A global greyhound protection organisation has made a generous donation to support the rescue and rehoming of dogs from Wales’s last remaining racing track.
GREY2K USA Worldwide has donated £3,800 ($5,000) to Greyhound Rescue Wales (GRW), with the specific request that the money is used to support dogs who have raced at the Valley Stadium in Caerphilly.
Christine A. Dorchak, President of GREY2K USA Worldwide, said: “Greyhound Rescue Wales has shown true leadership for animals in Wales and around the world. The campaign to end dog racing has been strategic and smart, and always based on compassion.
“This is something that those who want to perpetuate the cruelty of dog racing will never understand. For them, dogs are a means to an end. To animal advocates and everyday people around the world, they are our best friends and family members, and we are proud to support GRW’s lifesaving efforts.”
Founded more than 30 years ago, Greyhound Rescue Wales works to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome greyhounds and lurchers. The organisation has been instrumental in calling for a ban on greyhound racing in Wales and has recently highlighted a series of concerns about animal welfare and poor rehoming practices at Valley.
“No matter where dog racing exists, innocent hounds face the same derelict treatment.”
Ms Dorchak added: “The positive direction of the campaign in Wales and the United States gives advocates in the UK and across the globe a true vision of what is to come. No matter where dog racing exists, innocent hounds face the same derelict treatment. And the recent revelation by Greyhound Rescue Wales showing ex-racers found in deplorable condition and abandoned as strays underscores that these poor dogs will never be safe until racing ends.”
Greyhound Rescue Wales Chief Executive Claire James said: “We are delighted to receive such a generous donation from GREY2K USA Worldwide, who have supported our work for a number of years with previous donations and event sponsorship. They also regularly share our updates in their newsletters and social media channels, and last year we had a sudden influx of donations from America when they promoted our Last Hope fund.
“This is their largest donation to date and will greatly help us continue in our vital work rescuing and rehoming greyhounds from the Valley track which will become even more important as the ban on greyhound racing in Wales approaches.”
Additional Information
(from GRW evidence to Senedd Culture, communications, Welsh language, sport and international relations committee October 2025)
- In the first year of GBGB racing, 601 individual dogs ran at the Valley track (in 9610 runs). Of these, 322 dogs were trained by 12 Valley-attached trainers. During this first year 267 adverse events (such as falls, documented lameness and injuries) were identified from GBGB and the Valley track’s own published material. For all 601 dogs the annual incidence of adverse events (was 44.4%, rising to 73.9% for Valley-attached dogs.
- Approximately 300 greyhounds are needed sustain the Valley track’s current level of racing activity (10,000 gambling opportunities (runs) per year).
- The Valley track discards approximately 120 young greyhounds per year: 1 dog every 3 days. The average age of greyhounds at the time of their last race or trial is just 3 years and 4 months.
- Median career length of greyhounds at the Valley is just 15 months: this means 150 new dogs are brought to the Valley track in every 15-month period to replenish dogs that are no longer fit to race.
- Therefore, with every month that the ban is delayed, 10 more dogs are subjected to the inherent risk of racing around the Valley track
- Given the rate of injuries, short racing careers and annual turnover of Valley-attached dogs, an implementation date of 2030 for a racing ban could result in an additional 480 greyhounds, many of which will have suffered significant injuries, needing to be rehomed by animal rescue charities, over and above the approximately 200-250 dogs which will need to be rehomed immediately following a ban.