Issues
The
rehoming
crisis
There will never be enough homes for the dogs the racing industry breeds every year.
About the rehoming crisis
The greyhound racing industry breeds far too many dogs to ensure that enough are commercially useful. This leads to 'uncompetitive' greyhound puppies and adults being discarded and vulnerable to euthanasia.
Breeding fell dramatically in 2017 following the exposure of mass killing and live baiting across the industry. However, it is now on the increase with a 50% increase in puppies bred for racing in NSW since 2017 and a 72% increase in Victoria.
Around 25% of greyhound puppies never make it to the track. The industry calls them “initial wastage”.
Exploited, mistreated and discarded
Many greyhounds are owned by syndicates who never meet the dog. They are purchased purely as an opportunity to profit from gambling. The dogs then reside with trainers who are often in charge of numerous dogs.
Most racing dogs are retired by the time they’re five years old. As the RSPCA points out, many dogs spend their whole racing lives in small, barren kennels, never coming inside and certainly not treated as a companion animal.
For many of them if they’re kept by their owner after retirement, this is the life they will have forever.
Across Australia around 70% of greyhounds are discarded by their owners when they no longer make money.
Due to lack of whole of life tracking, some of these dogs will end up dumped at pounds or animal shelters.
Breeding caps are essential
The Australian greyhound racing industry is currently breeding around three times more greyhounds than it can rehome. This has led to a greyhound rehoming crisis across Australia.
The NSW industry regulator highlighted this issue stating that in NSW in FY21/22, there were an estimated 1352 rehoming places available for the approximately 4719 greyhounds who needed homes.
The only way to address this crisis is to introduce breeding caps which state governments and the racing industry refuse to consider.
Take action to stop overbreeding
TAKE ACTION: end greyhound overbreeding
Every greyhound industry inquiry ever held in Australia has recommended breeding caps, but state goverments have failed to act. An […]
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