Animal rights activists have reignited their calls for New Zealand’s Government to fully ban greyhound racing after one of the racing greyhounds died after suffering severe injuries on the track.
New Zealand’s animal rights organisation Save Animals From Exploitation (SAFE) has urgently addressed the Government to suspend the sport after the recent death of Meg’s Munch. The greyhound suffered four broken bones after it fell during a race that took place at south Auckland’s Manukau Velodrome on December 29th, 2022.
According to a vet report, the dog suffered “catastrophic” injuries, so it was euthanised. The report confirmed that the dog had two broken legs, with one of them being broken in three places, while the other had an extremely severe break that saw the bone stick out from the skin.
The incident fuelled a new wave of enragement among the animal rights activists, with the organisation’s campaign manager Anna De Roo saying that greyhounds must no longer become subject to painful and life-threatening injuries for gambling profits only. Ms De Roo also revealed there had been more than 30 greyhound injuries on dog-racing tracks across the country since December 29th and called for the competent authorities to once and for all suspend “the social licence” of this industry that has put animal welfare in danger.
Another vet report showed that three greyhounds suffered injuries in a race that took place on January 8th.
Greyhound Racing Industry’s Fate to Be Decided by Racing Minister McAnulty
For the time being, greyhound racing remains legal in only seven countries across the world – the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, the US, Vietnam and Mexico.
As revealed by Ms De Roo, 40% of the dogs suffered some type of injury or trauma during the last racing season, and the sport was under scrutiny. She said that it was high time for this barbaric sport to be ended, as dogs are being hurt for gambling profits.
Edward Rennel, chief executive officer of Greyhound Racing New Zealand, shared that the group was “saddened” by the tragic incident with Meg’s Munch on December 29th and the dog’s consequent death. He, however, claims that the group has been making continual improvements in order to make sure the racing tracks are safe, with the number of deaths and euthanasias in race days being reduced in the last few years. Mr Rennel shared that Meg’s Munch became the first fatality as a result of a race-day injury at the Manukau Velodrome for more than a year and a half, since May 2021.
Back in 2021, the then-racing minister Grant Robertson put the industry on notice due to animal safety issues. In November, an Australasian track expert was appointed to oversee all greyhound racing tracks across New Zealand to guarantee their safety is improved.
Greyhound Racing New Zealand’s CEO revealed that new rules are set to come into effect in February. They would require dogs returning from extended breaks to experience a satisfactory trial before they are brought back on the racing track. Additional restrictions on the frequency of racing are also set to be adopted. The rule changes are expected to help the reduction of dogs’ injuries on race days.
The fate of the greyhound racing industry is expected to be considered by the current racing minister, Kieran McAnulty, after he received the Racing Integrity Board’s report on the sector in December 2022.
- Author
Daniel Williams
