Target: Llyr Gruffydd MS, Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability, Welsh Government, Cardiff, Wales
Goal: Finalize and enforce a phased transition plan that guarantees safe rehoming and continued care for every greyhound affected by Wales’s racing ban.
Wales has taken the historic step of banning greyhound racing, but hundreds of dogs still depend on what happens next. Animal welfare organizations warn that without a clear, coordinated transition, greyhounds leaving the racing industry could face uncertain rehoming prospects, disrupted care, or abandonment as kennels and racing operations wind down.
The Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Wales) Act 2026 provides a commencement window running from April 2027 to April 2030. A government implementation group has been tasked with managing that transition while protecting greyhound welfare. However, welfare organizations and racing representatives remain divided over how quickly the industry should close and how responsibility for affected dogs should be managed.
The ban should not create a new welfare crisis while attempting to end an existing one. Wales needs a binding timetable, verified records of every racing greyhound, sufficient rehoming capacity, continued veterinary care, and clear responsibility for dogs until permanent homes are secured. Finalize a humane transition plan before racing ends.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Minister Gruffydd,
Wales has committed to ending greyhound racing because of serious and longstanding welfare concerns. That decision must now be matched by an implementation plan that protects every dog affected by the industry’s closure.
Animal welfare organizations have warned that disagreement over the transition could leave hundreds of greyhounds in uncertain circumstances. Please ensure every racing dog is accounted for, that owners and trainers retain responsibility until safe placements are secured, and that rescue organizations are given sufficient time and resources to manage rehoming.
Set a clear phased timetable, establish enforceable welfare safeguards, fund adequate rehoming capacity, and require transparent tracking of every affected greyhound. Wales has already decided that racing will end. Now ensure the transition protects the dogs whose welfare inspired the ban in the first place.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: AngMoKio
