A Good Life for Every Greyhound - An overview and update
The Good Life for Every Greyhound welfare strategy was launched in 2022. We take a look at its impact so far.
A Good Life for Every Greyhound
On May 11, 2022, the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) launched its new long-term welfare strategy to further promote and protect welfare. Led by Professor Madeleine Campbell, GBGB developed ‘A Good Life for Every Greyhound’ which set out the improvements needed to safeguard a greyhound’s health and wellbeing across the five domains of animal welfare: nutrition, behaviour, health, environment and mental state.
Building on the Greyhound Commitment, the new strategy represented yet another step change in welfare standards within licensed greyhound racing. Most notably, the strategy sets out how GBGB – working in partnership with others – is seeking to look after the welfare of greyhounds throughout their lives – not just the period they are racing.
The five-year strategy sets out detailed workplans for delivering GBGB’s vision. Key initiatives include:
♦ Partnering with The Kennel Club to develop and create a high welfare standard ‘Assured Breeders Scheme’;
♦ Engaging with expert independent academic partners to design, deliver and analyse data gathering and research programmes into areas such as genetics, nutrition and early detection of injuries;
♦ Expanding veterinary expertise through the appointment of an Executive Veterinarian working alongside a new field force of Regional Regulatory Veterinary Surgeons who will act as an additional point of referral and support for track vets and GBGB Stipendiary Stewards;
♦ Working with animal welfare charities (members of the Greyhound Forum) on projects focused on promoting responsible homing e.g. the creation of a welcome pack for new owners and the establishment of a harmonised programme of behavioural assessments for greyhounds retiring from racing;
♦ Upskilling and enhancing the welfare knowledge of everyone in the sport; trainers, kennelhands, owners, track staff, veterinarians and breeders will receive an enhanced package of training to optimise the care they are able to provide greyhounds;
♦ Leading an effort by international greyhound regulators to develop harmonised welfare policies and strategies. As a starting point, GBGB will host an inaugural meeting of international greyhound regulators later this year.
At launch, Jeremy Cooper, Chairman of GBGB and former Chief Executive of the RSPCA, said: “This is one of the most in-depth and comprehensive strategies for working animal welfare that has ever been produced in this country. As well as demonstrating our commitment to the welfare of the greyhounds within our sport, it sets out, for the first time, standards and initiatives that cover all stages of a greyhound’s life – not only the period they are racing. This strategy firmly positions us as a global leader in animal welfare and we are excited to work with greyhound regulators across the world to ensure consistently high welfare standards for all racing greyhounds.”
Progress to date
Regular updates have been produced regarding progress of strategy aims, the most recent being in December 2024.
At this halfway stage it is clear that many of the projects within the strategy are well under way, if not complete. Most notably:
Regional Regulatory Vets
The field team of five RRVs has been recruited who are overseeing all tracks and trainers. They have begun to make visits in their areas, significantly increasing the number of visits trainers get.
In 2025 they will take over the Annual Veterinary Kennel Inspection of trainers’ kennels where they will identify any issues that need addressing before the inspection is signed off as well as help fulfil the requirement of the GBGB’s independent auditors, SCI.
The RRVs also follow up any required treatment indicated by a track vet following injuries sustained through racing and support delivery of GBGB research projects, including delivery of CPD for various stakeholders.
Trainer and Track Regulation and Support
As alluded to above, trainers now have a minimum of four inspections per year, two unannounced, with further visits on a risk-based and intelligence-led basis. All racecourses now have frequent unannounced inspections by Stipendiary Stewards and the RRVs, to ensure standards and rules are adhered to, as well as four by external track experts, STRI, to advise on racing surface quality and maintenance. Track staff are also supported in their role by the new Track Maintenance Guide.
The Greyhound Trainers’ Residential Kennels Certification Scheme aims to ensure consistent kennelling practices, setting a kennel standard across the sport that supports good welfare standards. In February 2024, this Scheme gained UKAS accreditation for the SCI.
The requirements for air-conditioning in trainer's vans is now well established but continues to be monitored by RRVs and Stipes, along with the GBGB Hot and Cold Weather Policies and the Firework Policy.
Provision to support Retirement & Injury
The option for a greyhound to leave GBGB licensed racing to compete in unlicensed racing has been removed from the Retirement form, alongside the publication of the Board’s Responsible Homing Policy.
From 2025, every track must demonstrate appropriate homing support for their trainers to ensure they have access to centres which will help them home their retired racers. The GBGB has also strengthened checks on greyhounds in trainers’ kennels awaiting homing centre spaces and introduced calls at two, six and 12 months after a greyhound has been homed privately by their racing owner.
The Greyhound Retirement Scheme (GRS) has now helped over 12,500 dogs to find their forever homes and the number of approved centres has reached 102. The GBGB is developing new standards for long-term kennelled greyhounds which covers physical and emotional wellbeing to ensure the best care for those waiting longer than usual for a place in a homing centre, or those who may live out their whole retirement in kennels.
The GBGB has also launched its new national homing campaign; “Share your life with a greyhound” providing links and key information for potential adopters in addition to the Welcome Pack that’s been produced for new adopters.
From 2025, it will be a condition of licence that each racecourse has its own injury recovery scheme in place to be used alongside the GBGB’s IRS.
Over £480,000 were awarded in Trainer Development Grants in 2024, along with over £41,000 in grants to GRS approved homing centres since the Strategy was launched. In April 2023, GBGB also launched a new grant to help support trainers incurring veterinary costs due to an infectious disease outbreak, to tie in with the GBGB’s Disease Surveillance & Monitoring Programme.
Research Projects
Several research projects have been commissioned including:
♦ Genetic factors which influence resilience and longevity in racing greyhounds
♦ Greyhound nutrition to find optimum nutrition recommendations at stage of a greyhound’s life
♦ Cause of injury in racing greyhounds and how modern technologies can be used to detect sub-clinical inquiries.
Education
The GBGB’s CPD programme has grown with licence-holders offered numerous training opportunities. In-person, workshops and webinars have provided CPD to trainers, kennelhands, track staff and vets, led by the GBGB’s new Education Manager.
Whilst many of the streams of work set out in the strategy are already well underway, the full strategy can only be realised with the support of sufficient, long-term funding from the bookmaking industry. Currently, all members of the Betting and Gaming Council voluntarily pay into the British Greyhound Racing Fund which funds GBGB’s welfare work. Their contribution is derived from 0.6% of their turnover on licensed greyhound racing; this compares to horseracing where there is a statutory levy of 10% of profits on leviable bets. In order to enable the full implementation of the strategy, GBGB has launched their Keep Welfare on Track campaign which seeks public support to petition for a statutory levy. This currently has over 3,250 signatures and can be signed here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/702202
The full Good Life for Every Greyhound Strategy can be read here: Publications | Greyhound Board of Great Britain
