Leading animal welfare charities have reacted with disappointment to the news that any decision on the future of greyhound racing in Wales has been pushed back to 2025.
This week, the Welsh Government reported back on its consultation on licensing of animal welfare establishments, activities and exhibits.
The Cut the Chase Coalition, which consists of Dogs Trust, RSPCA Cymru, Blue Cross, Greyhound Rescue Wales and Hope Rescue, had hoped that, following this consultation, the Welsh Government would take the steps needed to end the completely avoidable deaths of hundreds of dogs each year by bringing greyhound racing to an end in Wales.
This would have echoed the decision by the New Zealand Government last week to ban greyhound racing and bring it to an end by August 2026. The unacceptable number of injuries and deaths of greyhounds was cited as the reason for the ban.
In the announcement, the Welsh Government acknowledged that 64.69% of respondents were in favour of a phased ban on greyhound racing.
Despite this considerable support for a phased ban, the Government disappointingly said more time was needed to consider the responses to the consultation that related to the future of greyhound racing in Wales and next steps will be published in 2025.
Since 2018, more than 2,700 greyhounds have died, or were put to sleep, following their participation in greyhound racing around the UK.
Last year, a petition from Hope Rescue calling for an end to greyhound racing in Wales gained more than 35,000 signatures and the Senedd’s Petitions Committee reached a majority conclusion that greyhound racing should come to an end – 25 MSs from across all political parties have also previously pledged their support in bringing an end to greyhound racing in Wales.
Speaking on behalf of the Cut the Chase Coalition, Owen Sharp, chief executive of Dogs Trust, said: “The call to end greyhound racing in Wales has received overwhelming support from the animal welfare community, Members of the Senedd, and the public, with over 35,000 people signing a petition demanding change.
“It is unacceptable that so many dogs die or are seriously injured every year, all in the name of entertainment. Wales now stands alongside only a handful of countries, including England and Scotland, where this outdated and inhumane practice persists. The Welsh Government must take the only meaningful action to stop this cruelty: end greyhound racing once and for all.”
