October 2023: greyhound track deaths exceed 100

In October 2023, the greyhound racing death toll reached over one hundred dogs Australia-wide. October saw the deaths of eight young greyhounds, including one who collapsed and died following his race. The average age of dogs killed racing in October was just twenty four months.

Shima Johnny was one of three greyhounds to collide and fall at the first turn at the Horsham track, Victoria, on 7 October. He suffered bilateral radius and ulna fractures and was killed by the on track vet. Of the seven dogs in his race, only four finished. Stewards inspected the track following the race and deemed it “satisfactory for racing”. Shima Johnny was only twenty six months old and was running in his eight race.

On 13 October two year old Have A Chat collided with six other greyhounds on the Cannington track, Western Australia. He fell at the first turn and “failed to finish” having broken his right radius and ulna. The on track vet killed him shortly after. Have A Chat was running in his thirtieth race.

Dapto track in NSW was the scene of not one but two greyhounds killed in the same race on October 19. Three runners collided at the end of the back straight. Bullet Blonde, just twenty months old, fell and suffered a compound fracture of her offside radius and ulna. It was her fifth start and she had won her connections a measly $150. Gillenbah Star, a petite 25kg pup of nineteenth months, also fell and fractured her offside radius and ulna. Her tragic career had lasted only seven days. The on track vet was kept busy euthanizing them both. The third greyhound to fall was given a 21 day incapacitation period but has not yet returned to racing.

On October 20 at Cannington track (again) two year old Miss Wilder had her heels “galloped on” at the first turn. She fell, fracturing her left radius and ulna as well as her left carpus. Miss Wilder was running in her thirty ninth race and had won her connections over $26,000. Despite this she was killed by the on track vet shortly after.

At Muswellbrook track in NSW the very next day, poor Classy Luna careered into the outside fence turning into the home straight. Her sickening fall has been edited out of the race video. The two year old fractured her offside radius and ulna and she could not go on. Classy Luna was killed by the on track vet after the race.

On 23 October Shepparton track in Victoria recorded the one hundredth “official” greyhound death from racing this year when Pan Head suffered multiple fractures to his spinal column. The race video shows him flipping and cartwheeling to the ground four seconds into the race. Despite being only twenty three months old, Pan Head had raced twenty times for winnings of nearly $10,000. He was killed by the on track vet soon after the race. Stewards inspected the track following Pan Head’s tragic race and deemed it “satisfactory for racing”.

Lawn Ranger came last in his race at Rockhampton track, Queensland on October 30 before collapsing and dying in the catching pen. He saved the on track vet the bother of having to euthanise him. Lawn Ranger had only just turned three and was running in his twenty ninth race.