Animal welfare advocates have condemned the greyhound racing industry for holding the Million Dollar Chase (MDC) while greyhounds continue to die on racetracks and suffer a rehoming crisis.
The MDC is billed as the world’s richest greyhound race and is being held at Sydney’s Wentworth Park on 24 September 2022. A protest against the race is planned to be held before the race meeting.
A spate of greyhound racing deaths marred the build-up to the MDC, with four greyhounds dying on NSW tracks in the week before the MDC, three on the day that the head of Greyhound Racing NSW described dog racing as a “wholesome sport”.
With Wentworth Park currently the deadliest track in NSW, greyhound welfare advocates also revealed disturbing video evidence of racing incidents at the track, particularly at the track’s first turn.
Welfare advocates called on the Perrottet Government to stop funding the greyhound racing industry.
“The Million Dollar Chase shows everything that is wrong with greyhound racing today. Money is being diverted away from animal welfare, tracks are unsafe and killing dogs, and the government is gifting a dog-killing industry with taxpayer dollars,” said a CPG spokesperson.
Details:
– Four young greyhounds died on NSW racetracks in 16-18 September 2022; three were euthanased with broken legs, one collapsed and died after his race.
– Wentworth Park is the deadliest NSW track this year, with five racing deaths. More than 200 dogs have been injured. The most recent death was euthanased with a broken leg on 7 September.
– A video collation of racing incidents shows many dogs falling at the track’s first turn, available here: https://greyhoundcoalition.com/shocking-video-reveals-of-dangers-of-wentworth-park-racetrack/
– In total, 11 greyhounds have been killed on Australian racetracks so far in September, in NSW (6), VIC (3) and SA (2), according to publicly-available stewards reports.
– So far in 2022, 39 dogs have died racing in NSW, and 120 nationwide, detailed here. More than 2,400 dogs have been injured on NSW tracks alone.
– The racing industry breeds six times more greyhounds than it can rehome
– A protest from animal welfare advocates will be held at Wentworth Park before the race meeting.
“The Million Dollar Chase is used by the racing industry to promote a fantasy image that whitewashes the cruelty of a business based on animal exploitation,” said the spokesperson. Mr van Kernebeek.
“Wentworth Park is the state’s most lethal racetrack and has claimed the lives of five dogs this year, more than last year or the year before,” he said.
“On 16 September the head of GRNSW described the industry as a ‘wholesome sport’. Nationwide, on average three greyhounds die every week, while 27 are injured every week, and the racing industry regularly censors race videos. There’s nothing wholesome about dog racing,” he said.
“The industry’s priorities are all wrong. A million dollars would have saved the lives of the 91 dogs euthanased with leg injuries nationwide this year. There is also a million dollars on offer for a lucky punter at the track, and this would help to address the current greyhound rehoming crisis,” he said.
“Unlike in previous years, the Million Dollar Chase isn’t being shown on free-to-air TV and the state government hasn’t boasted about contributing prize money. They’ve realised that people care about greyhounds and are sick of their ongoing suffering,” he said.
“Wentworth Park’s local politicians have reflected the views of their local community and said the track should be closed. Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore, Greens MP Jamie Parker, and Independent MP Alex Greenwich have all spoken out against greyhound racing,” he said.
Image at top shows a typical incident at Wentworth Park’s first turn.