Animal rights organisation SAFE is ringing in the new year with an urgent call for the Government to ban greyhound racing, after yet another dog suffered injuries severe enough to result in her death.
The greyhound, Megan’s Munch, sustained four broken bones after a fall at the Auckland tracks on December 29. Suffering what the vet report described as ‘catastrophic injuries’, she has since been euthanized.
SAFE Campaigns Manager Anna de Roo said the report made for stomach churning reading.
“Two broken legs, one leg broken in three places the other leg with a break so severe the bone protruded from the skin. This can’t go on.”
“We can’t keep subjecting greyhounds to painful and life-threatening injuries for gambling profits – the public won’t stand for it,” de Roo said.
In the short time since December 29, there have been 33 injuries on New Zealand dog racing tracks.
On January 8 alone, one greyhound endured a venous hemorrhage after a laceration ripped open a vein, another suffered a dislocated toe and metatarsal injury needing surgery, and a third greyhound required sutures.
“The social licence of this industry has been called into question time and time again. If New Zealand wants to be taken seriously as a world leader in animal welfare, action must be taken immediately.”
“We are already falling behind, with only seven countries in the world allowing this barbaric ‘sport’ to continue,” said de Roo.
The Racing Minister, Kieran McAnulty, will be considering the fate of the industry after receiving the Racing Integrity Board’s report on greyhound racing last month.
