Key Takeaways
- New Zealand will ban greyhound racing from 1 August 2024, citing persistent animal‑welfare concerns.
- Up to 70 greyhounds are slated to be flown from Christchurch to Queensland before the ban takes effect.
- Critics argue the export is an attempt to sidestep New Zealand’s ban and continue racing the dogs in Australia.
- New Zealand has established a Greyhound Transition Agency to help owners rehome dogs and retrain industry workers.
- Australian authorities can import the greyhounds as “companion animals” but have no legal power to control how they are used after arrival.
- Australia already faces a greyhound rehoming crisis, with thousands of track injuries and dozens of deaths reported each year.
Overview of the Ban
New Zealand announced in 2024 that greyhound racing would be prohibited nationwide starting 1 August 2024. The decision followed a series of reviews over the past decade that highlighted ongoing safety and welfare problems, despite some improvements made by the industry. Officials stated that the persistently high injury rate among racing dogs left no evidence that further progress could be achieved, prompting a wind‑down of the sport. The ban reflects growing public concern over animal welfare and aligns New Zealand with several Australian jurisdictions that have already restricted or eliminated greyhound racing.
Planned Export to Queensland
Ahead of the August 1 deadline, industry sources indicate that up to 70 greyhounds are expected to be transported from Christchurch to Queensland on a charter flight scheduled for July. The move surfaced during a Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee hearing, where a leaked message from a private greyhound racing group revealed the plan. The message explicitly asked participants to keep the information confidential, suggesting an awareness that the export could be contentious.
Concerns About Bypassing the Ban
Senator Mehreen Faruqi of the New South Wales Greens warned that the export appears to be a deliberate effort to avoid New Zealand’s newly created Greyhound Transition Agency. She expressed fear that the dogs, once in Australia, would continue to be raced, injured, or killed, shifting the burden of rehoming onto Australian shelters and rescues. Faruqi noted that Australia is already grappling with a rehoming crisis, and importing more racing greyhounds would exacerbate the problem.
New Zealand’s Transition Agency
To mitigate the impact of the ban, New Zealand has established a Greyhound Transition Agency tasked with assisting owners in rehoming their dogs and providing retraining and deployment support for workers displaced by the industry’s closure. A spokesperson for Deputy Prime Minister and Racing Minister Winston Peters told ABC News that the agency will help facilitate adoptions, offer behavioural rehabilitation, and connect former industry employees with alternative livelihoods. The agency’s creation underscores the government’s commitment to managing the transition responsibly rather than abandoning the animals.
Senate Hearing Revelations
During the Senate hearing, Brant Smith, a senior biosecurity executive with Australia’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, confirmed that the incoming greyhounds would be processed under standard “companion animal” import protocols. He explained that while the government ensures biosecurity compliance at the border, it lacks authority to dictate how the animals are used after they enter the country. Smith noted that a similar consignment of approximately 80 greyhounds arrived in April 2023 under the same conditions, indicating that such transfers are not unprecedented.
Biosecurity and Import Procedures
Smith emphasized that the Department’s role ends once the dogs pass biosecurity checks; thereafter, the animals are treated like any other imported companion animal. Consequently, if the new owners choose to race the greyhounds, the Australian government cannot intervene legally. This regulatory gap has sparked criticism from animal‑welfare groups, who argue that the loophole enables the continuation of a practice deemed inhumane in New Zealand.
Historical Context of Greyhound Imports
The April 2023 shipment, which brought roughly 80 greyhounds into Australia, set a precedent for the current planned flight. Those dogs were also imported as companion animals and subsequently entered various pathways, including adoption, breeding, and, in some cases, racing. The recurrence of such transfers highlights a ongoing flow of greyhounds across the Tasman Sea, driven by differing regulatory environments and market demand for racing stock.
Animal Welfare Statistics in Australia
According to Australia’s Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds, the country has recorded 27 track‑related deaths and more than 4 000 injuries so far this year. A significant portion of these incidents has occurred at Queensland’s new venue, The Q, west of Brisbane, which critics describe as one of the nation’s most unsafe tracks. These figures underscore the existing welfare challenges within Australian greyhound racing and raise concerns about the fate of any additional dogs imported from New Zealand.
Conclusion and Implications
The impending ban on greyhound racing in New Zealand represents a significant shift toward stronger animal‑welfare protections, but the planned export of up to 70 greyhounds to Queensland reveals a potential loophole that could undermine those intentions. While New Zealand’s Transition Agency aims to secure safe homes and new livelihoods for affected dogs and workers, Australian authorities lack the power to prevent the imported greyhounds from being redirected back into racing. The situation highlights the need for greater international cooperation and possibly harmonized regulations to prevent the simple relocation of welfare‑problematic practices across borders. Without such measures, the dogs intended for retirement may instead face continued risk of injury and death on Australian tracks.