The abusive culture of greyhound racing is in the spotlight again, with participants charged for online attacks in March 2026.
The insults and invective were also displayed at two major racing events in 2025.
The abuse from racing attendees – and even industry staff – was threatening, intimidating, offensive, and misogynistic.
This is abuse that occurs in public. Online abuse from participants is similar and often worse, which is why participants are fined by racing bodies. Imagine how they treat their greyhounds.
Greyhound rally at The Meadows, 2025
Attendee accounts described the following:
About 70 percent of the vehicles entering The Meadows abused in some way or another:
- Verbal abuse: this consisted of vehicles shouting insults or profanities from the benign (“get a job”) to being called f–king c-nts, f–heads (and variations of that), sometimes from a car full of people, including the occasional bus. Threats such as “we are going to get you” were common.
- Offensive gestures: If they weren’t yelling abuse they were doing hand gestures and these were not of a friendly nature (aggressive, offensive).
- Intimidation : Driving their cars close to you when entering the track, speeding up when driving towards and past, driving towards you while filming with their phone, putting us in danger, stopping beside us and taking photos when entering, parking their car then returning to film us, revving engines as they pass by, blasting of car horn right beside us, etc.
- Physical: On three occasions I was struck by occupants of cars trying to grab my placard or me as they entered the track.
I also witnessed an older lady being tackled by one in a group of males on foot trying to take her placard away from her. This same male then tried to do the same to me, resulting in him striking me in his attempts. In the scuffle he removed the mic that I was using which resulted in it being thrown onto the road and subsequently run over by a car leaving the track which destroyed the microphone – this was in full view of the security guards employed by the greyhound racing on the day.
I asked the closest guard why they didn’t intervene. His response: I’m only here to stop you people from crossing the line of the property. A group of males was seen behaving aggressively by at least 6 guards and racing officials and still admitted entry. - Duration: The barrage of insulting behaviour was consistent throughout the 2 hour duration we were there. The insults also continued whilst speakers were giving their wind up talks and not protesting. The insults and disgraceful behaviour came from both men and women, with men making up the majority.
Vigil for the lost greyhounds, The Q, 30 August 2025
A silent vigil for dead greyhounds at The Q was marred by a torrent of abuse from racing attendees.
The vigil was honouring the 14 greyhounds killed after racing at The Q as the facility hosted the National championships on 30 August 2025.
Racegoers – including a security guard – hurled invective at the group, including:
“Fuck off”
“Fuck off, get a fucking life”
“Fuck off to Tasmania”
Young participant repeatedly shouted “Fuck” in an incoherent manner
Raceday official said “Fuck off” three times and described protesters as “Fat, old women”
Numerous middle fingers
The event descended into farce when a couple of women advocates asked the official if they could get a closer look at the venue, who promptly called the police. Three police cars arrived but they gave the vigil their blessing.
A spokesperson for CPG said the incident showed an industry with little regard for the welfare of greyhounds.
“Racegoers could have discussed the high death toll at The Q, or the high number of injuries, but they chose to verbally abuse true dog lovers. Their verbal violence reflects a gambling culture that doesn’t love their dogs.”