Animal rights advocates have hailed news that Wales is set to follow in New Zealand’s example and ban greyhound racing in a first for the UK. The Welsh government has announced that the ban will be implemented “as soon as practically possible.” Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies has revealed the plans to phase the sport out.
No timeline has been revealed but it is not “impossible,” according to Irranca-Davies. It could be as soon as or even before the next parliamentary election in Wales in May 2026. It follows a cross-party call for a ban, along with a government consultation and petition which gained 35,000 signatures.
The Valley Stadium in Ystrad Mynach is Wales’ only greyhound racing track.
The news has been hailed by animal welfare charities including the Dogs Trust which called on the other countries in the UK to follow in Wales’ example.
“Greyhound racing is inherently dangerous for the dogs involved, and running at speed around oval tracks causes significant injury to many dogs,” the charity said. “In some cases, the injuries are so severe that it is necessary to euthanise the dog.” The RSPCA meanwhile said that a ban would protect dogs from “inherent risks that come with competitive racing.”
On the other hand, the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB), the sport’s regulator said that the announcement had “nothing to do with greyhound welfare and everything to do with pressure from the extreme animal rights movement.” It said that the Welsh government had not met with the industry in Wales or the regulator, saying that its own consultation “highlighted the lack of evidence to support the case for a ban.”
“We have engaged in the consultation process in good faith as regulator for the sport, but this statement is hugely disappointing,” chief executive Mike Bird said.
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