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389 greyhounds suffered injuries at races around Ireland in 2024 and more than half of them were killed, shocking new statistics reveal.
The figures show that 389 greyhounds were injured at race meetings between January and December and 194 of them were "euthanised" by track vets. The deaths of 8 other injured greyhounds are listed as racing fatalities - they "died on the track or shortly after a race".
The 202 deaths made 2024 the worst year for deaths at races since records began in 2014. The 389 injuries are the highest since 2016.
The injury and death data – obtained by Paul Murphy TD further to a Dail Question to the Minister for Agriculture – shows that the 194 greyhounds who were killed by vets had suffered injuries including: spinal injury, spinal paralysis, broken neck/elbow/leg/hock/wrist/radius & ulna/metatarsals, complete fracture of hind leg, fractured elbow/leg/hock/pelvis/shoulder/calcaneus, suspected neck fracture, suspected nerve paralysis in shoulder, dislocated hock, hip injury, torn gracilis, torn ligaments in wrist, ruptured tendons and shattered hock.
187 injured greyhounds who were treated had suffered injuries including: bleeding foot, burst blood vessel in shoulder, flesh wounds, laceration on shoulder, broken leg/hock/toes, bruised flank and gashed flank, pelvic injury, cut leg/stifle/stopper pad/paw/toe, damaged tendon in wrist, dislocated hock/wrist, fractured elbow joint/hock/leg/shoulder blade/toe/wrist/metatarsal/tail/tibia & fibula, ruptured cruciate ligament, muscle/ligament damage, abrasion on paw, ruptured gracilis muscle, severe cramp, sprained wrist, superficial wound on pad, torn Achilles tendon, pelvic/tail injury, suspected heatstroke, swollen muscle.
Post-mortems carried out on the bodies of the 8 “racing fatality” greyhounds showed that:
At Limerick stadium on 22nd February 2024, a greyhound who "collapsed and died" had suffered abdominal haemorrhage.
A greyhound who "collapsed and died" at Mullingar stadium on 20th April 2024, had suffered acute heart failure.
A greyhound who died after a race at Youghal track on 14th May had suffered "haemothorax following multiple rib fractures".
At Tralee track on 28th May, a greyhound died with a "suspected broken neck and internal haemorrhaging".
At Dundalk stadium on 9th August, a greyhound who died was found to have had "abdominal haemorrhage".
At Kilkenny track on 21st August, a greyhound died after suffering a "ruptured blood vessel".
The cause of death of a greyhound at Galway stadium on 14th December is "to be determined" and there was "no cause of death determined" for a greyhound who died at Youghal track on 16th December.
Among the victims were THREE GREYHOUNDS KILLED by a vet at a race meeting at Youghal track on 20 July. Two had suffered fractured hocks and the other "suspected nerve paralysis in shoulder".
At other individual race meetings, two greyhounds lost their lives:
At Kilcohan Park track in Waterford on 14 March 2024, two greyhounds were killed by a track vet. Their injuries were listed as fractured hock and spinal paralysis.
On 23 March at Mullingar track, two greyhounds suffered broken/fractured wrists and both were destroyed.
On 12 April, four greyhounds were “euthanised” by vets – two at Lifford track (broken hock and fractured metatarsal) and another two at Newbridge track (fractured metatarsals).
Two greyhounds were killed at Youghal track on 4 May (fractured hock and hip injury).
Two greyhounds also lost their lives at Youghal track on 14 May – one sustained a “fractured radius and ulna” and was killed and the other died after suffering "Haemothorax following multiple rib fractures".
On 6 June at Kilcohan Park, two greyhounds were put to sleep after suffering hock fractures.
Two greyhounds were killed by a vet at Kilkenny track on 21 June (fractured tibia and fractured elbow).
On 29 June at Tralee track, two greyhounds suffered fractured hock and fractured radius & ulna and both were killed by the track vet.
On 18 July at Kilcohan Park, two greyhounds were killed (broken hock and ruptured Achilles tendon).
Two greyhounds were killed at Youghal on 7 August (fractured hock and fractured radius & ulna).
On 8 August, two greyhounds were killed at Enniscorthy track (both suffering broken hocks).
On 8 August at Limerick stadium, two greyhounds were killed (broken radius & ulna and fractured hock).
