Please note that submissions on the bill to ban greyhound exports closed on 16 August 2023. Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who spoke up for the greyhounds. The response has been overwhelming.
This is a story of greed-fuelled animal cruelty and indifferent governments. It is also the story of an explosion of public outrage that forced the industry to change. And now together we can ban greyhound exports for good.
Amending the legislation
In 2021, Senator Mehreen Faruqi introduced the Customs Legislation Amendment (Commercial Greyhound Export and Import Prohibition) Bill 2021.
The legislation will ban the export and import of greyhounds to and from Australia for commercial purposes including breeding and racing. This ban also includes a prohibition on the export or import of breeding material.
In May 2023, this bill was referred to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee. The committee is seeking submissions on the bill and will report back to the Senate with recommendations on their findings.
The goal of CPG and Free the Hounds is to have a recommendation that the Senate pass the bill in full.
Participants in Victoria can breach rules. Not only do they breach them, they make an absolute mockery of them. They can send non-desexed dogs to China for breeding and illegal racing in vile conditions, unpunished.
Georgie Purcell MP, Animal Justice Party
A record of dreadful cruelty
For many years, Australia was the biggest exporter of greyhounds in the world. And these dogs were knowingly sent to die in abusive conditions.
In 2004, Greyhounds Australasia implemented a ‘passport’ system for greyhound exports.
But the trade in unwanted greyhounds was still legal and the then Federal Government would not take action. They allowed the export of 590 greyhounds to Macau in the two years after the country was blacklisted.
Though export numbers have since reduced, owners have continued trafficking greyhounds by circumventing racing industry processes: exporting without seeking a GA passport or sending dogs first to countries that are considered ‘safe’ by the industry, such as England, before having them rerouted elsewhere.
The Australian racing industry has shown yet again it is unable to control the behaviour of its participants.