New Zealand Government Plans Greyhound Racing Ban By 2026

[Wandering Eyes]

High injury rates in racing greyhounds sees a proposed ban on the sport introduced by the New Zealand government on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

“While fewer dogs are dying, injury rates, while down slightly, have plateaued and remain unacceptably high,” Minister for Racing Winston Peters said in a statement.

The plan is for the sport to be ended gradually over a 20-month period. An advisory committee has been appointed to re-home an estimated 2,900 racing dogs, according to Peters. A bill was introduced by the government, with the support of the opposition Labour party, to prevent the unnecessary killing of racing dogs. Further legislation is on the table next year to make changes to the existing laws to outlaw greyhound racing.

“We are extremely disappointed that the government has not recognised the work the industry has done to address areas of concern–to the extent that it now leads the wider racing industry with its commitment to animal welfare,” said Greyhound Racing New Zealand chairman Sean Hannan in a statement. “We are extremely concerned for the future of the industry's greyhounds, which may no longer be a breed seen in New Zealand.”

There are currently only five countries where greyhound racing is still allowed: the U.S., Australia, Britain, Ireland and New Zealand. However, greyhound racing is only 8.5% of the NZ$1.3 billion (€716,323,174) racing industry with just over 1,000 full-time jobs.

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