High risk. Serious injury.
The gamble on greyhound racing is over.
It is our belief that animals should be protected from industries and individuals who would seek to put them at risk and do them harm. Greyhound racing is inhumane and at odds with current day expectations of how we treat animals.
Now with greyhound racing at its end in Aotearoa New Zealand , our work as responsible dog lovers, as dedicated guardians to this magnificent breed, matters more than ever.
Greyhound racing in Aotearoa.
8,000 BC
First recorded mention of greyhound-like hounds
Revered as dogs for royalty, and “bed warmers”
1912
US invention of the mechanical hare (the start of modern greyhound racing and gambling)
1954
The New Zealand Greyhound Racing Association is formed, following the ban on Hare Coursing
2013
WHK Independant Welfare Review finds high euthanasia rates and a lack of transparency to be “not sustainable”
2017
Hansen Review finds:
that 77% of trainers had had a healthy greyhound euthanised
that 1,447 greyhounds were reported as euthanised over the 2013/14 – 2016/17 seasons
notes evidence “suggesting the true figure is much higher”, with 1,271 dogs unaccounted for
2020
Greyhound Racing New Zealand (GRNZ) stops reporting progress, self-declaring all recommendations successfully implemented, and stops reporting progress to the government
GRNZ starts to exclude the SPCA from their welfare committee
April 2021
Robertson Review finds:
changes to improve animal welfare have occurred, but that GRNZ has unnecessarily obfuscated information
that after “ten years and a further two reports” ... “fundamental issues within the industry remain the same”
Aug 2021
38,631 people sign a petition to ban commercial greyhound racing in Aotearoa New Zealand
Sep 2021
The government formally puts the racing industry on notice
“I want to be clear today – the greyhound racing industry is on notice: either make the improvements needed or risk closure” – Grant Robertson, NZ Racing Minister
May 2022
Newshub reports that the Racing Industry Board had issued improvement notices to “almost all” the kennels it had visited since its inception, between 200 and 300 notices
Oct 2022
Camorra Research Ltd review finds that only 9% of kiwis believe that racing greyhounds have a good life, and 74.8% would vote to ban greyhound racing
Dec 2022
Racing Integrity Board Review finds:
improvement in ten out of fifteen areas, concluding that progress is mixed and has not always met the RIB's expectations
Uncovered 174 euthanasias at a single kennel belonging to 'Trainer X', in the 2020/21 – 2021/22 seasons
Dec 2024
Winston Peters, NZ Minister for Racing, announces that greyhound racing is to be banned in New Zealand, stating “The time has come to do the right thing”
The sport is to be phased out over 20 months to allow time to rehome an estimated 2,900 greyhounds
Legislation is passed under urgency to prevent the unnecessary killing of racing dogs as the result of the announcement
Aug 2026
Expected date for commercial greyhound racing to cease in Aotearoa New Zealand
Sources:
WHK Welfare Review (2013)
NZRB Welfare Report (2017)
Robertson Review (2021)
RIB Review (2022)
RIB Review Supplementary Report (2023)
Wikipedia (retrieved 11th march 2025)
The issue is simple.
The welfare cost of greyhound racing is too high.
New Zealand’s greyhound racing industry proved that, despite best efforts and intentions, dogs will suffer, die and languish in kennels before they get a chance to live a dog’s life.
Despite years of warnings, the greyhound racing industry increased the number of dogs needing homes. Even when industry rehoming systems were at their best, waiting lists for forever homes were long.
Aotearoa New Zealand needs to stand strong for greyhounds and ensure their well-being and protection is ensured.
We must make sure the greyhounds don’t become even greater victims of peoples poor short-term decisionmaking. Those who benefited from these animals owe it to them to give them the best chance they can to make it out of racing alive, and the government needs to follow through on its commitment to rehome every dog.