New Zealand has announced plans to ban greyhound racing, citing an “unacceptably high” infection rate.
The sport has long faced criticism in the country, with some breeders accused of mistreating animals or using doping.
The government plans to scale back the industry over the next 20 months, to allow time for racing dogs to be rehomed and for people working in the industry to move on to other jobs.
Aside from New Zealand, commercial greyhound racing is permitted in Australia, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
“Despite the significant progress the greyhound racing industry has made in recent years, the proportion of dogs being injured remains persistently high, and it is time to make a decision in the best interest of the animals,” Dog Racing Minister Winston Peters said in a statement. Tuesday.
“This is not a decision taken lightly but is ultimately driven by protecting the welfare of racing dogs,” he said.
Peters, who is also New Zealand's deputy prime minister, said the government on Tuesday introduced a bill to prevent the unnecessary killing of racing dogs, which “will be passed urgently.”
He said more legislation would be introduced to enable an end to greyhound racing.
There have been three reviews of the greyhound racing industry over the past decade, all of which recommended major changes.
In 2021, 232 racing greyhounds died and 900 were injured, according to local media reports.
The industry was “warned” by the government in September that year, but deaths and injuries continued. Animal rights group Safe recorded more than 2,500 injuries and about 30 deaths in the next two and a half years.
The main task now is to rehome the estimated 2,900 racing greyhounds remaining in the country.
Animal rights groups, which have long campaigned for the industry to be shut down, welcomed Tuesday's announcement, with Safe calling it a “huge victory for animal rights.”
New Zealand's oldest animal welfare charity, the SPCA, said it was “ecstatic” at the move and called on other countries that allow greyhound racing to follow suit.
However, Greyhound Racing New Zealand, an industry association that brings together greyhound racing clubs across the country, said it was “devastated” by the government's proposal.
Association president Sean Hannan said: “The greyhound racing community has been left reeling by this announcement, with many expressing concerns about the potential cultural and economic vacuum this decision will create.”
The data showed greyhound racing represented 8.5% of New Zealand's NZ$1.3 billion ($760 million, £595) racing industry, with just over 1,000 full-time jobs.
“The government’s decision to close the industry is very disappointing, as it ignores the tangible progress we have made,” said Hannan, who also urged the government to reconsider its decision.
