Racing Industry Facts
The Truth About Greyhound Racing
Behind the spectacle is a system built on confinement, injury, and disposability. These are not opinions — they are documented facts.
An Industry in Decline — But Not Gone
Greyhound racing was once a mainstream American pastime. At its peak in the 1990s, there were over 60 tracks operating across the United States. Today, that number has fallen to just a handful — but the suffering hasn't ended. The dogs still racing today face the same conditions, the same risks, and the same fate as those who raced decades ago.
The decline of the industry has not been driven by reform from within. It has been driven by public awareness, ballot initiatives, and the tireless work of advocates who refused to let the cruelty remain invisible. Every state that has banned racing did so because people learned the truth and demanded change.
By the Numbers
The Scale of the Problem
Racing injuries documented in the U.S. since 2008
Source: Grey2K USA Worldwide
Greyhounds die at U.S. tracks every year
Source: National Greyhound Association records
Average time per day greyhounds spend confined to crates
Source: Industry kennel standards
States that have banned commercial greyhound racing
Source: Grey2K USA Worldwide, 2024
States where commercial greyhound racing still operates
Source: West Virginia and Iowa
Estimated revenue generated by the industry at its peak
Source: American Greyhound Council
Life on the Track
What Racing Greyhounds Actually Experience
Confinement
Racing greyhounds are typically housed in stacked metal crates, often measuring just 3 feet by 4 feet. They may spend 20 or more hours per day confined, with limited socialization, enrichment, or human contact.
Injury
Documented injuries include broken legs, torn muscles, cardiac arrest, and spinal cord damage. Many injuries go unreported. In states with mandatory reporting, injury rates have been found to be far higher than the industry acknowledges.
Drugs
Greyhounds have been found to test positive for cocaine, novocaine, and anabolic steroids. Doping is used to enhance performance or mask pain, putting dogs at further risk.
Overbreeding
The industry breeds far more dogs than it needs. Puppies who don't show racing potential are often killed or abandoned. Those who do race face an uncertain future when their speed declines.
Disappearance
Thousands of greyhounds are unaccounted for each year. Some are adopted, but many are sold to research facilities, exported to countries with fewer protections, or simply killed.
Psychological harm
Greyhounds raised in racing kennels often show signs of severe behavioral deprivation — fearfulness, inability to navigate stairs, unfamiliarity with basic household objects like windows and television.
A History of Harm
How We Got Here — and Where We're Going
First commercial greyhound racing track opens in Emeryville, California, using the mechanical lure.
Industry peaks with over 60 tracks operating across 19 states. Annual handle exceeds $3.5 billion.
Grey2K USA begins systematic documentation of racing injuries, creating the first public injury database.
Massachusetts voters pass Question 3, banning greyhound racing by a 56% majority — a landmark moment for the movement.
Florida voters pass Amendment 13 with 69% support, banning racing in the state that hosted the most tracks in the country.
Florida's ban takes full effect. Dozens of tracks close. Thousands of greyhounds enter the adoption pipeline.
Racing continues in West Virginia and Iowa. Advocates push for federal legislation and continued state-level bans.
The movement continues. Every voice, every vote, and every adoption brings us closer to the end of greyhound racing in America.
Sources & Further Reading
The leading greyhound protection organization, with the most comprehensive injury and death database in existence.
Policy position and fact sheet on commercial greyhound racing from the ASPCA.
Overview of greyhound racing facts and the HSUS position on the industry.
One of the oldest and largest greyhound adoption organizations in the country.
Knowing Is Not Enough.
The facts are clear. The suffering is real. What happens next depends on how many people are willing to say so out loud.