R is for Racing

Racing and welfare

28 May

What the industry is, what it means for the greyhound on your sofa and where we stand. Plain facts, so you can decide for yourself.

Sooner or later, someone at the park will look at your greyhound and ask, "Was she a racer?" Very often, she was. It's a fair question, and it usually leads to a harder one: What does that mean for her, and how do we feel about it?

This post is our attempt at a calm, honest answer. It's not a campaign leaflet and it's not a sales pitch for the industry either. It's what we've learnt, with the official figures and where they came from, so you can make up your own mind.

Where we stand

We love greyhounds, and we can't support the racing industry. We feel the same about coursing and lamping. That doesn't make every trainer a villain. Plenty of people in racing care deeply about their dogs, and there are worse industries out there. We're not here to change anyone's mind. We'd just like to open a few, with facts rather than slogans.

How racing works, in brief

In the Republic of Ireland, racing is run and regulated by Greyhound Racing Ireland, a semi-state body. Its Code of Practice, the current version dating from November 2021, is mandatory. It says owners must plan for a greyhound's whole life and make every reasonable effort to rehome a dog they can't keep.

In Great Britain, licensed racing is regulated by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Wales and Scotland have both passed laws in 2026 to end racing, though neither ban had started as of September 2026. Racing continues in England.

Our Racing and Welfare page covers all of this in much more detail, with every figure sourced.

A few numbers worth knowing

In 2025, 10,364 greyhound pups were born in Ireland from 1,689 litters. The industry's own 2021 economic report estimated that 85% of the greyhounds racing in the UK were bred in Ireland, so many of the greyhounds retiring in Britain had an Irish start too.

In 2024, 1,100 retired Irish greyhounds were rehomed with the help of the industry's rehoming trust. In Great Britain, 5,186 greyhounds retired from licensed racing in 2025, and 3,532 of them went to rehoming charities.

These are official figures, and each has an "as of" date. Counts change as late records come in, so it's always worth checking the date on any number you see, ours included.

What it might mean for your hound

Greyhounds in Ireland usually retire at around four years old. Many arrive already used to a muzzle, a lead, a strict routine and the company of other greyhounds. What's often new is everything else: Stairs, glass doors, a quiet house, a sofa and being on their own for the first time.

That's why the first weeks can feel so strange for both of you, and why patience pays. A greyhound from the racing industry has usually lived a very ordered, very public life. A home is a completely different world, and it takes time to learn the rules. Every hound adjusts at their own pace. Some settle in days. Some take months. Neither says anything about the hound they'll become.

The Code says that, unless the owner keeps the dog, a vet should neuter, vaccinate and check the teeth before rehoming. It's worth asking your rescue what was done, and what they know about your hound's past.

Old injuries and the vet

Some greyhounds from the racing industry carry the marks of their working life: Old injuries, healed fractures or teeth that need attention. Many have none at all. If you know your hound raced, mention it to your vet at the first check-up, along with anything the rescue told you. It gives them useful context for everything from a limp to blood results.

What you can do

If you'd like to help, here's where we'd start:

AdoptA retired greyhound, an older hound or one who's been waiting a while. Our Adopting a Sighthound page covers what to ask.
FosterIf you can't commit forever, fostering frees a kennel space and teaches a hound what a house is.
Ask questionsRead the official reports yourself, and ask anyone who quotes a figure, us included, where it came from.

A racing past doesn't decide who a hound becomes. Whatever road brought yours to your sofa, they're home now. The rest of the story is yours to write together.