Animal Welfare in Victoria has Gone to the Dogs.

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The Victorian government is seeking submissions relating to its proposed new guidelines for greyhound facilities across Victoria.  The link to the government’s guidelines is:

http://www.dtpli.vic.gov.au/planning/about-planning/improving-the-system/greyhound-facilities

We encourage you to make a submission.

To guide the contents of your submission, please find a copy of a media release sent out by the Animal Justice Party below.

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Since the February, 2015 live baiting exposure, there have been a number of enquiries around the nation into the industry.

According to the Animal Justice Party’s greyhound racing campaign coordinator, Dr Eleonora Gullone “all of the enquiries have highlighted the need for tighter regulation and accountability, more transparency and an increased focus on animal welfare.”

“Greyhound racing has been exposed as a ‘sport’ whose foundations are animal cruelty and gross disrespect for life. Against this backdrop, the Victorian government’s proposed planning guidelines for greyhound facilities stand as an affront to public sentiment and concern because they remove transparency, loosen regulation and completely ignore animal welfare.”

“In essence, they amount to gagging since they remove the ability of the public to have a say in whether racing greyhound facilities can be established in local areas by removing the need to apply for a permit from the local council.”

“Instead, only facilities proposing to have in excess of 50 dogs, or those where required conditions will not be met, need to apply for a permit.”

“The stipulated conditions focus on acoustic and appearance requirements.”

“Instead of tightening regulation and increasing the stringency of oversight to promote and ensure welfare of the dogs, these guidelines focus on impression management – on ensuring that the cruelty is not seen or heard. In doing so, they provide implicit acknowledgement that greyhound racing can never be free of animal cruelty.”

“The industry’s existence depends on the breeding of thousands of dogs of which only around 40% will meet the racing requirements. All others are considered waste and the vast majority are killed despite being young and healthy.”

“Those who survive this first round of killing, will be exposed to high risk of injury or death on the track. In Victoria alone, since January this year, there have been 2,731 track injuries and 71 track deaths. A further 44 dogs are listed as ‘retired’ which in most cases means dead.”

“The Victorian government’s steadfast commitment to the greyhound racing industry at any cost is greatly at odds with public opinion and social acceptability. It is time that government stops pandering to an industry whose time has passed. It is time to shut this cruel industry down.”