Greyhound Board of Great Britain disputes charities' claims

The event, held outside the Senedd, showcased 359 dog collars, each representing a greyhound that reportedly died in 2023 for reasons other than natural causes or illness.

This was claimed to be a 47 per cent increase from the previous year.

However, the GBGB has labelled this statement as 'entirely misleading.'

A spokesperson for the GBGB said: "As GBGB's independently verified injury and retirement data for 2023 shows, the track fatality rate remained consistent with previous years at 0.03 per cent, half of what it was in 2018, with 109 greyhounds being put to sleep at licensed stadia on veterinary advice."

The GBGB also stated that the statement implies that 359 greyhounds died as a result of racing, which they claim is incorrect.

The spokesperson added: "This is the total number of registered greyhounds (excluding those categorised as having died from illness) who died in 2023, including those put to sleep on veterinary advice for reasons unrelated to racing and those who experienced sudden death - which can unfortunately occur in any animal - as well as those deemed unsuitable for homing by behavioural specialists, something which, again, all animal charities must consider when rehoming any animal."

The GBGB also disputed the coalition's argument that greyhound racing is 'inherently dangerous, causing significant injuries that often lead to euthanasia.'

The spokesperson said: "As demonstrated by our publicly available data, there was, in fact, a marked decrease in more serious long bone injuries sustained by racing greyhounds in 2023.

"This improvement is the result of our stringent pre and post racing veterinary checks, as well as expert oversight of the preparation of the racing surface."

The GBGB also addressed the quote from the Cut the Chase coalition, which stated: "Analysis undertaken by Greyhound Rescue Wales shows that at least 115 dogs were injured at the Valley Greyhound Stadium in Ystrad Mynach in just one year."

The GBGB spokesperson said: "This 'analysis' undertaken from afar by Greyhound Rescue Wales is entirely speculative, and based on racecard notations and livestream footage which of course cannot be used to diagnose an injury in a greyhound.

"Rather, to ensure accurate data is collected, the onsite veterinary surgeon at the Valley thoroughly assesses every greyhound before, during and after racing at the track, with any injuries, however minor - such as a scrape or broken nail - recorded and published within GBGB's annual data."