings reveal what campaigners have been saying for years: No amount of rebranding, welfare strategies or glossy marketing can change the fundamental fact that forcing dogs to race for our ‘entertainment’ is cruel and belongs in the dark ages. As more evidence comes to light, the case for ending greyhound racing in England becomes impossible to ignore. 

That’s why we’re taking to the streets in July – a month that marks the sombre 100th anniversary of greyhound racing in the UK, register your interest below – and have set up our Action Hub for Greyhounds, full of actions you can take right now.