Email The MPs

Dear Minister,

 

I am writing to you to raise my concerns and stand by many people who agree that Greyhound Racing should not be banned in New Zealand.

 

Greyhound racing in New Zealand is the most regulated animal industry. As it stands today greyhound racing has developed its animal welfare to a higher level of standard than any other racing code within New Zealand. Since the industry was first put on notice in 2021, GRNZ has strived to improve the welfare of the animals we so deeply love. In comparison to the 2017/2018 years euthanasia rates which many “Greyhound Racing activists” love to use, 102 dogs unfortunately were euthanized or suddenly passed away. Compared to the current rates of euthanasia, greyhound deaths are down by 87.25% due to the 2023/2024 racing season resulting in only 13 greyhound race day euthanisas/sudden deaths. How is that decrease alone not enough to prove the dedication that GRNZ has for the welfare of greyhounds?

 

Taken from the 2023/2024 annual report, Thoroughbred Racing had 26,010 starters with 20 deaths. In comparison, Greyhound Racing had a total of 36,063 starters with only 13 deaths (only 9 of which were euthanized due to on-track injuries). So thoroughbred racing had a much higher death rate percentage than greyhound racing last season.

 

How about what other precautionary measures GRNZ has put in place since 2021:

 

The rehabilitation to rehoming (RTR) program. This program is fully funded by GRNZ and allows every greyhound who unfortunately may suffer an on-track injury that needs surgery and rehabilitation the best chance to recover correctly, with all costs covered. 

 

The introduction of preferred box draw (PBD) races. These races ensure that all dogs are drawn inside of a racing field where they desire to be, allowing them to avoid collision out of the boxes, this has highly reduced the rate of injury. In the 2020/2021 racing season, there was a total of 900 veterinary exams that detected an injury. This was before PBD racing and before the 5-day mandatory stand-down rule post-race. This means all of these exams did indeed reveal an injury no matter how minor or major. 

Comparing those statistics to the 2023/2024 statistics there was a total of 485 minor stand-downs. However, the majority of these stand-downs fall under the mandatory 5-day stand-down under rule LR41A:

 

“Where a greyhound falls during a race or trial and the officiating veterinarian or authorised person upon examination of the greyhound finds no injury they shall impose a precautionary stand-down period of five days commencing on the day on which the greyhound falls in any race or trial conducted by a Club.”

 

This means that yes, if the dog receives a precautionary 5-day standown post fall they have not received any injury! Wouldn’t you rather GRNZ be cautious with their stand-downs? To me, that sounds like putting welfare first. Excluding those stand-downs there was a remaining 411 injuries which required an 11-day plus stand-down. So from 900 injuries down to 411? How is that not progress that proves greyhound racing has a place in New Zealand?

 

Only 6.57 greyhounds out of 1,000 starters received a major injury in the 2023/2024 racing season. Those injury rates are extremely low and I’m more than confident any other code of racing or other animal sports have higher injury rates. As seen above with the thoroughbred death rate.

 

Myself and many others do not believe that the SPCA nor any other “rescue groups” can commit to rehoming 3,000 greyhounds within the 20 months that you have provided GRNZ with to shut down. The Great Mates rehoming program and rehoming agencies work wonders around the year to get retired greyhounds into correct-fitting homes. Ironically, the agency with the highest euthanasia rate (SPCA) has been put forward to rehome 3,000 greyhounds. I for one do not want to see these beautiful greyhounds who love to race be put to sleep because the agency who can’t even rehome the dogs they have now decide that is their outcome. 

 

Within the rules of greyhound racing and under the greyhound rehoming policy, the policy reads:

That greyhounds must be “desexed (except where a veterinarian certifies after examining that greyhound, to the satisfaction of GRNZ, that being desexed would be detrimental to its welfare)”. This means only a licensed person who holds a breeder or trainers license can own an entire greyhound. I for one do not want to see the greyhound breed in the next 5-10 years no longer exist because this ban was not thought through and resulted in all 3,000 dogs becoming desexed with no greyhounds to continue on the breed.

 

How about what greyhound racing generates for New Zealand? Greyhound racing in Australasia was described as a “$2.6 billion economic powerhouse”. Greyhound Racing “supports 15,748 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs, including 6,507 direct roles and 9,240 in flow-on employment. Collectively, these positions account for $1.41 billion in household income, further strengthening local communities.” Not to mention this year (2024) there were many record-breaking TAB turnovers. 

Published on 02/02/2024, “Sunday’s total turnover figure of $664,282 was also the third highest turnover figure recorded for a Sunday race meeting at Manukau Stadium in the past 20 years, with only the 2015 and 2021 Silver Collar race meetings generating higher turnovers.”. 

While posted on 20/11/2024, “Wagering through Entain New Zealand’s two betting brands, TAB and betcha, totaled $1.427m - a 40% increase on the previous year. This also exceeded the 2022 previous record result of $1.068m.”.

 

Myself and many others believe that there are no grounds to ban greyhound racing in New Zealand. The dogs love it and so do we, don’t take something with such benefit and enjoyment away from these dogs. Overturn this ban!