The Welsh Government has moved closer to banning greyhound racing after a key vote in the Senedd on 16 December supported the general principles of new legislation. If passed in full, the proposals would make Wales the first nation in the UK to outlaw the sport.
Senedd members backed the general principles of the greyhound racing bill by 36 votes to 11, with three abstentions. The vote allows the Bill to progress through further scrutiny and votes before it can become law. If approved at each stage, greyhound racing could be outlawed in Wales by April 2030.
Addressing Senedd members, Huw Irranca-Davies said the welfare of greyhounds must remain central to decision-making. “It is about protecting the lives and welfare of greyhounds in Wales,” he said. “Greyhound racing around a track poses an inherent risk of high-speed collisions, falls and injuries.
“Bringing this to an end will keep animals safer. This bill shows we are a progressive nation committed to ethical standards, animal welfare and forward-thinking legislation.”
“We are steadfast in our belief that the only way to safeguard dog welfare is to phase out greyhound racing”
The RSPCA has welcomed the vote. Dr Sam Gaines, Head of Companion Animals at the RSPCA and chair of the Cut The Chase coalition, said the charity has been campaigning for a phased end to greyhound racing since 2022, alongside Blue Cross UK, Dogs Trust, Greyhound Rescue Wales and Hope Rescue. She said the campaign followed decades of engagement with the racing industry to try to improve conditions for dogs involved in the sport.
“While this approach resulted in some improvements to dog welfare, progress was simply too slow,” she said. “At every stage of a racing greyhound’s life there are significant concerns including housing and management; disjointed and ineffective regulation within the sector and across the different nations within which racing takes place as well as the absence of a sustainable and consistent source of income.
“Even if these issues had been resolved, there is the undeniable truth that greyhounds racing around an oval track at high speed is inherently dangerous and puts them at risk of predictable, avoidable and unnecessary injury and death.”
Dr Gaines added that the industry’s own data shows racing around oval tracks results in injury and death. “This is indefensible in the interests of sport or entertainment,” she said. “We are steadfast in our belief that the only way to safeguard dog welfare is to phase out greyhound racing.”
“We will continue to fight this through its committee stages and through a Judicial Review”
The proposals have been criticised by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Mark Bird, CEO of the GBGB, described the process as going from “dodgy backroom deal to indefensible policy sham”.
He said, “This is neither good government nor good politics. This Bill will do nothing to serve the priorities of the Welsh public, economy or animal welfare. Rather every instance of animal use in Wales – from horseracing to livestock farming – should prepare to be the next target of the animal rights movement and its political lackies.
“What this debate shows is that what is happening to greyhound racing today can very easily happen to farming, horse ownership and pet ownership tomorrow when the animal rights argument takes control of the political agenda. Wales is sleepwalking into the arms an animal rights future that no one has voted for and which ignores common sense, factual evidence and proper process.
“Whatever your view on greyhound racing, watching politicians ignore the warnings from their own colleagues that this is an ill-considered, badly-drafted and incompetent Bill does nothing to build confidence in our elected politicians.
“We will continue to fight this through its committee stages and through a Judicial Review.”
