New figures spark fresh greyhound welfare row

New figures released through Parliamentary Questions have prompted renewed calls from Greyhound Action Ireland (GAI) for the Government to phase out public funding for the greyhound racing industry.

The advocacy group said figures provided by the Minister for Agriculture show that, as of May 8 this year, 8,414 greyhounds born between 2021 and 2024 that remained in Ireland and had retired from racing were recorded as dead on the Rásaíocht Con Éireann Traceability System (RCETS).

According to GAI, that represents 66 per cent of retired racing greyhounds born during the four-year period.

The group noted that the oldest of those dogs would now be around five-and-a-half years old, despite greyhounds having a life expectancy of up to 14 years.

The figures also show that a further 1,608 greyhounds born between 2021 and 2024 were unaccounted for on the traceability system after surviving beyond 12 weeks of age.

GAI said this brings the total number of dogs from that period that are either dead or unaccounted for to 10,022.

It added that the fate of a further 16,042 greyhounds exported during the same period is unknown.

The organisation said 2,811 dogs, or 22 per cent of those covered by the figures, had been successfully rehomed.

The group argues that the latest figures indicate the large-scale destruction of unwanted racing greyhounds is continuing despite reforms introduced following the 2019 RTÉ Investigates documentary Running for Their Lives, which highlighted the killing of healthy dogs deemed unsuitable for racing.

Following that programme, Greyhound Racing Ireland introduced the RCETS traceability system, which was intended to monitor the welfare and whereabouts of racing greyhounds throughout their lives.

GAI claims the latest statistics demonstrate that the industry’s own traceability data shows thousands of dogs continue to die after leaving racing.

The organisation also pointed to figures showing that 400 greyhounds died while racing during 2024 and 2025, with a further 17 killed while trialling.

Since 2019, the greyhound racing industry has received more than €130 million in Exchequer funding, according to GAI.

The organisation is calling for that funding to be phased out over the next three to five years.

“The Irish state is, essentially, sponsoring the killing of dogs on an industrial scale,” said GAI spokesperson Nuala Donlon.

“This would not be tolerated were it happening to any other breed of dog. It should not be tolerated in the case of greyhounds.”