Greyhound racing has been banned in many jurisdictions and faces declining attendance globally. The welfare picture across remaining racing jurisdictions reveals widespread problems that have driven regulatory action.
Greyhound racing welfare problems are structural rather than incidental — they arise from economic pressures inherent to the industry. Racing greyhounds are bred in large numbers; only high-performers generate income; retired or failed racers impose ongoing costs. This creates powerful incentives for euthanasia of healthy animals when their racing utility ends. Live baiting scandals in Australia revealed that welfare violations in training were not aberrations but widespread practices that trainers considered effective. In jurisdictions where racing continues, welfare monitoring faces challenges: large numbers of dogs, decentralized private training operations, and economic pressures against welfare investment. The trajectory toward banning reflects evidence that structural reform has been unable to consistently achieve adequate welfare outcomes.