A review of stewards’ reports revealed that the devastation on Australian racetracks continued in the first half of 2022, with 78 greyhound deaths and more than 5000 injuries recorded in the first half of 2022.
The statistics below cover a wide range. On average, one greyhound was killed while racing every 2.3 days, while 28 dogs were hurt every day.
Here are descriptions of the deceased greyhounds and links to stewards’ reports.
Note: Two injured dogs were put to death away from the tracks in the first quarter of 2022, according to the NSW regulator, who did not offer the pets’ names. In 2021, 28 dogs perished in the same manner.
Racing data for first half 2022
| TOTAL GREYHOUND RACING DEATHS | 78 |
| TOTAL GREYHOUND RACING INJURIES | 5091 |
Greyhound deaths by state
| State | Total |
| NSW | 23 |
| NT | 1 |
| QLD | 8 |
| SA | 12 |
| TAS | 4 |
| VIC | 24 |
| WA | 6 |
| Grand Total | 78 |
A horror race meeting at Ballarat on 14 March saw one greyhound killed, one seriously injured, and six others injured. The video shows three greyhounds falling violently, one of them, Cruickshank, suffered a broken leg and was killed after the race.
Tracks with most deaths
| Geelong | VIC | 7 deaths |
| Angle Park | SA | 6 deaths |
| Ipswich | QLD | 5 deaths |
| Gawler | SA | 4 deaths |
| Wentworth Park | NSW | 4 deaths |
Tracks with most injuries
| Ipswich | QLD | 296 injuries |
| Cannington | WA | 257 injuries |
| Traralgon | VIC | 180 injuries |
| Mandurah | WA | 179 injuries |
| The Gardens | NSW | 168 injuries |
Description of fatal injury
| Fatal injury | No | % of total |
| Leg fracture | 59 | 75.64% |
| Spinal fracture | 5 | 6.41% |
| Leg injury | 4 | 5.13% |
| Collapse | 3 | 3.85% |
| Skull fracture | 3 | 3.85% |
| Unknown | 2 | 2.56% |
| Neck fracture | 1 | 1.28% |
| Shoulder fracture | 1 | 1.28% |
| Grand Total | 78 | 100.00% |
Description of fracture types
| Fracture | No | % of total |
| Radius/ulna | 31 | 39.74% |
| Hock | 12 | 15.38% |
| Foreleg | 10 | 12.82% |
| Humerus | 6 | 7.69% |
| Spine | 5 | 6.41% |
| Not applicable | 3 | 3.85% |
| Skull | 3 | 3.85% |
| Tibia | 3 | 3.85% |
| Not provided | 2 | 2.56% |
| Femur | 1 | 1.28% |
| Neck | 1 | 1.28% |
| Shoulder | 1 | 1.28% |
| Grand Total | 78 | 100.00% |
Greyhound deaths by track
| Track | No | Track | No |
| Albion Park QLD | 1 | Launceston TAS | 1 |
| Angle Park SA | 6 | Maitland NSW | 1 |
| Ballarat VIC | 1 | Mandurah WA | 3 |
| Bundaberg QLD | 1 | Murray Bridge SA | 2 |
| Cannington WA | 2 | Northam WA | 1 |
| Coonamble NSW | 1 | Nowra NSW | 1 |
| Cranbourne VIC | 1 | Richmond NSW* | 1 |
| Dapto NSW | 1 | Rockhampton QLD | 1 |
| Darwin NT | 1 | Sale VIC | 1 |
| Devonport TAS | 1 | Shepparton VIC | 3 |
| Dubbo NSW | 1 | Taree NSW | 1 |
| Gawler SA | 4 | Temora NSW | 2 |
| Geelong VIC | 7 | The Gardens NSW | 2 |
| Gosford NSW | 3 | The Meadows VIC | 1 |
| Goulburn NSW | 1 | Traralgon VIC | 2 |
| Grafton NSW | 1 | Wagga Wagga NSW | 1 |
| Gunnedah NSW | 2 | Warragul VIC | 3 |
| Hobart TAS | 2 | Warrnambool VIC | 3 |
| Horsham VIC | 2 | Wentworth Park NSW | 4 |
| Ipswich QLD | 5 | Grand Total | 78 |
Cause of fatal injury
