A ban on greyhound racing will come into force "as soon as practicably possible", a Welsh government minister has said.
Huw Irranca-Davies, the deputy First Minister, made the announcement in the Senedd in Cardiff Bay on Tuesday.
Once in place, Wales will be the first part of the UK to implement a ban on the sport.
However, no date for implementation has been announced, with the minister saying there was work to do to avoid unintended consequences.
Greyhound racing has come under heavy criticism in recent years, with the RSPCA saying it leads to hundreds of dog deaths and thousands of injuries each year in the UK.
Mr Irranca-Davies said: "I believe that now is the right time to move to ban greyhound racing in Wales.
"We are proud to be the first nation in the UK to do this.
"I want a ban to come into force as soon as practicably possible. There will be work to do in ensuring the dogs, their owners and those involved in the industry around the racetrack, can wind down from this activity while still protecting the welfare of dogs currently within the industry, the local community and the local economy."
The push to ban greyhound racing has seen cross-party support and comes after a petition against the sport attracted 35,000 signatures.
Wales has one independent greyhound track at the Valley Greyhound Stadium in Ystrad Mynach.
Last December the New Zealand government proposed banning greyhound racing from 2026, saying the percentage of dogs injured in races remained significantly high
Greyhound racing in Ireland receives €19.8 million in state funding each year. There are 17 greyhound racing tracks, and the industry is estimated to employ 4,000 people.
