Greyhound races become less common worldwide; New Zealand plans a ban
Greyhound races become less common worldwide; New Zealand plans a ban
Wellington, New Zealand-New Zealand plans to ban Greyhound racing because too many dogs are injured or killed, the government announced on Tuesday. This ends a practice that is still operated in just a few countries.
The dark reality of Greyhound racing
The Greyhound racing was extremely popular at times in the last century. However, the high number of dogs or those who are put to life due to injuries on the competition day, for which no new home can be found after the end of their short career, has caused animal welfare campaigns and growing public discomfort about this sport.
global situation of Greyhound racing
Commercial Greyhound racing in the United States, Australia, Great Britain and Ireland remains active worldwide, whereby only two lanes are left in the United States after the end of practice in many states. The planned ban in New Zealand was supported by all political parties and is to come into force on August 1, 2026 to give the approximately 2,900 racing dogs the opportunity to impart new home and to enable over 1,000 employees in the industry, as Renn Minister Winston Peters explained on Tuesday.concerns about animal welfare
The Greyhound racing industry New Zealand has repeatedly had to endure exams of their security record for dogs in recent years. Several reports demanded comprehensive changes. Peters confirmed that progress was made, but not sufficient. Stricter guidelines that regulate the time of euthanasia of dogs, as well as programs to teach Greyhounds abroad have reduced the number of annual killings. Nevertheless, the proportion of injured dogs remains "persistently high," said Peters. "Time has come to act in the best interest of the animals," he said.
reactions to the ban
greyhound racing new zealand, an advocacy group of industry, accused the government of not recognizing the improvements and referred to their commitment to pursue every dog that goes in retirement until the end of life. The announcement was "a devastating blow", said chairman Sean Hannan.
The animal welfare organization SPCA praised the government for its sympathy with the dogs who had to work in a dangerous betting industry. This practice has long been no longer popular in New Zealand, said spokeswoman Arnja Dale.
a declining business area
Some MPs in parliament described the end of the racing industry on Tuesday as inevitable after the Greyhound racing has experienced a steady decline worldwide. In the United States, popularity culminated in the 1980s, but the number of states that allow this practice have since dropped significantly due to reports on animal torturous practices and the increasing number of betting options.
Only two lanes - both in West Virginia - after Iowa, Arkansas and Florida have closed their racing industry. Greyhounds have become popular as pets in the United States, and New Zealand gave dozens of dogs there when no new home could be found in the country with 5 million inhabitants.
Legal changes to protect dogs
hours after the announcement of the end of the Greyhound racing, the New Zealand government passed a law to prevent dogs from being killed while withdrawing the industry, unless a veterinarian considers this inevitable. This is to prevent dogs from being put to sleep for economic reasons, said Peters. The deputies unanimously voted for the change in the law.
The law to close industry will take longer and will probably only be passed in the next year after a phase of public statements. All political parties support the ban.
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