Greyhound racing to be banned in New Zealand
New Zealand has announced that it plans to ban greyhound racing. The move comes amid an “unacceptably high” rate of injuries. The sport has been criticised in the country. Breeders have come under scrutiny due to allegations of mistreatment and doping the dogs.
The government hopes to phase the industry out over the next 20 months, giving time for the dogs to be rehomed and those in the greyhound racing industry to transition to employment elsewhere.
Australia, the UK, the US, and the Republic of Ireland all allow commercial greyhound racing.
“Despite significant progress made by the greyhound racing industry in recent years, the percentage of dogs being injured remains persistently high and the time has come to make a call in the best interest of the animals,” Racing Minister and deputy prime minister Winston Peters said in a statement on Tuesday. “This is not a decision that is taken lightly but is ultimately driven by protecting the welfare of racing dogs.”
The government of New Zealand introduced a bill to prevent the unnecessary killing of racing greyhounds which “will be passed under urgency,” according to Peters.
Other legislation to bring about the end of greyhound racing will be tabled, Peters said.
The industry has seen three reviews in the past decades, with significant changes recommended from all three. In 2021, 232 greyhounds died and 900 were injured, local media reports said.
The industry was “on notice” in September 2021 but injuries and deaths did not come to an end. Safe, an animal rights group, recorded over 2,500 and almost 30 deaths over the following two and a half years.
Now, the important task is to rehome the around 2,900 racing dogs in New Zealand.
While animal rights groups have hailed the decision, Greyhound Racing New Zealand, an industry association, said that it was “devastated” by the proposal.
“The greyhound racing community is left reeling from the announcement, with many voicing concerns over the potential cultural and economic void this decision will create,” its chairman Sean Hannan said. “The government’s decision to close the industry is profoundly disappointing, as it overlooks the meaningful progress we have achieved.”
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