GBGB’s Climbdown
The Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) admitted in an industry publication on December 5th that “an unacceptable number of retired greyhounds (have) …. been picked up as strays” after being homed directly from tracks.
This follows a complaint to GBGB by GRW who also exposed inappropriate homing practices at Valley Stadium to the Senedd Committee scrutinising the Bill to ban greyhound racing in Wales.
GBGB have now changed their rehoming policy and will require proof of identity and residence, and a signed adoption form, before homing a dog in the future.
GRW welcomes this shift in policy. However, these measures represent the most basic standards already followed and exceeded by responsible rehoming charities across the UK. For example there is no mention of any checks on the premises where the greyhound will live, or how the prospective new owners propose to look after the dog.
GRW’s Findings
Our detailed complaint to the GBGB, shared with the Senedd Committee, followed an investigation into dogs being rehomed directly from the Valley track without even the most basic welfare safeguards. The dogs involved were:
- Underweight
- Carrying ticks or open wounds
- Unneutered
- Handed to adopters with no checks on identity, suitability or welfare conditions
Despite the seriousness of these concerns, GBGB failed to acknowledge or respond to the complaint. GRW then presented its evidence to the Senedd Committee, including case studies of four Valley-attached greyhounds, illustrating the scale of the problem.
The consequences of poor rehoming practice for the dogs
One of these dogs was later found as a stray in West Wales with serious untreated injuries. Two others were photographed in a neglected state while still at the Valley kennels, one of which was subsequently also found straying. The fate of the fourth remains unknown.
A GRW spokesperson welcomed the move but warned that it should not have taken public exposure for the industry to enforce such basic protections:
“It is difficult to believe the GBGB is only now adopting the most basic elements of what is standard practice for all reputable rehoming organisations, and then only after being publicly challenged about cases of abandonment, injury and neglect.”
The spokesperson added that GRW will be watching closely to see whether the GBGB genuinely enforces these new rules and whether any meaningful sanctions follow for non-compliance.
Why This Matters for Wales
GRW’s evidence to the Senedd highlighted the scale of the welfare crisis associated with the Valley track:
- 601 dogs ran in the first year of racing; 322 were trained locally
- 267 adverse events—falls, lameness and injuries—were documented in that first year
- The annual incidence of such events was 44.4%, rising to 73.9% for Valley-attached dogs
- The track requires around 300 dogs per year to sustain its racing activity
- Around 120 young dogs—one every three days—are discarded annually
- The average racing “career” lasts just 15 months, with most dogs finishing at 3 years and 4 months old
Crucially, if the racing ban is delayed until 2030, GRW estimates that approximately 480 more dogs, many injured or no longer able to race, will require rescue and rehoming, in addition to the 200–250 dogs who will need support immediately after a ban.
A Critical Moment for Greyhound Welfare
The recent policy adjustment by the GBGB demonstrates the power of evidence and scrutiny. But it also underscores the deep problems inherent in an industry that relies on a constant turnover of young dogs and allows unacceptable gaps in welfare protection.
Greyhound Rescue Wales will continue to advocate for the dogs who cannot speak for themselves, and to call for a ban that ends the suffering at the Valley track once and for all.