Injury and Retirement Data
Greyhound welfare is at the very heart of licensed racing and through clear and robust regulation we aim to uphold the highest standards of welfare at all times.
Our Greyhound Commitment encapsulates our dedication to our greyhounds and sets out the ways in which we continually strive to optimise their welfare. Extensive measures are in place across the sport to ensure greyhounds race on the safest possible surfaces. By doing so, we enable these incredible dogs to enjoy their natural instinct to run and chase whilst minimising risk.
Racing greyhounds have access to expert veterinary care during every race. A veterinary surgeon must be present at every trial and race meeting to inspect each greyhound both before and after they race and provide emergency care if required. No greyhound will compete if the vet on duty is not happy for it to do so.
Injuries while racing
Like all elite athletes, greyhounds can pick up injuries. All incidents of injury are recorded by the track vet on duty and reported to GBGB. The vast majority are minor – such as muscle strains – meaning that the greyhound will return to racing after they have received any required treatment or rehabilitation. If a greyhound sustains a more serious injury, they will receive immediate first-aid treatment from the vet on duty and onward veterinary referral under the GBGB’s Injury Retirement Scheme.
The track injury and fatality rates in licensed greyhound racing remain extremely low. We take the death of any racing greyhound incredibly seriously and, through our Fatality Review Process, we investigate the factors surrounding any fatality that occurs so that immediate actions can be taken.
From the track to the sofa
When it is time for a greyhound to retire, racing owners are required to inform the GBGB of their retirement destination in line with GBGB’s Responsible Homing Policy. GBGB closely monitors the destinations of all racing greyhounds to ensure that, wherever possible, every greyhound leaving the sport goes on to have a rewarding retirement.
GBGB publishes annual statistics on the number of greyhounds leaving the sport and their immediate retirement destinations. In 2025, the number of greyhounds moving straight into a homing centre from their trainers’ kennels almost doubled – from 882 in 2024 to 1,618 in 2025. This means more greyhounds are beginning their retirements sooner in loving, forever homes. This is due to a number of factors, including our promotion of retired greyhounds through our Share Your Life With A Greyhound campaign and the Greyhound Retirement Scheme which, since 2020, has provided over £7 million of funding to approved homing centres.
Publishing Key Data
GBGB records all injuries which occur at its licensed racecourses as well as the retirement destinations of all greyhounds leaving the sport. The latest data, which has been presented to Defra, can be found below.
