According to Jeroen van Kernebeek, despite the fact that Australian racetracks are harsh, dangerous, and rife with animal abuse, state governments continue to publicly support the greyhound racing industry.
The main event of the greyhound racing industry, the (MDC) Million Dollar Chase, couldn’t avoid the issues with animal welfare that plagued its industry THIS YEAR.
Prior to the event, a sizable crowd of supporters for greyhound welfare staged a protest, denouncing the racing industry for its risky racetracks, the crisis surrounding the rehoming of greyhounds, and allegations of live baiting and drug use.
The MDC, billed as the richest greyhound race in the world, will take place on September 24 at Sydney’s Wentworth Park racetrack.
Four greyhounds died on NSW tracks in the week leading up to the MDC, and three more on the day the head of Greyhound Racing NSW referred to dog racing as a “wholesome sport,” marring the event’s preparations.
The day after the MDC, another greyhound was killed on a NSW track.
The Million Dollar Chase embodies all that is wrong with modern-day greyhound racing. Tracks are dangerous and killing dogs, funds for animal welfare are being diverted, and the NSW government is giving taxpayer money to the dog-killing industry.
According to stewards’ reports that are readily accessible, 121 greyhounds have died nationwide and 41 have died racing on NSW racetracks in 2022. More than 7,400 dogs have been injured on Australian tracks. Averaging three greyhound racing fatalities per week and 27 injuries daily
NSW Minister for Hospitality and Racing Kevin Anderson stated the following in a press release promoting the big chase:
18 NSW racetracks participated in the MDC qualifying events, according to Anderson. He neglects to mention that 7,300 greyhounds have been injured and 124 dogs have died at these tracks in the past three years, totaling 37 dog deaths in 2022.
The greyhound racing industry can award a $1 million prize and provide an additional $1 million to a lucky fan on the night, but it is unable to save the life of a dog with a broken leg.
On Australian racetracks this year, 92 greyhounds with leg injuries were put to death. A million dollars would have paid for their treatment. The racing industry’s priorities are all wrong. Prizes and profits are prioritised over animal welfare.
Given that the industry breeds six times as many dogs as there are available homes, a million dollars would go a long way toward resolving the current crisis of greyhound rehoming. Most greyhounds must be rehomed by private and neighborhood greyhound rehomers, who are underfunded.
Ongoing animal cruelty continues. While qualifying heats for the MDC were taking place, allegations of live baiting and the use of illegal substances rocked the greyhound racing industry. The racing industry will continue to deny that live baiting occurs, but this year a NSW trainer was permanently disqualified. Rural properties are challenging to monitor in terms of this illicit activity
The practice of surgical artificial insemination, a method of breeding, results in additional pain for greyhounds. This year, NSW Minister for Agriculture Dugald Saunders overturned a proposed ban on the practice, which is prohibited abroad because it involves the mutilation of the female dog.
The difficult lives of racing greyhounds are revealed by examination of stewards’ reports. The Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds (CPG) has been monitoring the number of times dogs race in Victoria, where officials frequently express concern about this issue but never take any action.
Nine greyhounds have collapsed and passed away this year, according to CPG, and many of them had a busy racing schedule.
Australian racetracks are brutal and dangerous for dogs. Greyhounds can race at speeds of up to 70 kph, and any stumble or fall can result in broken legs, which frequently results in euthanasia as earning potential is lost. The Lethal Tracks reports from CPG reveal how dangerous Australian racetracks are; the racing industry has not refuted this information.
The most deadly tracks are those with curves because the dogs crowd together and collide there. 71% of fatal accidents nationwide this year happened at track turns. Straight tracks kill fewer dogs, but they still kill.
While a collection of race videos from Wentworth Park revealed a startling number of incidents, mostly at the first turn, the MDC marketing video featured greyhounds in beautiful slow motion.
We’re lucky to see those s. Racing videos that depict dogs being injured on tracks are now routinely censored by greyhound industry bodies. They also decline to disclose which dogs are put to death at which racetracks or which injured dogs are put to death outside of racetracks. Autopsy reports are kept secret.
State governments continue to claim their support for the greyhound racing industry despite all the evidence of ongoing dog abuse, all this suffering, and all this lack of transparency. Only the ACT has banned dog racing in Australia.
Each year, the government invests millions of dollars in the greyhound racing sector. CPG attempts to track public funding, but the specifics are frequently ambiguous and complex. Anderson refused to say how much money he donated to dog racing in the most recent fiscal year during a discussion during Question Time in the Australian Parliament.
The NSW Government committed $30 million in the beginning of 2017 as part of a five-year program to upgrade racetrack welfare requirements. The racing minister won’t say which tracks don’t adhere to these minimum standards because only $11 million has been spent.
Track improvements have been used by state governments and the racing industry as a PR stunt to spread messages about bettering animal welfare and safeguard the industry’s future.
This new generation of “safe” racetracks allegedly uses the most recent “design innovations” and is influenced by engineers from the University of Technology Sydney.
