Racing equipment
Greyhound Racing Muzzle
Preventing bites during a race
What it is
A lightweight basket muzzle is fitted over the dog's jaws before a race. It stops dogs biting each other while running in a tight pack, and helps officials tell the runners apart at the finish.
Where it sits in the system
Muzzles are standard kit in organised greyhound racing, worn for a limited period around the race itself. They remove a risk the racing format creates without altering the format.
Welfare concern
A correctly fitted muzzle worn briefly does little to the dog. A damaged or badly fitting muzzle, excessive time in it, heat, or anything that obstructs panting causes real harm.
Worth being precise about
The muzzle is not where the harm in greyhound racing sits. Track injuries, kennelling, transport, training methods and what becomes of the dogs afterwards are the substance of the case.
