Greyhounds in Wales are facing a crisis the likes of which have not been seen before.
Rehoming centres are overflowing with dogs and greyhounds are no exception.
The waiting list for rehoming spaces for racing greyhounds grows by the day, and in some cases is months-long; there simply aren’t enough homes.
The return of commercial racing will see hundreds more greyhounds pouring in to Wales from overseas within weeks.
The Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB), the organisation that oversees commercial greyhound racing in Great Britain, has been invited in to Wales through the development at the Valley Greyhound Stadium in Ystrad Mynach. This development will see racing intensify on an unprecedented scale, and Wales (which is already full to bursting with dogs needing homes) will be flooded with hundreds more racing greyhounds in a matter of weeks.
These races are not for the entertainment of Welsh people. The majority of the audience will be watching and betting on the racing via live streaming from foreign countries.
As racing kennels are encouraged to purchase dogs in large numbers to race at the Valley Greyhound Stadium, they are growing impatient with retired, non-profitable dogs forming a backlog in their kennels. We are extremely concerned about the fates of these dogs, and a number of stray greyhounds have already been found in Wales in recent weeks.
Wales does not need commercial greyhound racing, nor does it need more dogs coming in from overseas, which is where the majority of racing greyhounds will come from. While we work hard to find homes for dogs in need and prevent greyhounds being abandoned (or worse, culled) this intensification of racing is throwing fuel on the fire of an already worsening problem.
Video: A Crisis Facing Greyhounds in Wales
How you can help:
Write to Your MS
Click here to find your MS and their correspondence address.
If you’re not sure what to write, you should make them aware of your concerns for greyhounds and ask for more information on what is being done to end greyhound racing in Wales.
Adopt
Could you give a forever home to a greyhound in need?
Click here to see dogs currently for adoption with Greyhound Rescue Wales.
Foster
Could you help free up critical kennel spaces by fostering a dog in your own home?
Click here to find out more about fostering and how you can get in touch.
Donate
Click here to make a donation now.
We’re doing everything we can to rapidly expand our kennel spaces, but we need funds to purchase kennels, install plumbing and wiring, and ensure everything is ready to receive dogs in need.
We receive no government or industry funding – every donation, big or small, goes towards helping hounds.
Spread the Word
Many people in Wales aren’t even aware that greyhound racing still goes on, let alone the very poor situation facing greyhounds in the near future.
Tell people about the situation, about Greyhound Rescue Wales, and about what they can do to help.
Share our video, our social media posts, and any other content you can.