Key Takeaways:
- The NSW government has rejected a recommendation to suspend greyhound racing if new track standards are not met by the end of the year.
- Retired NSW greyhounds will continue to be rehomed overseas, despite an independent review finding the practice is "distressing and sometimes fatal".
- The government will require heightened oversight of the industry, but has not committed to key recommendations, including a cap on greyhound births and a new statutory industry inspector.
- The review found that six greyhounds have died during transport or preparation to travel to the US under a rehoming program, and that many greyhounds are spending long periods in kennelling.
- The government has announced plans to demolish and redevelop the site of the greyhound racing track at Wentworth Park in Glebe into green space.
Introduction to the Greyhound Racing Industry Review
The New South Wales government has released a report on the greyhound racing industry, which has been the subject of controversy in recent years. The report, led by Lea Drake, was prompted by a warning from a Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) employee that the industry had become an "unsustainable morass of exploitation and suffering". The report makes several recommendations, including an end to the practice of rehoming retired greyhounds overseas, which has been found to be "distressing and sometimes fatal" for the dogs.
The Practice of Rehoming Greyhounds Overseas
The report found that six greyhounds have died either in transport or during preparation to travel to the United States under a rehoming program opened in 2023. Three of the dogs were found dead in their crates upon arrival in the US, with the inquiry hearing evidence that their deaths had been caused by stress or heat exposure during long-haul flights. Another dog was euthanised at Sydney airport after being found with a spine fracture after an escape from a transport van. Despite these findings, the government has only required GRNSW to prioritise domestic rehoming programs "where possible" under a new operating licence to be granted next year.
Government Response to the Review
The government has rejected a recommendation to suspend the sport if GRNSW fails to determine new race track standards by the end of the year. The minister for racing, David Harris, said that oversight of greyhounds sent overseas would be an "operational issue" for GRNSW. The chief executive of GRNSW, Steve Griffin, said that the government had "got the response correct" and that the dogs that died during the US rehoming program represented just 0.4% of the 1,400 animals rehomed under the scheme. However, the report noted that this was still 10 times higher than GRNSW’s target for fatal injuries during races.
Industry Regulation and Oversight
The report found that GRNSW had failed to bring racetracks up to the standards it set, and that no NSW race track has ever complied with the state’s minimum standards since GRNSW set them in 2020. The report recommended new track standards be set by the end of this year and implemented by the end of 2026, calling for the suspension of the sport if either of these deadlines is not achieved. The government has not committed to this suspension timeline, saying it will continue to work with the industry.
Welfare Concerns and Recommendations
The report also raised concerns about the welfare of greyhounds, including the fact that many are spending long periods in kennelling, and that poor tracking of retired dogs may have not identified cases where people adopted but then euthanised greyhounds. The report recommended much greater oversight by regulator GWIC and giving it "full responsibility" for welfare issues contained in the review. However, the government has not committed to another recommendation of the review – a new statutory greyhound racing industry inspector to oversee both GRNSW and regulator Greyhound Welfare & Integrity Commission (GWIC).
Future of Greyhound Racing in NSW
The government has announced plans to demolish and redevelop the site of the greyhound racing track at Wentworth Park in Glebe into green space, which could see greyhound racing relegated to regional NSW. However, the premier, Chris Minns, said that the government wanted to "keep the industry going". This decision comes as other states, such as Tasmania, are considering banning the sport. The Victorian government has said it has no plans to end greyhound racing, despite an independent analysis finding that the move could save the state almost $500m over 10 years.