On 11 August at Mullingar track, two greyhounds were killed (broken hock / compound fracture front leg). The day before, at Mullingar track, another greyhound was killed (broken hock).
On 16 August at Newbridge track, two greyhounds were killed (fractured metatarsals).
On 19 August at Youghal track, two greyhounds were killed (both with fractured hocks).
On 6 September at Clonmel track, two greyhounds were killed by the track vet (fractured right hock and fractured wrist).
The worst days of the year for greyhound deaths at races were:
4 May 2024 - five injured greyhounds were killed by track vets at Youghal (2), Shelbourne Park (1), Thurles (1) and Galway (1).
and
6 September 2024 - five injured greyhounds were killed by track vets at Clonmel (2), Kilkenny (1), Curraheen Park (1) and Newbridge (1).
Greyhound Racing Ireland is again attempting to downplay the high numbers of injuries and deaths. GRI told Paul Murphy TD that the 389 greyhounds injured “represents 0.40% of the total number of greyhounds that raced on GRI-licensed tracks during that period (97,621 runners)” and that the 202 deaths “represents 0.21% of the total number of greyhounds that raced on GRI-licensed tracks during that period”.
However, this is entirely misleading as the figure of 97,621 actually relates to race entries and is not a "total number" of individual greyhounds. According to previously published GRI data, the number of greyhounds in the “racing pool” over a year is around 4,850. This means that the actual percentage of greyhounds injured and killed is substantially higher.
The tracks with the highest number of deaths (euthanised plus racing fatalities) was Youghal (26 deaths), followed by Mullingar (24), Tralee (17), Limerick (16), Dundalk (16), Kilcohan Park (14), Newbridge (14), Lifford (13), Kilkenny (12), Shelbourne Park (10), Clonmel (10), Enniscorthy (10), Galway (7), Thurles (7) and Curraheen Park (6).
The track where the most injuries occurred (resulting in death or treatment) was Mullingar (59), followed by Tralee (42), Shelbourne Park (32), Curraheen Park (28), Enniscorthy (28), Youghal (27), Limerick (25), Kilkenny (25), Lifford (22), Clonmel (21), Newbridge (18), Dundalk (17), Kilcohan Park (16), Galway (15) and Thurles (14).
In relation to the percentage of injured greyhounds who were euthanised (excluding the eight racing fatalities), Youghal was the worst track, with 96% of injured dogs "euthanised by track vet" (i.e. 25 greyhounds injured and 24 killed).
This was followed by
Dundalk - 94% (16 injured/15 killed)
Kilcohan Park - 88% (16 injured/14 killed)
Newbridge - 78% (18 injured/14 killed)
Limerick - 63% (24 injured/15 killed)
Lifford - 59% (22 injured/13 killed)
Thurles - 50% (14 injured/7 killed)
Clonmel - 48% (21 injured / 10 killed)
Kilkenny - 46% (24 injured/11 killed)
Galway - 43% (14 injured/6 killed)
Mullingar - 40% (58 injured/23 killed)
Tralee - 39% (41 injured/16 killed)
Enniscorthy - 36% (28 injured/10 killed)
Shelbourne Park - 31% (32 injured/10 killed)
Curraheen Park - 21% (28 injured/6 killed)
Total: (381 injured* / 194 killed*) - 51%
*There were also 8 additional injuries/fatalities, i.e. greyhounds who died without being euthanised by vet.
The sickening 2024 figures bring to 3,696 the number of greyhounds injured and 1,396 the number killed in racing at Irish tracks since 2014.
The Greyhound Racing Ireland figures for injuries and deaths at races do not include the greyhounds injured at tracks and later killed elsewhere. In reply to a previous Dail Question from Paul Murphy TD on 30 April 2024, GRI admitted that their injury stats only cover greyhounds "seen" to have been injured at tracks and do not include greyhounds who were injured but taken away and not presented to the track vet. Also not included are greyhounds who sustained what they term "minor injuries".
In 2024, there was even more suffering and death at trials and sales events at tracks around the country. In its response to Deputy Murphy, Greyhound Racing Ireland revealed that "16 greyhounds were recorded as having been injured in trials and sales events" and "eleven dogs were euthanised following trials". They all suffered hock and leg injuries.
5 of these greyhounds were killed on-site by vets at Shelbourne Park, Galway and Kilkenny tracks. The 6 others were "subsequently euthanised at owners' vets" after suffering injuries at Kilkenny, Clonmel, Newbridge, Galway and Kilcohan Park (Waterford) tracks.
