Chapter 8 Animals Involved In Work, Sport and Recreation, as currently written, is silent about the significant opposition of many Australians to the use of animals in racing. This is in contrast to Chapter 7 Animals Involved in Research and Teaching, where the concerns of animal welfare groups, including survey outcomes, are outlined as part of the snapshot. Chapter 8 is also silent about the significant harms caused by gambling.

To provide an accurate snapshot of Chapter 8, the Commonwealth Government must include the well-documented concerns of Australian animal welfare groups as well as outcomes of the many surveys conducted, all of which show that many Australians share these concerns. It must also include reference to societal harms caused by wagering on animal races.

Animal welfare groups have identified concerns regarding the welfare of animals bred for racing and how animals that are not suitable for racing and those at the end of their racing career are managed. Oversight of the breeding and supply arrangements is also a key issue for some stakeholders, including the import and export of animals, controls to prevent overbreeding and strategies to support rehoming where appropriate.

Survey data consistently shows that most Australians do not support the use of animals for racing, nor do they support Government funding for the racing industry.