| Cause | No | % of total |
| Breakdown | 20 | 25.64% |
| Fall on track | 49 | 62.82% |
| Other | 7 | 11.54% |
| Grand Total | 78 | 100.00% |
Direct cause of death
| Direct Cause | No | % of total |
| On-track vet | 72 | 92.31% |
| Deceased | 6 | 7.69% |
| Grand Total | 78 | 100.00% |
Track location of fatal injury
| Track location | No | % of total |
| Turn | 57 | 73.08% |
| Catching pen | 9 | 11.54% |
| Post-race | 3 | 3.85% |
| Start | 1 | 1.28% |
| Straight | 8 | 10.26% |
| Grand Total | 78 | 100.00% |
Taxpayers’ $4.6m “safe” Grafton track delivers brutal night of hurt
Age of greyhounds killed racing
| Age in months | No | % of total |
| 18-23 | 9 | 11.54% |
| 24-35 | 39 | 50% |
| 36-47 | 21 | 26.92% |
| 48-59 | 6 | 7.69% |
| 60- | 3 | 3.85% |
| Grand Total | 78 | 100% |
Gender of greyhounds killed racing
| Gender | No | % of total |
| Female | 33 | 42.31% |
| Male | 45 | 57.69% |
| Grand Total | 78 | 100.00% |
Greyhound injuries by state
| State | Total |
| NSW | 1708 |
| NT | 37 |
| QLD | 744 |
| SA | 451 |
| TAS | 111 |
| VIC | 1603 |
| WA | 437 |
| Grand Total | 5091 |
Major greyhound injuries by state
| State | Total |
| NSW | 332 |
| NT | 9 |
| QLD | 112 |
| SA | 110 |
| TAS | 24 |
| VIC | 266 |
| WA | 89 |
| Grand Total | 942 |
Note: major injuries are classed as those injuries with stand-down periods of 28-42 days
Life-threatening greyhound injuries by state
| State | Total |
| NSW | 118 |
| NT | 1 |
| QLD | 39 |
| SA | 71 |
| TAS | 19 |
| VIC | 170 |
| WA | 30 |
| Grand Total | 448 |
Note: life- and career-threatening injuries are classed as those injuries with stand-down periods greater than 42 days
Traralgon resumes torment of dogs
This video shows a young greyhound called Dr Dean at the Hobart track on 21 June 2022. He is limping round the home turn after colliding with another greyhound and falling.
Greyhound injuries by track
| Track | No | Track | No |
| NSW | SA | ||
| The Gardens | 168 | Angle Park | 143 |
| Wentworth Park | 166 | Gawler | 115 |
| Richmond | 139 | Mt Gambier | 110 |
| Gosford | 87 | Murray Bridge | 75 |
| Taree | 86 | Murray Bridge* | 8 |
| Nowra | 86 | TAS | |
| Dapto | 84 | Launceston | 69 |
| Bathurst | 84 | Hobart | 26 |
| Grafton | 83 | Devonport | 16 |
| Casino | 80 | VIC | |
| Goulburn | 79 | Traralgon | 180 |
| Bulli | 79 | Warragul | 153 |
| Richmond* | 76 | Ballarat | 144 |
| Dubbo | 71 | Sandown | 143 |
| Wagga Wagga | 70 | Shepparton | 142 |
| Gunnedah | 66 | Bendigo | 135 |
| Temora | 51 | Healesville | 134 |
| Maitland | 45 | Geelong | 131 |
| Lismore | 28 | Warrnambool | 129 |
| Tamworth | 14 | The Meadows | 129 |
| Moree | 14 | Sale | 99 |
| Lithgow | 12 | Horsham | 72 |
| Kempsey | 11 | Cranbourne | 12 |
| Coonamble | 11 | WA | |
| Broken Hill | 10 | Cannington | 257 |
| Young | 5 | Mandurah | 179 |
| Potts Park | 3 | Northam | 1 |
| NT | |||
| Darwin | 37 | ||
| QLD | |||
| Ipswich | 296 | ||
| Albion Park | 135 | ||
| Bundaberg | 108 | ||
| Townsville | 83 | ||
| Capalaba | 62 | ||
| Rockhampton | 60 | Grand Total | 5091 |
* Straight track
Rest in peace
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