Jack Anderson: For Ireland's greyhound industry, no publicity is good publicity

The reasons for the decline and fall of the sport in the US and UK contains lessons for the sport’s survival in its other retaining jurisdictions, including Ireland

2024 Boylesports Irish Greyhound Derby, Shelbourne Park, Dublin 23/11/2024 A general view of the action Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Nick Elliott

2024 was not a good year for the sport of greyhound racing. At the beginning of the year, there were six countries where commercial greyhound racing remained legal and active – Mexico, US, UK, New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland. That number fell when the sole, remaining track in Mexico closed in July. In the surviving five, the sport is facing significant challenges.

First up, the US: to say that greyhound racing exists in the States, is a bit of a geographical exaggeration. There are just two remaining tracks, both in West Viriginia and both heavily subsidised by adjacent casinos and state lottery funding. In 2017, only the exercise of veto powers by the then Governor (now US Senator) Jim Justice – he of Babydog fame – saved the sport in that state. At the federal level, an amendment to animal welfare laws was introduced in the US Congress in 2023. If passed it would have seen the sport proscribed nationwide but, despite some initial momentum, the Bill subsequently fell away as the US entered another election cycle.