Three-year-old Overgrip, yet another dog murdered with a fractured leg, is the 100th greyhound to pass away on Australian racetracks in 2021.
Zed Bale, the first greyhound lost this year, died on January 1 in Geelong, Victoria, from a broken humerus. With a shattered tibia, Overgrip passed away on August 12 in Albion Park, Queensland.
This record, which only includes the fatalities listed in stewards’ reports, may be an undercount. Numerous canines hurt on the track are ultimately put to death.
The typical patterns are present: dogs die after suffering leg injuries at track turns in races involving seven or eight dogs.
The first half of 2021 saw approximately 50% more deaths than in 2020, making NSW the nation’s worst state by a wide margin.
Here is a list of every lost greyhound.
Data analysis of our 100 friends taken by the racing industry:
State death totals
NSW 39
VIC 23
QLD 14
SA 13
TAS 6
WA 4
NT 1
The worst tracks
Albion Park QLD 8 deaths
Murray Bridge SA 7
Richmond NSW 6
Gawler SA 5
Wauchope NSW 4
Wagga Wagga NSW 4
Maitland NSW 4
Cranbourne VIC 4
Wentworth Park NSW 3
Mandurah WA 3
Geelong VIC 3
Devonport TAS 3
[ 43 tracks have recorded deaths ]
Of the 100 greyhounds killed:
– 87 suffered leg fractures, 4 suffered spinal fractures
– 74 sustained their injuries at track turns, 14 in catching pens
– 56 suffered injuries after falling, while 30 broke down during the race
– Fatal injuries included acute rupture of an abdominal blood vessel, thoracic haemorrhage, laceration of carotid artery from a skull fracture, heart attack, ruptured aorta, and cardiac arrest
– 72 were participating in races with seven or eight dogs.
Most common fractures
Radius/ulna 34
Hock 27
Humerus 9
Foreleg 5
Neck 4
Tibia 4
Age
Most common ages of death:
35 months old…8 greyhounds
34 months old…7 greyhounds
26 months old…7 greyhounds
Youngest dog: 18 months
Oldest dog: 60 months
Gender
Male 58
Female 42
(Image shows Overgrip coming to a stop on the track. He will be euthanased)