Issues
Lack of
Regulation
Inadequate regulatory models continue to prioritise commercial interests over greyhound welfare.
About the Lack of Regulation
The Lack of Regulation
Since 2015, when it was shown that horrific and cruel practices, such as live baiting, were common practice in the greyhound racing industry, states and territories have generally attempted to establish some kind of regulation of the industry.
Victoria, SA, Tasmania, WA and the Northern Territory do not have independent regulators responsible for animal welfare. This means that the state racing body is responsible for both regulation of the industry and its commercial development, promotion and marketing.
Even those states with independent regulators are tasked with promoting a successful industry. This conflict is failing the greyhounds.
CPG is conducting a state-by-state assessment of the respective regulatory frameworks. These are designed to determine their effectiveness in prioritising animal welfare and holding those who do not comply with requirements to account for their actions.
No Whole-Of-Life Tracking
Whole-of-life tracking is the only way to protect young, healthy greyhounds from unnecessary euthanasia. To be effective, it must track greyhounds for the whole of their natural life, not just when they are part of the racing industry.
Greyhound puppies must also be tracked regardless of whether they are microchipped or “named”. A greyhound only receives a name when it is registered to race.
No Australian state or territory has implemented true whole-of-life tracking. Where tracking exists, it is partial and usually only applies when a dog is considered to be of economic value to the racing industry. There is no tracking in the Northern Territory, South Australia or Tasmania.
State governments are well aware that true whole-of-life tracking would expose an industry guilty of widespread “wastage” of unwanted dogs.
Lack of Transparency
The greyhound racing industry suffers from a severe lack of transparency and accountability. Self-regulation, misleading death and injury reporting, and an absence of whole-of-industry tracking makes it impossible to ascertain the true extent of greyhound suffering at the hands of the industry.
There is also a reliance on self-reporting by participants, which obscures the true extent of greyhound euthanasias.
Official data often masks the true extent of injuries, particularly during trials where there is no monitoring by industry stewards.
There is also an alarming lack of published data regarding in-competition and out-of-competition drug testing, which allows for a predictable and potentially dishonest anti-doping regime.
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