- Racing Minister Winston Peters has announced greyhound racing will be banned in New Zealand
- The decision was made to protect the welfare of the dogs, Peters said
- Legislation will be passed with urgency to stop unnecessary killing of racing dogs
- The industry had been on notice over animal welfare concerns for a number of years
The government will end greyhound racing in New Zealand, Racing Minister Winston Peters has announced.
The decision has been made to protect the welfare of the racing dogs, Peters said.
Legislation will be passed under urgency on Tuesday to prevent any unnecessary killing of racing dogs as the result of the announcement.
"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," he said.
The industry had been on notice over animal welfare concerns for several years, Peters said, and three reviews into the industry over the past decade all recommended significant changes.
"While fewer dogs are dying, injury rates, while down slightly, have plateaued and remain unacceptably high."
Photo: 123rf
Peters said members of the industry were learning about the decision at the same time as the public, as he wanted to make sure the dogs were re-homed properly.
Stopping greyhound racing was "the right thing to do", Peters said, and it wasn't a matter of how he felt about it.
A committee has been set up to help manage a 20-month transition - including rehoming the roughly 2900 racing greyhounds in the country.
Peters described the dogs as "superbly good pets ... and clean".
"Keeping unwanted dogs safe is a priority. The government is working with animal welfare organisations to establish programmes to support rehoming," Peters said.
Homes would be found for the dogs, Peters said, and they would not be sent to race overseas.
Appearing before a select committee in June, Peters said he was considering changes but also declared "dogs love racing" and encouraged his fellow MPs to "watch them in the wild".
During a televised leaders' debate before last year's election, National leader Christopher Luxon expressed support for a ban on greyhound racing,
After becoming prime minister, Luxon told reporters he maintained that position, but said the matter was now one for Peters to consider.
Animal activists have long called for action after numerous reviews of the sport sounded alarm about animal welfare practices.
In 2021, former sports minister Grant Robertson put the industry "formally on notice" after a report found the industry had failed to adequately improve animal welfare systems.
In May last year, then-racing minister Kieran McAnulty declared that the status quo was no longer viable: "We are faced with two options: continue under strict conditions or closure."
McAnulty, however, did not take any action before the election. He said he had been delayed due to his other responsibilities as cyclone recovery minister following a series of severe weather events.
Industry responds
Greyhound Racing New Zealand chief executive Edward Rennell said the organisation was devastated by the news.
"We believe that greyhound racing as an industry has taken huge, huge strides over the last two years and is leading the way in the racing industry from an animal welfare perspective, so the decision today is clearly very disappointing."
The injury rate was in line with international benchmarks and was lower than the Australian average, and the rate of euthanasia on race days was lower than the horse racing industry, Rennell said.
His organisation had been providing quarterly reports to the minister and had requested a meeting to discuss the future of the industry.
"But we haven't had that."
The law being passed under urgency was redundant, Rennell said.
"We have a euthanasia policy where individuals can't euthanise the dog unless it's for genuine welfare reasons, so the legislation is unnecessary for licensed people."
Rennell said he was concerned for the 1000 people whose livelihoods depended on the industry.
Animal rights organisation relieved
SAFE campaign manager Emma Brodie said she was "incredibly relieved" by Tuesday's announcement.
"This marks an end of an era of exploitation and a monumental win for animal rights in Aotearoa," she said.
"We think this decision to phase out greyhound racing reflects a growing recognition that New Zealanders won't stand for cruelty disguised as entertainment."
This year SAFE, the SPCA and HUHA (Helping You Help Animals) put out a joint rehoming offer, and that was still on the table, she said.
The organisations wanted to work with the government to rehome and rehabilitate former racing dogs.
But Greyhound Racing New Zealand recently put out a rehoming policy prohibiting trainers from releasing greyhounds to animal shelters and rescue organisations.
"So we're not sure how realistic it will be that we will be able to assist, but we are here and we are ready to help where we can," said Brodie.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.