NSW Just Became The First State In Australia To Ban Greyhound Racing

The Premier of NSW, Mike Baird, announced this morning that the state would become to first jurisdiction in Australia to outlaw greyhound racing. According to the Premier the decision was made “In response to widespread illegal and unconscionable activity, including the slaughtering of tens of thousands of dogs.”

“I understand the disappointment of people who enjoy having a punt on the dogs. But we simply cannot and will not stand-by and allow the widespread and systemic mistreatment of animals,” Baird said in a Facebook post published today.

The ABC’s Four Corners program exposed the practice of “live-baiting” in NSW’s greyhound racing industry and a story on 7:30 last year broken the news that Australian greyhounds were being exported to Asia, in breach of regulations. In response to the Four Corners report the NSW government established a Special Commission of Inquiry into the greyhound industry.

The inquiry has delivered its report and its findings include:

• In the last 12 years somewhere between 48,891 and 68,448 dogs were killed in NSW because they were considered too slow to pay their way or were unsuitable for racing.
• The practice of live-baiting, where live animals are used as bait to be chased by dogs in training sessions, was widespread.
• The culture of the industry was so problematic it was not able to be reformed.

In response to the inquiry’s report the NSW government has announced it will work with the RSPCA to shut down the industry over the next 12 months. The Premier has said that greyhound racing tracks will be retained for public and community use.

Greyhound racing is only legal in eight countries around the world. It is still legal in all Australian jurisdictions, aside from NSW. The decision taken by the NSW government is likely to place pressure on other states to review their own approach to greyhound racing.