Injury rebate schemes

Rebate schemes are offered to racing greyhound owners by their industry body in each state to subsidize the cost of treating dog injuries.

Despite this, most owners choose to kill a dog rather than treat its leg fracture which is the most common racing injury – see evidence of track euthanasia 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. Racing dog owners make these callous decisions because:
  • treating a simple fracture costs about $4,500, while a complex one can cost $10,500 or more, (based on averaged 2022 vet charges),
  • there’s no guarantee a dog will run as fast as it did before the injury, so owners consider a dog has no further value (unless it is a champion and can be used for breeding),
  • many owners simply don’t want to deal with the burden of caring for a recovering dog, or with the effort of then rehoming it.
Killing a dog rather than treating it occurs in all states but WA. In fact, injured greyhounds are usually killed for free by the on-track vet at the owner’s request and track clubs have large freezers to accommodate the bodies. Meanwhile, there is no collated data made available by racing bodies about:
  • what these rebate schemes achieve in terms of greyhound welfare outcomes, or
  • how much money each scheme dispenses annually.

Rebate schemes in brief

The sums offered by rebate schemes are insufficient to cover a leg fracture – the most common racing injury. Also, injuries covered must first be deemed eligible and every scheme has different rules.
    • New South Wales: This scheme launched last year and offers:
      • up to $1200 for transport/vet services,
      • up to $3,500 for surgery on greyhounds injured during an official timed GRNSW race in NSW (not trials) where the incapacitation period is more than 60 days – this is a reduction on the $5K offered by the prior scheme,
      • plus eight weeks at $100/week for post-operative care of a greyhound by its industry participant.
    The scheme won’t pay for euthanasia, bone fractures of the tail and single metatarsal /metacarpal fractures. Greyhounds treated under the scheme aren’t eligible for racing or breeding, post recovery.
    • Victoria: For simple surgical cases up to $3,000 is granted, and for more complex procedures up to $5,000. 
      • For initial assessment purposes (whether the injury is eventually deemed acceptable or not) the scheme will cover all ”reasonable” vet costs to reach a diagnosis, but won’t fund any subsequent costs.
      • Post-operative care (Rehabilitation Grant) support is $70/week if the rehabilitation is done by the owner or $105/week if the participant chooses an industry-approved rehab facility. In both cases the support is offered for 12 weeks maximum.
    • Queensland: After the on-track vet determines that the injury meets the eligibility criteria, the owner will receive financial aid only if the final bill exceeds $1,000 up to a maximum of $5,500. Also available is $50/week for up to 13 weeks of post-operative rehabilitation, adding up to a max of $650.
    • South Australia: Up to $200 for non-surgical cases and $1,200 for surgical cases, plus rehabilitation support of $50/week for up to six weeks.
    • Tasmania: Up to $3,000 is offered for eligible injuries in both surgical or non-surgical cases.
    • Western Australia: Up to $5,500 for eligible surgical cases; if continued treatment is required, $50 for recovery for up to 13 weeks, adding up to $650. If the owner opts for full recovery, the dog’s ownership will be transferred to RWWA’s Greyhound as Pets program and it will be available for rehoming after recovery.
      • From 1 February 2024, the WA scheme is taking a backwards step by leaving ownership of an injured greyhound with its industry participant, rather than with GAP – see here.
    • Northern Territory: Up to $1,000 for eligible surgical cases and up to $200 subsidy for further investigation, when there is no need for surgery. 
    • ACT: Dog racing is banned in the ACT..