Greyhound racing is an organized, competitive industry in which greyhound
dogs are raced around a track. There are two forms of greyhound racing, track
racing and coursing. Track racing uses an artificial lure on a track until the
greyhounds cross the finish line. As with horse racing, greyhound races often
allow the public to wager on the outcome. In coursing the dogs chase a
lure. In many countries, greyhound racing is
purely amateur and for enjoyment. In other countries, greyhound racing is
part of the gambling industry, similar to although far less profitable than
horse racing. There is concern in countries with greyhound gambling
regarding the well-being of the dogs and the use of live-baiting. The
effectiveness of industry self-regulation is often called into
question. A greyhound adoption movement has arisen to assist retired racing dogs
in finding homes as pets, with an estimated adoption rate of over 90% in
the USA. History
Modern greyhound racing has its origins in coursing. The first recorded attempt
at racing greyhounds on a straight track was made beside the Welsh Harp
reservoir, Hendon, England, in 1876, but this experiment did not develop. The
industry emerged in its recognizable modern form, featuring circular or oval
tracks, with the invention of the mechanical or artificial hare, in 1912,
by an American, Owen Patrick Smith. O.P. Smith had altruistic aims for the
industry to stop the killing of the jack rabbits and see "greyhound racing as we
see horse racing". In 1919, Smith opened the first professional dog-racing track
with stands in Emeryville, California. The certificates system led the way to
parimutuel betting, as quarry and on-course gambling, in the United States
during the 1930s. The oval track and mechanical hare were
introduced to Britain, in 1926, by another American, Charles Munn, in
association with Major Lyne-Dixson, a Canadian, who was a key figure in
coursing. Finding other supporters proved to rather difficult however and
with the General Strike of 1926 looming, the two men scoured the country in an
attempt to find others who would join them. Eventually they met
Brigadier-General Critchley, who in turn introduced them to Sir William Gentle.
Between them they raised £22,000 and like the American 'International
Greyhound Racing Association', they launched the Greyhound Racing
Association holding the first British meeting at Manchester's Belle Vue
Stadium. The industry was successful in cities and towns throughout the U.K. -
by the end of 1927, there were forty tracks operating.
The industry of greyhound racing was particularly attractive to predominantly
male working-class audiences, for whom the urban locations of the tracks and
the evening times of the meetings were accessible, and to patrons and owners
from various social backgrounds. Betting has always been a key ingredient of
greyhound racing, both through on-course bookmakers and the totalisator, first
introduced in 1930. Like horse racing, it is popular to bet on the greyhound
races as a form of parimutuel gambling. Greyhound racing enjoyed its highest
attendances just after the Second World War—for example, there were 34 million
paying spectators in 1946. The industry experienced a decline from the early
1960s- when the 1960 Betting and Gaming Act permitted off-course cash betting.
Sponsorship, limited television coverage, and the later abolition of
on-course betting tax have partially offset this decline.
Today Commercial greyhound racing is
characterized by several criteria, including legalized gambling, the
existence of a regulatory structure, the physical presence of racetracks, whether
the host state or subdivision shares in any gambling proceeds, fees charged by
host locations, the use of professional racing kennels, the number of dogs
participating in races, the existence of an official racing code, and membership
in a greyhound racing federation or trade association.
In addition to the eight countries where commercial greyhound racing exists, in
at least twenty-one countries dog racing occurs but has not reached a commercial
stage. Medical care
Greyhound adoption groups frequently report that the dogs from the tracks
have tooth problems, the cause of which is debated. The groups often also find
that the dogs carry tick-borne diseases and parasites due to the lack of proper
preventative treatments. The dogs require regular vaccination to minimize
outbreaks of diseases such as kennel cough.
Recently, doping has also emerged as a problem in greyhound racing. The racing
industry is actively working to prevent the spread of this practice; attempts
are being made to recover urine samples from all greyhounds in a race, not just
the winners. Greyhounds from which samples cannot be obtained for a certain
number of consecutive races are subject to being ruled off the track. Violators
are subject to criminal penalties and loss of their racing licenses by state
gaming commissions and a permanent ban from the National Greyhound Association.
The trainer of the greyhound is at all times the "absolute insurer" of the
condition of the animal. The trainer is responsible for any positive test
regardless of how the banned substance has entered the greyhound's system.