In practice, however, dogs keep dying. Three new flagship tracks, in Angle Park, South Africa, Grafton, New South Wales, and Traralgon, Victoria, cost $13 in total. 6 million, the majority of which came from public funds, and are known to have killed at least 17 dogs.
The racing industry and its allies in government make every effort to downplay the abuses involved in dog racing and present them as a form of animal exploitation. The phrase “animal welfare,” which was nonexistent a few years ago, is now a key weapon in public relations, and it is the main mantra used by those with an interest in dog racing.
In order to spread the “good word,” Greyhound NSW has launched a campaign of paid articles. With uplifting articles and race results, other local and national conservative media show their support.
People who participate in racing often repeat phrases like “we love our dogs” or “greyhounds love to race” to reassure spectators.
They also write remarks that are more intimate, like this one that was sent to CPG following the Million Dollar Chase protest:
In reality, leaders in the greyhound racing industry frequently use this language.
We can anticipate more of this kind of communication, along with death threats, as public opinion against dog racing and industry scrutiny rises.
The first international director of GREY2K USA Worldwide was Jeroen van Kernebeek. He currently serves as the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds’ (CPG) director of strategy and campaigns.
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“Overwhelming evidence demonstrates endemic abuse, mistreatment and early deaths for dogs involved in racing, and it is very concerning to think this situation may continue.”
— Clover Moore, Vice Mayor of Sydney
When incidents occur which attract widespread public interest, there is often a huge upsurgence in concerns for animal welfare and calls for massive reform. Following the live baiting scandal, NSW declared a statewide greyhound racing ban in 2016 due to findings of a special commission of inquiry. The inquiry found “overwhelming evidence of systemic animal cruelty, including mass greyhound killings and live baiting”. Although this ban was sadly overturned, it is indicative of the scope and magnitude of the widespread concerns with regards to animal welfare and industry integrity.
A possum used as live bait to train greyhounds in Australia. Source: ABC
Australia included, there are only seven countries remaining with a legalised commercial greyhound racing industry, with the others being the United Kingdom, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, Vietnam, the United States of America and Mexico. Strong national and international advocacy efforts saw the only track in China, Macau Canidrome, shut permanently in 2018. Further, race tracks in the United States are closing at a rapid rate, with a parliamentary bill tabled to ban greyhound racing outright. Australia, sadly, is trailing behind international standards.
The ACT banned the industry outright in 2018, but currently there are no formal calls to ban greyhound racing anywhere else in Australia. With increased public scrutiny, welfare advocacy and lack of public support, there is hope that this vile industry will simply ‘run its course’ in the coming years.
Unfortunately, with Australia professing to have high animal welfare standards, it is a common misconception that this exploitative ‘sport’ is prohibited. Sadly, this couldnt be further from the truth. Greyhound racing receives financial support from all state governments and they commonly promote the industry as a financially viable industry that supports the economy, despite its reliance on tax-payer sourced funds to continue operating. Shockingly, greyhound racing is promoted as a ‘family friendly’ activity, exposing and desensitising the next generation to gambling and animal abuse.
The ban came about after Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay presented data to the Legislative Assembly during a government debate. The research analyzed the experiences of racing dogs in Canberra over a 12-month period. It found that over one-third of injured greyhounds “disappeared” from the sport, the ABC reported.
The Australian capital city of Canberra, ACT, has now formally outlawed greyhound racing. Concerns about animal welfare led to the legislation’s proposal last year, but it didn’t go into effect until this past Monday.
The dog was not likely to have died after the initial strike, according to the evidence presented during the investigation. As a result, the puppy would have gone through needless pain and suffering, according to Greyhound Racing NSW.
New South Wales was set to implement a similar band last year, however, the state backed out of the commitment. As an alternative, the NSW government is working toward more accurate tracking of greyhounds, stricter licences, tighter euthanasia laws, penalties for live baiting, and the implementation of a ban of keeping small animals that might be used as bait near the dogs. Further, a greyhound integrity commission is set to be established.
The statistics show a very real concern that the [Canberra Greyhound Racing Club] is not upholding its public promise to a 100% rehoming rate, according to Ramsay. ”.
FAQ
Where is greyhound racing banned in Aus?
The Australian capital city of Canberra, ACT, has now formally outlawed greyhound racing. Concerns about animal welfare led to the legislation’s proposal last year, but it didn’t go into effect until this past Monday.
Are there still greyhound races in Australia?
Only seven nations have a commercial greyhound racing industry in the world, but Australia’s is by far the largest. Although there are greyhound racing tracks throughout Australia, the majority of racing takes place in the eastern states. There are 55 active greyhound tracks in Australia.
Is there dog racing in Australia?
Greyhound racing in Australia is a sport and gambling activity. There are several nations with a greyhound racing industry, including Australia. The State Government is in charge of industry laws, but the Local Authority is in charge of laws pertaining to the care of greyhounds.
Are greyhound races still legal?
Today, only Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Texas, and West Virginia still permit greyhound racing and maintain active tracks. Although there are no active racetracks in four states, greyhound racing is still legal there. Those states are Wisconsin, Connecticut, Kansas, and Oregon.