Euthanasia

Due to over-breeding, greyhounds are unavoidably bred that are unsuitable for racing. This results in healthy dogs being homeless and subject to neglect, abuse or euthanasia.

In its policy document on greyhound racing, the RSPCA says – “Currently, the industry is not accountable and lacks transparency particularly in relation to the fate of greyhounds who leave the industry.” This is why the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) recommends in its greyhound racing policy that:

“Euthanasia should only ever be considered as a last resort if, after behavioural assessment and rehabilitation, rehoming is not possible. It is incumbent on participants in the industry to minimise the numbers of Greyhounds killed unnecessarily.

Where euthanasia is necessary, this must be performed within an atmosphere of kindness and gentleness, and only by a veterinarian, with an auditable trail in place to ensure compliance with this requirement.”

Yet in Queensland, greyhounds can be put down with blunt force trauma because they are classed as livestock. Also, they are discarded to labs for dissection and to vet practices where they are bled out and killed. This practice is called terminal blood donation – so much for the racing industry’s mantra that it ‘loves its dogs’.

The fact that one in every five of Queensland’s discarded ex-racing dogs is disposed of in these appalling ways is revealed by Queensland Racing and Integrity Commission (QRIC) data. It shows hundreds of hundreds of retired greyhounds have been “surrendered to other agency”. When CPG asked for confirmation about what this meant, the truth emerged. Not surprisingly, QRIC says that “euthanasia and adoption data from these agencies are not currently available.”

In every other state, it’s possible for greyhounds to be killed for a range of reasons including: injury, illness, old age, etc. In almost every case, a pet dog would never be treated this way unless suffering – when euthanasia makes sense.

To stop this greyhound carnage, the RSPCA recommends birth to death tracking – see here for more information.