Life after racing Generally, a greyhound's career will end
between the ages of four and six – after the dog can no longer race, or possibly
when it is no longer competitive. The best dogs are kept for breeding, and
there are both industry-associated adoption groups and rescue groups that
work to obtain retired racing greyhounds and place them as pets. In the United
Kingdom, according to the BBC, one in four retired greyhounds finds a home as
a pet. In the United States, prior to the formation of adoption groups, over
20,000 retired greyhounds a year were killed; recent estimates still number in
the thousands, with the industry claiming that about 90% of National
Greyhound Association-registered animals either being adopted, or returned for
breeding purposes Other greyhounds are sold to research labs, such as Liverpool
university animal training school, who have received the remains of dogs killed
at Manchester's Belle Vue stadium. A trainer in Lincolnshire was also exposed
offering 'slow' dogs to the Liverpool school. Additionally dogs are sent to
foreign racetracks such as Spain and sometimes in developing countries. In
the North East of England a man is believed to have destroyed as many as
10,000 healthy Greyhounds with a captive bolt gun.
Several organizations, such as British Greyhounds Retired Database, Greyhound
Rescue West of England, Birmingham Greyhound Protection, GAGAH,
Adopt-a-Greyhound and Greyhound Pets of America, and the Retired Greyhound Trust
try to ensure that as many of the dogs as possible are adopted. Some of these
groups also advocate better treatment of the dogs while at the track and/or the
end of racing for profit. In recent years the racing industry has made
significant progress in establishing programs for the adoption of retired
racers. In addition to actively cooperating with private adoption groups
throughout the country, many race tracks have established their own adoption
programs at various tracks. Criticism
Greyhound racing has been a source of controversy in recent years. Animal
protection organizations such as the American Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals, and the Humane Society of the United States are opposed
to commercial greyhound racing, due to industry standard practices they say are
cruel and inhumane. The humane community has utilized the
legislative process to end dog racing and improve the conditions for racing
greyhounds. For example, in March 2014, Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a measure
that prohibited commercial greyhound racing in Colorado, making it the 39th
state to outlaw the activity. There has also been criticism of
commercial racing internationally, particularly regarding the overbreeding
of dogs, concealment of injury figures, high euthanasia rates and mismanagement
of the UK and Irish greyhound industries. For example, an independent
2014 review of the Irish Greyhound Board criticized the body's corporate
governance, its handling of animal welfare issues, and poor financial
performance. In Australia, Greyhound Racing NSW's
Chief Executive Brent Hogan admitted that an estimated 3,000 greyhounds are
euthanized each year in that state alone.
In February 2015 an undercover report discovered the use of 'live bait' to
train dogs for racing in Australia. This is illegal in many countries, including
the UK and Australia, and against the rules and regulations of the UK Animal
Welfare Act 2006. By country
= Australia= The Australian Greyhound Racing
Association is divided into many state governing bodies, which regulate
greyhound welfare and living conditions. Some racing authorities in Australia,
partly finance some of the Greyhound Adoption Groups, which house dozens of
greyhounds a month. Each Australian State and Territory has
a governing greyhound racing body. Greyhound Racing New South Wales and
Greyhound Racing Victoria are the two largest authorities, governing over 40
racetracks. The Queensland Greyhound Racing
Authority, Western Australian Greyhound Racing Authority, Tasmanian Greyhound
Racing Authority, Greyhound Racing South Australia, Northern Territory Racing
Authority, and the Canberra Greyhound Racing Club, all contribute to running
and monitoring of greyhound racing in Australia as it continues to grow.
Major greyhound racing venues include Wentworth Park in Sydney, Cannington
Park in Perth, Angle Park in Adelaide, Albion Park in Brisbane and Sandown Park
in Melbourne. Many adoption programs have been set up
throughout Australia known as Greyhound Adoption Program or Greyhounds As Pets,
GAP. They generally work with their Greyhound Racing Administration.
Greyhounds are checked for parasites, malnourishment, or any other medical
conditions by an on-course vet before being able to compete.
Greyhounds are usually bought and sold as puppies just after having been
whelped or as racing dogs that have been fully trained via word of mouth on the
track or via the few greyhound trading and sales platforms. In Australia the
buying and selling of greyhounds is controlled and regulated by the states
and territories. A 2015 television investigation revealed
widespread use of small live animals as bait, to train greyhounds to chase and
kill. As a result, many in the industry have called for a complete overhaul of
greyhound racing's controlling bodies in Australia.