There is no requirement for vets to be present at trials. Greyhound Racing Ireland has stated in the past that “a veterinary surgeon is not on duty for official trials or unofficial trials, but the contact details of nearby veterinary clinics are posted in the weigh room of each of the Greyhound Racing Ireland licensed stadia.” This means prolonged suffering for injured greyhounds who are transported away from tracks before they receive treatment.
The deaths at tracks are only the tip of the iceberg. Many more are killed out of sight.
As revealed in the award-winning “RTE Investigates: Greyhounds running for their lives” documentary, thousands of greyhounds are killed behind the scenes every year simply because they are not fast enough. It included disturbing scenes of dogs being delivered to a knackery where they were shot in the head and dumped in a skip. One shot dog was seen writhing on the ground in agony as his merciless owner drove away. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM
A damning report which Greyhound Racing Ireland attempted to hide, revealed that around 6,000 greyhounds are killed every year because they don’t make the grade. The report estimated that, for example, a total of 17,962 greyhounds were culled in 2013, 2014 and 2015. They were killed for “failure to produce qualifying times”, “failure to produce desired entry level times” and for an “unacceptable decline in performance”.
Download the Greyhound Racing Ireland injury and death statistics (pdf)
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/greyhound-injuries-and-deaths-2024.pdf
How many more dogs have to suffer and die before the Irish Government stops the funding that is propping up greyhound racing? Since 2001, Greyhound Racing Ireland has received €366,986,146 in funding, including €18.2 million for 2023, €19 million for 2024 and €19.82 million for 2025. This is unacceptable and must be stopped.
A RED C opinion poll commissioned by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports confirmed that a two-thirds majority of people want the government to stop this funding (with just 16% in favour of it continuing). The latest survey – carried out by Norstat on behalf of GREY2K USA Worldwide found that 70% oppose greyhound racing subsidies, while only 11% support them.
Petitions urging the government to end the funding have more than 400,000 signatures.
SEE ALSO:
Greyhound injuries and deaths at Irish greyhound tracks
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2019/03/27/greyhound-injuries-and-deaths-at-irish-greyhound-tracks/
Raced to death: 134 greyhounds killed at races in Ireland in 2023
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2024/03/15/raced-to-death-134-greyhounds-killed-at-races-in-ireland-in-2023/
GRI’s greyhound injury stats do not include all injured greyhounds
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2024/05/20/gris-greyhound-injury-stats-do-not-include-all-injured-greyhounds/
ACTION ALERT
Don’t go greyhound racing. Tell the leaders of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Sinn Fein to stop supporting funding to greyhound racing and back a ban on this dog-killing gambling activity.
Micheál Martin TD
Leader, Fianna Fail
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Tel: 01 619 4000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
X: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Simon Harris TD
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: 01 281 3727
Email: simon.harris@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
X: http://www.twitter.com/SimonHarrisTD
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DeputySimonHarris
Mary Lou McDonald TD
Leader, Sinn Fein
Tel: (01) 727 7102
Email: marylou.mcdonald@oireachtas.ie
X: https://twitter.com/MaryLouMcDonald
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MaryLouMcDonaldTD
Please sign and share the petitions
GAA: Stop club fundraisers at greyhound tracks
https://www.change.org/p/gaa-stop-club-fundraisers-at-greyhound-tracks
Tell Gain Pet Nutrition to Stop Sponsoring Greyhound Racing
https://www.change.org/p/jimtracy-glanbia-ie-tell-gain-pet-nutrition-to-stop-sponsoring-greyhound-racing
Watch RTE’s award-winning “Greyhounds Running For Their Lives” documentary
https://youtu.be/ZYTb2qBjlMM
REPORTED GREYHOUND INJURIES AND DEATHS AT IRISH TRACKS
2024: 389 injuries, 202 deaths
2023: 257 injuries, 134 deaths
2022: 287 injuries. 122 deaths
2021: 351 injuries. 154 deaths
2020: 255 injuries. 90 deaths
2019: 332 injuries. 119 deaths
2018: 353 injuries. 121 deaths
2017: 357 injuries. 124 deaths
2016: 427 injuries. 139 deaths
2015: 422 injuries. 122 deaths
2014: 266 injuries. 69 deaths (July to Dec 2014)