ALMOST 6,000 RACING greyhounds born in Ireland in 2021 and 2022 have died after leaving the sport, according to figures released by Greyhound Racing Ireland (GRI), prompting renewed calls for greater scrutiny of the industry.

Data provided to Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman through a parliamentary question shows that 5,960 greyhounds born across the two years have been recorded as deceased after becoming inactive on the racing circuit and remaining in Ireland.

The figures indicate that 9,425 greyhounds born in 2021 and 2022 were no longer racing but had not been exported abroad. Of these, 5,960 (or 63%) were reported dead.

The dogs were aged between three-and-a-half and five-and-a-half years old.

The typical lifespan of a racing greyhound is around 10 to 14 years.

Among greyhounds born in 2022, the mortality rate was even higher. Of the 3,593 dogs that remained in Ireland and were no longer racing, 2,660 had died by 1 January this year, representing 74% of the cohort.

For dogs born in 2021, 3,300 deaths were recorded among 5,832 inactive greyhounds still resident in Ireland as of 1 April, a mortality rate of 57%.

The figures also show the scale of the industry’s breeding programme. A total of 11,618 greyhounds were born in 2021, while 10,845 dogs from the 2022 cohort were being tracked by officials after accounting for puppy mortality and animals never microchipped.

Of the 2021 cohort, more than 5,300 dogs were exported overseas after leaving racing, while 1,515 were rehomed through charities. A further 530 were retained for breeding and 446 kept as pets.

Among the 2022 cohort, 4,575 greyhounds were exported overseas and 696 were rehomed through charities. Just 102 were recorded as being retained as pets.

O’Gorman said the figures raised serious questions about the welfare of dogs once they leave racing.

“The increase in the number of deaths of dogs in the greyhound sector needs to be examined. Why and how did these animals meet their deaths?” O’Gorman said.

“If such a large number of dogs who race die before their fifth birthdays, can we truly say that greyhound racing is ethical? The State should not be funding this industry, and instead funding should be given to transitioning these dogs to loving homes where they can live out their lives.”

O’Gorman added that there is “nowhere near a majority” in the Dáil “to make changes to the status quo”.

The greyhound racing industry in Ireland receives €19.82 million annually in State funding.

This allocation is part of the combined annual State subvention distributed through the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund, which is split on an 80:20 ratio between the horse and greyhound racing sectors.

“When we have the three largest parties; Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin, unmoving on this issue, it’s hard to see any progress on this issue in the short or even medium term,” O’Gorman said.

Animal welfare campaign group Greyhound Action Ireland said the figures suggested little had changed since the 2019 RTÉ Investigates documentary Running for Their Lives, which had highlighted the killing of unwanted racing greyhounds.

The group said the industry’s traceability system, introduced in the wake of the programme, had demonstrated that “thousands of young dogs are still being killed every year”.

Greyhound Action Ireland also pointed to separate figures showing that 400 greyhounds died while racing in 2024 and 2025, with a further 17 dogs killed while trialling.

The organisation has renewed its call for Exchequer funding for greyhound racing to be phased out over the coming years.

“The Irish state is, essentially, sponsoring the killing of dogs on an industrial scale,” Nuala Donlon, spokesperson for Greyhound Action Ireland, said.

“This would not be tolerated were it happening to any other breed of dog. It should not be tolerated in the case of greyhounds.”

Greyhound Racing Ireland has been contacted for comment.