= New Zealand= In New Zealand, around 700 dogs are bred
each year for racing, and around 500 are imported from Australia. Over 200 are
retired annually by a charity established and partially funded by the
New Zealand Greyhound Racing Association. Many greyhounds are kept as
pets or rehomed by their trainers after racing as well as a large number rehomed
by other greyhound adoption organizations throughout the country.
Some greyhounds are even returned to overseas owners. Greyhound racing is a
NZ$75 million industry. There is some concern over the welfare of New Zealand
racing greyhounds by a small Anti Racing community that has led the racing
industry to initiate its own internal inquiry into their outcomes, injuries
and welfare. = South Africa=
In the Republic of South Africa dogs are kept with their owners. Due to the
amateur state of racing, owners are usually also the trainer and rearer of
the dogs; it is very rare that a dog is kenneled with a trainer.
Racing is controlled by a partnership between the United Greyhound Racing and
Breeders Society and the South African Renhond Unie. The studbook is kept by
the South African Studbook and organization who keep studbooks for all
stud animals. Racing takes place on both oval and straight tracks. Racing is
illegal in South Africa. = United Kingdom=
Greyhound racing is a popular industry in Great Britain with attendances at
around 3.2 million at over 5,750 meetings in 2007. There are 26
registered stadiums in Britain, and a parimutuel betting tote system with
on-course and off-course betting available, with a turnover of
£75,100,000. On 24 July 1926, in front of 1,700
spectators, the first greyhound race took place at Belle Vue Stadium where
seven greyhounds raced round an oval circuit to catch an electric artificial
hare. This marked the first ever modern greyhound race in Great Britain.
Greyhound racing in Great Britain is regulated by the Greyhound Board of
Great Britain. Greyhounds are not kept at the tracks, and are instead housed in
the kennels of trainers and transported to the tracks to race. Those who race on
the independent circuit, do not have this regulation.
There have been 133 regulated tracks and 256 known independent tracks since 1926.
Some of the more prominent stadiums that have closed where greyhound racing has
been staged in the past are as follows: White City Stadium, Walthamstow Stadium,
Wembley Stadium, Harringay Stadium, West Ham Stadium, Powderhall Stadium, White
City Stadium, Glasgow and Cardiff Arms Park.
= United States= In the United States, greyhound racing
is governed by state law. Industry attempts at self-regulation have been
criticized by humane organizations. At American tracks greyhounds are kept
in kennel compounds, in crates that are approximately three feet wide, four feet
deep, and three feet high. Most kennels turn the dogs out 4 to 6 times per day.
Each turnout can be from 30 to 90 minutes.
In addition to state law and regulations, most tracks adopt their own
rules, policies and procedures. In exchange for the right to race their
greyhounds at the track, kennel owners must sign contracts in which they agree
to abide by all track rules, including those pertaining to animal welfare. If
kennel owners violate these contract clauses, they stand to lose their track
privileges and even their racing licenses.
In recent years, several state governments in the United States have
passed legislation to improve the treatment of racing dogs in their
jurisdiction. During the 1990s, seven states banned gambling on live greyhound
racing. In November 2008, Massachusetts held a vote to ban greyhound racing,
which passed 56% to 44%. Currently, 39 states and the territory of Guam have
standing laws banning the practice, and four more states do not practice
greyhound racing despite the practice not being illegal there.
Between 2001 and 2011, the total amount gambled on greyhound racing nationwide
declined by 67%. In fact, gambling on dog races has declined for twenty
consecutive years. In Florida, where 12 of the 22
operational dog tracks in the US remain, the financial decline is even more
significant. In the state, the amount gambled at dog tracks declined by 72%
between 1990 and 2013. According to a study commissioned by the legislature,
the state lost between $1 million and $3.3 million on greyhound racing in
2012. See also
Greyhound jockey Footnotes
Further reading Gwyneth Anne Thayer, Going to the Dogs:
Greyhound Racing, Animal Activism, and American Popular Culture. Lawrence, KS:
University Press of Kansas, 2013. External links
Greyhound racing at DMOZ