Sport’s opponents say it cannot be reformed because of dangerous tracks and problems rehoming retired dogs

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Almost 1,000 racing greyhounds died or were killed last year, according to industry figures, prompting animal welfare charities to renew calls for an end to the sport in the UK.

The figures, released by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB), are part of a concerted push to improve welfare standards in the sport, but charities say it cannot be reformed due to the “dangerously configured” oval tracks that cause a majority of injuries and a failure to properly rehome the dogs after they have retired.

Hundreds of dogs were “put to sleep” in 2018 for reasons including the high cost of medical treatment and the absence of a “viable option away from the racecourse”, while a suitable home could not be found for others.

The GBGB recognised these were “avoidable and unnecessary deaths” and pledged to eradicate them from the sport.

Nearly 250 greyhounds were euthanised at the racetrack on “humane grounds” last year, and scores died from “sudden death”, along with another 190 put to death because they were “unsuitable for homing”.

About a quarter were rehomed or retained by owners and trainers, and 60% were taken into the care of a greyhound charity, figures showed.

Trudy Baker, coordinator of Greyt Exploitations, claimed hundreds of dogs remained in a commercial environment after their retirement and said that welfare commitments could not address the “suffering and deaths of thousands of dogs”.

“The truth is hundreds of dogs listed as ‘retired’ by the GBGB still remain in a commercial environment, confined to trainers’ kennels that have failed to comply with an agreed British Standard Institute specification, either used for breeding, forced to routinely donate blood or simply awaiting rehoming,” she said.

“Hundreds more are sold or given away again for breeding, to be raced abroad or on independent tracks, or used for research and dissection.”

She added: “No amount of ineffective ‘window dressing’ welfare commitments will address the suffering and deaths of thousands of dogs racing on dangerously configured tracks.”

Chris Luffingham, from the League Against Cruel Sports, said greyhound racing was inherently unsafe and highlighted how it was responsible for the deaths and injuries of thousands of dogs in the UK each year.

“The greyhound industry continually fails to live up to its promises to truly put welfare first,” he said. “What these greyhounds really need is not yet more promises from the industry, but for the sport to be phased out and the greyhounds found good homes where they can live long and healthy lives.”

Mark Bird, GBGB managing director, said the industry was determined to “eradicate all avoidable injuries and any unnecessary deaths”.

“To achieve this, however, requires not only the commitment of everyone in the sport but also the availability of adequate and sustained funding that allows welfare to flourish,” he said.

The animal welfare minister, David Rutley, said: “Transparency is key to understanding how we can improve welfare standards ... We want more greyhounds to find new homes and to enjoy a healthy retirement when they leave the sport.”

There has been a steep decline in the number of greyhound tracks in recent years, with Wimbledon and the flagship course, Towcester, among those that closed as attendances reached historic lows.