Fifteen greyhounds killed racing in November 2025

Seven greyhounds were killed racing on Australian tracks in November. All seven died over a single week with five being killed in just two days.

All seven died in just two states with Western Australia continuing its run as the deadliest state for greyhounds per capita. And Queensland’s new “state of the art” track at Purga simply cemented its reputation as the state’s deadliest. One greyhound, Brunswick Rocks, was the 100^th greyhound to die racing in 2025. A further eight greyhounds suffered fractured limbs and were killed in the days after sustaining their injuries.

On November 23 Brunswick Rocks was running in his third race at Q2 Parklands in Queensland when he was severely checked and fell on the first turn. The stewards report states he suffered a “nearside front leg injury” and he was killed by the industry vet soon after. Brunswick Rocks was only 19 months old. Just a puppy. His “career” had lasted less than a month.  The race video “has been removed by the uploader”.

Three greyhounds died on November 25.

Two dogs fractured their hocks at the same race meet at Mandurah, Western Australia. Blonde Blur, just 20 months old, had her heels galloped on in race 2 just after the start. The race video shows her fall and like her name, she goes down in a blur. She had fractured her left hock and the on track vet killed her soon after. Blonde Blur had trialled a week before and this was her first, and last, race. Ironically the race was called the “Bring the family” because nothing screams family friendly entertainment more than letting young children watch dogs shatter their legs while racing. Blonde Blur’s “career” lasted a mere 2 seconds. A few races later two year old Sunset Sapphire was checked on the back straight, fell and “failed to finish”. She can be seen on the race video trying to pull up on three legs and then she falls. Sunset Sapphire had broken her right hock and she too was killed by the on course vet after the race.

Two year old Coronation Day was running in race 7 at Townsville in Queensland when he faltered on the second turn and “failed to finish”. As usual the stewards reports only admit to a “right hind leg injury” which appears to be Racing Queensland speak for a broken leg. Coronation Day can be seen in the race video trying to decelerate. He had likely put so much stress on his legs while running at speed that his leg simply snapped. The stewards report notes that “due to the severity of the injury” Coronation Day was killed by the on track vet, or as they prefer to say “humanely euthanised”.

A further two greyhounds died on tracks the very next day.

Don’t Tell Arlo, three, was running in race 7 (“Free For All”) at Cannington Western Australia when he was involved in a collision,, stumbled and “lost ground”. The race video shows he was slow to start and he falters on the first turn. Despite this he gamely continues to run and finishes the race behind the rest of the field. Don’t Tell Arlo had suffered an open comminuted fracture of his right hock. He had kept running with a broken bone jutting out of his skin. For his bravery and loyalty he was rewarded with death at the hands of the industry vet. Don’t Tell Arlo had been forced to race 60 times.

Three year old Goldstar Koda collapsed in the catching pen after race 8 at Q1 Lakeside Queensland and was pronounced deceased on the track. The stewards reports states he suffered “an acute cardiac incident”. Goldstar Koda is seen on the race video running his heart out to the finish. Then his heart gave out. He was raced to death. Post mortem urine and blood samples were taken for toxicology testing.

Back at Cannington WA on November 29 two year old Blue Bird Days “faded in the home straight” in race 10. A petite girl, she was the lightest in her race. In the race video she can be seen trailing the field most of the race. She was found to have been bleeding into her abdomen. Stewards ordered an autopsy after the industry vet killed Blue Bird Days and interviewed the trainer. The autopsy result showed the haemabdomen was caused by a focal rupture of the right iliopsoas muscle. A 2020 UK study into 74 unexpected deaths in racing greyhounds from 2015 to 2019 found 5.4% of the deaths were caused by unilateral iliopsoas rupture. Evidence of previous muscle damage and chronic haemorrhage were noted in three of the four greyhounds. The major risk factor is high energy explosive movement as in racing. Blue Bird Days had been raced 27 times and had likely suffered previous muscle tears and associated bleeding.