Racing Ministry Grant Robertson has put the greyhound racing industry formally on notice following the release of a damning review of the industry.
The review, which was commissioned in April 2021 and completed by Sir Bruce Robertson, shows the industry has made little improvement since the Hansen report in 2016.
SAFE spokesperson Will Appelbe said they’re pleased with the Minister’s response, but until there is a total ban dogs will continue to suffer.
“We’re not surprised by the findings. They confirm what we’ve been saying all along,” said Appelbe. “This is a good first step, but anything other than a total ban on greyhound racing continues to put dogs at risk.”
“The industry has been given countless opportunities to clean up their act, but hundreds of dogs are still being injured and killed every year.”
“What’s worrying is the lengths that Greyhound Racing New Zealand will go to obfuscate information.”
The review states that 923 dogs had been euthanised since 2017. Fifty-seven of those were for aggression, 119 for illness, and 285 for accidents and injury. For the remaining 462 dogs, no reason was given for euthanasia.
“It is completely unacceptable that the industry cannot provide a rationale for nearly half of the dogs euthanised since 2017.”
“It’s good to see that the Government is taking this seriously and has put the greyhound racing industry on notice. But dogs will continue to suffer until greyhound racing is banned.”
