Greyhound Racing NSW’s significant investment and its targeted strategy towards optimum track safety and world’s best animal welfare practices, have seen a dramatic drop in serious injuries on NSW tracks in the past six months.
Serious injuries – those incapacitated for 60 days or greater – have dropped 14% on the corresponding period in 2024-25, falling from 202 to 168.
Even more significant is the reduction in catastrophic injuries. There have been four on-track deaths since July 1, 2025. In the same period in the previous year there were seven deaths with a total of 16 in the FY24-25. In the 2025 calendar year the figure was 13.
The figures have dramatically fallen in recent years. Back in FY18-19 for the same period, there were 46 on track euthanasias with a total 97 that year. Even as recently as FY22-23 there were 36 in the first six months and a total of 66 for the year.
“The welfare of our animals is and always will be paramount, and that is why we continue to strive in all areas of safety for racing,” GRNSW Chief Executive Officer Steve Griffin said.
“There are numerous reasons for the significant improvement in the serious injury rates including intense scrutiny, monitoring and work on track surfaces around NSW, expansive education for trainers and more stringent pre-race checks of greyhounds before they race.
“These results must be contributed to everyone across the industry who are working hard for the safety and welfare of our animals.
“We continue to strive for zero unnecessary euthanasia on our racetracks and our Greyhound Care Scheme (GCS) continues to be a key factor in the substantial drop in on track deaths, with greyhounds able to be transported immediately and receive the best medical treatment if they are badly injured on track, with the Scheme offering financial support for the treatment and/or surgery required.
“This (financial) year we have seen 87.8% of greyhounds suffering serious injuries which are eligible for GCS, utilise the Scheme and are either recovering, have recovered or have already been placed as a pet in their forever home. Of the remainder, many have chosen not to use GCS as they wish to either breed or hope to return to racing.”
The industry is currently in the midst of its longest period since records began in March 2015, without a catastrophic injury - 83 days, surpassing the previous longest period which was 63 days across 2019 and 2020 and again in mid-2023.
“I would like to thank GWIC (the Greyhound Welfare & Integrity Commission), the GBOTA (Greyhound Breeders, Owners & Trainers Association), Greyhound Clubs NSW and trainers for working collaboratively with us to achieve these great welfare outcomes,” Mr Griffin said.
“You can be assured that we will not stop there. We have a range of other race injury reduction strategies to roll out over the next year or so that will bring down serious racing injury rates even further.”
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