Greyhound racing raises serious welfare concerns including injuries on track, the fate of retired dogs, training practices, and the conditions in which racing greyhounds are housed and handled.
Greyhound racing creates welfare harms across the dog's racing life and at retirement. Track injuries - including fractures, muscle tears, and cardiac events - cause acute pain and sometimes fatal outcomes. Extended kennel confinement conflicts with the need for social interaction and exercise that greyhounds as dogs require. Inadequate retirement pathways mean many dogs face euthanasia or poor-welfare rehoming at the end of their racing careers. Strong adoption campaigns by charities like the Retired Greyhound Trust have improved retirement outcomes, but systemic welfare reform of racing practices and conditions remains incomplete.