Calculating the true greyhound death toll

In 2023, across Australia, more than 300 dogs were killed and 11,604 were injured due to racing.

The greyhound racing industry destroys the lives of untold dogs every year. While stewards’ reports reveal the greyhounds that are killed at racetracks, many more dogs die away from the tracks, due to injuries suffered in racing or in trials.

CPG has uncovered around 200 dogs who died off-track after suffering injuries on racetracks across the country in 2023.

This compares to the 120 dogs killed on-track which are reported in publicly-available stewards’ reports.


Analysing industry databases

CPG analysed industry databases to identify the names of greyhounds that died after their race meeting. The eTrac database in NSW reveals those dogs who were euthanased due to injury. The FastTrack database in Victoria, meanwhile, reveals dogs listed as deceased after suffering serious Category D injuries, those requiring a standdown of 28 days or more.

Other greyhounds die from illness, “natural causes”, “accidental causes”, or are euthanased because they are classified as “non-rehomable”.

CPG collates the only national data of this type available in Australia, and it provides a disturbing picture of a business that consumes the lives of innocent dogs in the pursuit of profit.

View the CPG Q&A for more information on this research

Greyhound shown trailing at back of field is now listed as deceased after suffering a hindleg fracture on a SA track in 2023

Greyhound shown falling is now listed as deceased after suffering a foreleg fracture on a VIC track in 2023