02/19/2025
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🚨 BREAKING NEWS: GREYHOUND RACING TO BE BANNED IN WALES 🚨
Together with our coalition partners, we are today celebrating a major victory for animal welfare in Wales, as the Welsh Government announces a ban on greyhound racing.
Earlier this afternoon, the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs Huw Irranca-Davies MS/AS announced that greyhound racing would be banned in Wales, fully protecting greyhounds from the risk of injury and death as result of their participation in commercial racing.
Our founder and Chief Executive Officer, Vanessa Waddon, reflects on the journey to this historic decision.
“Our Amazing Greys partnership project at Valley Greyhound Stadium highlighted systemic welfare issues with greyhound racing in Wales. In 2021 when the track announced its intention to become a licensed Greyhound Board of Great Britain track greatly intensifying the volume of racing, we knew we had to act and we launched our Senedd petition to ban greyhound racing in Wales.
Over 35,000 dog lovers signed the petition, and as it progressed through the Petitions Committee we were joined by Greyhound Rescue Wales, Blue Cross UK, Dogs Trust and RSPCA (England & Wales) to form the Cut the Chase coalition, giving the campaign a strong and united voice.
In December 2022, the Petitions Committee published their report, with the majority of the Committee supporting a ban. With strong cross-party support, the petition was debated in the Senedd in March 2023, and it was announced that views on greyhound racing would be included in a wider consultation on the licensing of animal activities. The consultation launched in December 2023, and in December 2024 Welsh Government published their response, stating that a decision on greyhound racing would be made in Spring 2025.
Earlier this afternoon, the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs announced that greyhound racing would be banned in Wales, bringing an end to the entirely preventable injuries and deaths of the dogs involved in greyhound racing.
We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the public for supporting the campaign, and also to the Petitions Committee, chaired by Jack Sargeant MS at the time. We also want to say thank you to the stalwarts of the campaign, Jane Dodds AS/MS, Luke Fletcher AS/MS, Carolyn Thomas MS and Dr Altaf Hussain MS who all played a significant role in rallying strong and unwavering cross-party support for the ban.
As we celebrate our 20th anniversary year, there is no better anniversary present than this historic decision which we hope will lead the way in ending greyhound racing in the rest of the U.K. and Ireland.
The Cut the Chase coalition’s priority has always been the welfare of the dogs involved in greyhound racing, and we remain committed to ensuring that this is not negatively impacted by the ban.
The coalition has sent an open letter to both Valley Greyhound Stadium and the Greyhound Board of Great Britain offering our support with displaced greyhounds needing rehoming both during the transitional period, and after racing ceases at the stadium.”
