MPs and animal welfare and protection groups have signed an open letter calling on NSW Premier Chris Minns and the NSW Parliament to commit to a planned phase-out of greyhound racing and an end to public funding of the industry.
To maximise the impact, we're asking people to download the letter and forward it to their local state MP.
The animal protection groups and elected representatives who signed the open letter represent the growing community anger against greyhound racing.
A peaceful rally outside NSW Parliament House on 14 October supported the letter’s demands.
A further rally will take place on Friday 16 October at Wentworth Park racetrack in Glebe, coinciding with the final race meeting at the industry’s premier track and the Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase.
Political signatories of the open letter include Emma Hurst (Animal Justice Party), Abigail Boyd and Kobi Shetty (Greens NSW), Mehreen Faruqi (Australian Greens), independent MPs Alex Greenwich and Jacqui Scruby, as well as City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore.
Animal welfare and protection organisations supporting the letter include Alliance for Animals, Animal Liberation, Animals Australia, Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds, Companion Animal Network Australia, PETA, Four Paws and Voiceless.
An unreformable industry wracked by bitter infighting
The industry has failed to reform and hundreds of dogs have died racing since the reversal of the Baird Government ban. Dogs are still being doped, cannot find homes, and are suffering untold cruelty. No racetrack met minimum standards.
While Wentworth Park will close, the industry is now fighting among itself over unrealistic new gambling and racing centres around Sydney.
It’s an industry that doesn’t deserve a cent of public money and the Minns Government must stop taxpayer funding of this cruel business and start phasing it out.