The Racing Integrity Board’s (RIB) damning reports, released today by Racing Minister Kieran McAnulty, show the greyhound racing industry can’t continue.
Two reports, delivered to the Minister in December 2022 and March 2023, highlight increasing injury rates, an unsustainable rehoming system, and slow responses to track safety concerns, and states, “many of the concerns are as relevant today as they were 10 years ago”.
SAFE Campaign Manager Anna de Roo says the reports are more evidence supporting a total ban.
“Greyhounds are suffering on the tracks, in kennels, and even in rehoming centres,” says de Roo
“Injury rates are still a significant problem and trending upwards. And the waitlist for rehoming is increasing while adoptions have plateaued, proving that the industry’s rehoming programme is not the silver bullet they think it is.”
Over 37,000 people signed a petition and over 15,000 people have emailed the Minister, calling for a ban on greyhound racing. In a recent independent poll, 74% of New Zealanders said they would vote to ban greyhound racing.
When news emerged that a decision on the future of greyhound racing would be delayed until after the General Election, thousands of New Zealanders emailed the Minister within hours, caliing for the decision to be bought forward.
“The RIB’s reports have delivered a blueprint for how the Government would phase out greyhound racing. The Government now just needs to crack on and ban it. Greyhounds cannot wait until after the election.”
I had a summer job at a greyhound kennels when I was a kid, well cared for as runners soon as they were worn out a swift injection