Twelve greyhounds killed racing in May 2025

Image shows Travis’s Scrub falling at The Q, Queensland’s deathtrap for greyhounds. He somersaults along the track and lies stricken in the sand and is killed by the on-track industry vet soon after.

Greyhound racing killed twelve young dogs in May and at least a further seven greyhounds were killed away from the track following severe injuries suffered racing.

Two of these greyhounds actually won their respective races before disaster befell them after the finish. Another two greyhounds were injured in the same race and both were killed trackside following their fatal last race.

May started badly with six greyhounds killed on tracks in Australia.

Two dogs lost their lives on May 1. Four-year-old Jag Fernando was running in race 8 at Shepparton, Victoria, when he fell on the home turn. He suffered a fracture of his right hock. The moment of breakage can be seen on the race video. Jag Fernando suddenly falters and pulls back, trailing the rest of the field, yet continues to run on three legs. He was killed by the industry vet soon after. Stewards inspected the track and deemed it “suitable for racing”. Jag Fernando had been raced 61 times.

The same day in Hobart, Tasmania, another four-year-old greyhound Quiet Lakes lost her life racing. She was severely checked in the back straight of race 3 and fell, fracturing not only her left femur (thigh) but also her left fore elbow. The race video has not been uploaded. Quiet Lakes had been raced just 3 days prior to this race over a longer distance. The best practice is to rest greyhounds for at least five days following race of 515m but Quiet Lakes was only given 3 days. She was the lightest dog in her race. She was killed by the on-track vet after this, her 50^th race.

On May 2, two-year-old Martini Beach hit the running rail in race 4 at Townsville and fell. The fall is captured on the race video. She fractured her radius and ulna. Martini Beach was killed by the on-track vet soon after, her life not worth saving.

Three greyhounds were killed on Victorian tracks on May 7, two in the same race. Four-year-old Hellboy and two-year-old Axedale Queen collided in race 5 at Bendigo. They fell and both “failed to finish”. Hellboy suffered a complex fracture of his tibia and fibula while Axedale Queen suffered a complex fracture of her radius and ulna. Hellboy was the heaviest greyhound in the race at over 33kg while Axedale Queen was the lightest, weighing a mere 22 kg. Hellboy had been forced to race over 100 times. Both greyhounds were killed by the industry vet after the race.

The same day in Ballarat, during a race called “Damsels Dash” two year old Marais Bale was severely checked and fell at a turn. Her fall is captured on the race video; she goes down and another greyhound frantically leaps over her to get out of the way. She fractured her left radius and ulna and was killed by the on-track industry vet after her race. Marais Bale was one week short of her third birthday and too young to die needlessly for a cheap bet.

On May 10, two year old Cabramatta Pete fell in race 8 at Cannington Western Australia. There is no race video available to view. He fell at the first turn and suffered an excruciating open comminuted fracture of his right radius and ulna. Cabramatta Pete was put out of his agony by the industry vet at the track. His littermate Motor City Sonny ran in the same race.

Cannington track saw the death of another greyhound just four days later on May 14. Three year old Kurraca Kid won race 11 before collapsing and dying in the catching pen. The stewards report read “A post race veterinary examination revealed the KURRACA KID had a collapsed after the race and was non responsive and has been stood down for 90 days”. Well that makes no sense as Racing and Wagering Western Australia then opened an inquiry pending the results of an autopsy. No matter what, it is clear Kurraca Kid was raced to death. Oddly enough, his littermate Kurraca Gal last raced on January 29 for a third place with nothing in the stewards report of concern. She is now listed in Fasttrack as “retired (deceased)” but listed in eTrac as “retired” updated on 2 May. Curious.

On May 17 three-year-old Travis’s Scrub became the sixth greyhound to die at Queensland’s brand new, “state of the art” track the Q1 at Ipswich. He fell at the first turn and suffered an injury to his offside foreleg. Racing Queensland has not uploaded the race video but CPG has obtained the footage and it is distressing to watch. Poor Travis’s Scrub falls hard, at speed, and violently somersaults along the track. He lies stricken in the sand and it’s not clear whether he gets up. Travis’s Scrub was killed by the industry vet soon after.

Two-year-old Tia’s Angel fell in race 3 at Albion Park Queensland on May 21. She sustained an “off side foreleg” injury. Why are the Queensland stewards reports always so vague? It appears her injury was enough to sign her death warrant though, and the on course vet killed her after this, her 45^th race. Tia’s Angel had won only $6,620 for her connections throughout her “career” and they deemed her not worth saving.

On May 23 two-year-old Santorini Breeze was checked and fell on a turn at Sandown Victoria. It was the night of the Sandown Cup and the shadow racing minister Tim Bull was photographed posing and smiling after Santorini Breeze’s  race. The MP posted the photo on his Facebook page but has turned off commenting for the post. The video from race 6 shows Santorini Breeze falling on the turn then skidding along the track helplessly on her back. She fractured her left radius and ulna. Santorini Breeze was killed by the on-track industry vet.

Race 10 at Townsville track in Queensland on May 27 was more like a demolition derby than a greyhound race when three dogs collided, fell, and “took no further competitive part”. One of these was four year old Tuta Storm who suffered an agonising compound fracture of his right radius. Once more Racing Queensland has not uploaded the race video. After his 62^nd race, Tuta Storm was killed by the on-track industry vet.