Rebate schemes are offered to racing greyhound owners by their industry body in each state to subsidize the cost of treating dog injuries.

Despite this, most owners choose to kill a dog rather than treat its leg fracture which is the most common racing injury – see evidence of track euthanasia 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.
Racing dog owners make these callous decisions because:

• treating a simple fracture costs about $4,500, while a complex one can cost $10,500 or more, (based on averaged 2022 vet charges),
• there’s no guarantee a dog will run as fast as it did before the injury, so owners consider a dog has no further value (unless it is a champion and can be used for breeding),
• many owners simply don’t want to deal with the burden of caring for a recovering dog, or with the effort of then rehoming it.

Killing a dog rather than treating it occurs in all states. In fact, injured greyhounds are usually killed for free by the on-track vet at the owner’s request and track clubs have large freezers to accommodate the bodies.

Meanwhile, there is no collated data made available by racing bodies about:

• what these rebate schemes achieve in terms of greyhound welfare outcomes, or
• how much money each scheme dispenses annually.

“When you are euthanasing a greyhound, they’re looking at you with their eyes,  they’re expecting you to help them, and you’re not.
You’re taking their life.”  Dr Bryant looks away. “These gentle creatures.” – Read more about what this ethical track vet had to say here.

Rebate schemes in brief

The sums offered by rebate schemes are insufficient to cover a leg fracture – the most common racing injury. Also, injuries covered must first be deemed eligible and every scheme has different rules.

• • Western Australia: Up to $5,500 for eligible surgical cases; if continued treatment is required, $50 for recovery for up to 13 weeks, adding up to $650. If the owner opts for full recovery, the dog’s ownership will be transferred to RWWA’s Greyhound as Pets program and it will be available for rehoming after recovery.
    • From 1 February 2024, the WA scheme is taking a backwards step by leaving ownership of an injured greyhound with its industry participant, rather than with GAP – see here.

The change to the GIFRS injury scheme from 1 Feb 2024 has resulted in more than a five-fold increase in WA euthanasia rates. This is because industry participants won’t keep an injured dog while it heals, as it takes the place of a dog that can earn money. See TV news here.

• • New South Wales: This scheme launched last year and offers:
    up to $1200 for transport/vet services,
    • up to $3,500 for surgery on greyhounds injured during an official timed GRNSW race in NSW (not trials) where the incapacitation period is more than 60 days – this is a reduction on the $5K offered by the prior scheme,
    • plus eight weeks at $100/week for post-operative care of a greyhound by its industry participant.

The scheme won’t pay for euthanasia, bone fractures of the tail and single metatarsal /metacarpal fractures. Greyhounds treated under the scheme aren’t eligible for racing or breeding, post recovery.

• Victoria: For simple surgical cases up to $3,000 is granted, and for more complex procedures up to $5,000.
  • For initial assessment purposes (whether the injury is eventually deemed acceptable or not) the scheme will cover all ”reasonable” vet costs to reach a diagnosis, but won’t fund any subsequent costs.
  • Post-operative care (Rehabilitation Grant) support is $70/week if the rehabilitation is done by the owner or $105/week if the participant chooses an industry-approved rehab facility. In both cases the support is offered for 12 weeks maximum.

• • Queensland: After the on-track vet determines that the injury meets the eligibility criteria, the owner will receive financial aid only if the final bill exceeds $1,000 up to a maximum of $5,500. Also available is $50/week for up to 13 weeks of post-operative rehabilitation, adding up to a max of $650.

• South Australia: Up to $200 for non-surgical cases and $1,200 for surgical cases, plus rehabilitation support of $50/week for up to six weeks.

• Tasmania: Up to $3,000 is offered for eligible injuries in both surgical or non-surgical cases.

• • Northern Territory: Up to $1,000 for eligible surgical cases and up to $200 subsidy for further investigation, when there is no need for surgery.

• ACT: Dog racing is banned in the ACT..