End greyhound racing Australia-wide.

Australia’s greyhound racing industry is facing continued public scrutiny following revelations of ongoing cruelty, including brutal live baiting, the export of Australian dogs to the illegal gambling industry in China, and thousands of unreported deaths of unwanted dogs and puppies. 

In 2015, explosive investigations undertaken by Animals Australia and Animal Liberation Queensland documented widespread and entrenched ‘live baiting’ in Australia’s greyhound racing industry. Terrified piglets, rabbits and native possums were being tied to lures, flung around racetracks at breakneck speeds, and then mauled to death in a sadistic training method that was not only widespread, but widely accepted.

Despite intense public backlash, and promises from state governments and racing bodies, dogs and other animals are still suffering today for the sake of gambling profits. 

Since 2023, there have been multiple allegations of animal cruelty in the greyhound racing industry across the nation.

A recent report by the outgoing Chief Veterinary Officer for Greyhound Racing New South Wales (NSW) has alleged extreme, entrenched animal welfare issues across nearly every facet of the industry, including; 

• Dogs being pushed to race at a “barbaric” rate, contributing to an alarming increase in injuries 
• Overbreeding of dogs to meet quotas leading to thousands of “exhausted” greyhounds being discarded “with no hope of being rehomed” 
• Dogs born into the industry “generally live in substandard conditions” in industrial kennels 
• Dogs injured on track continuing to be killed despite their injuries not being life-threatening 
• An “appalling” level of distress seen in dogs in track kennels 
• An “alarming” number of dogs discarded by the industry with severe health and behavioural issues, many requiring anti-anxiety medication due to “psychological trauma… endured during their racing lives”.

Despite these explosive allegations leading to a NSW Government inquiry, the state’s Premier committed to continuing support of the state’s greyhound racing industry – undermining the findings of the inquiry before it had even begun.

In South Australia, drone footage captured dogs and puppies being punched, kicked and dragged on a prominent trainer’s property. In Victoria, a veteran greyhound trainer was caught live baiting, and Tasmania’s ‘top’ greyhound trainer was investigated for live baiting after the tail of a native Australian pademelon was found attached to a lure arm on his property.

The issues spread beyond our nation’s shores as well. ABC Investigations recently unveiled that Australian greyhounds were being exported to China to be used as ‘breeder dogs’ to fuel its illegal gambling industry. Legislation was proposed to prevent Australian greyhounds from being exported overseas, but devastatingly, the bill did not pass, condemning these sensitive animals to further cruelty and suffering associated with live export.

This industry, at its ‘best’, requires the ongoing breeding of dogs so that the fastest can be used to support its primary goal: to generate gambling income. This means many dogs bred into the industry never make it to a race.

Even the ‘winners’ suffer; they can legally be confined for most of their lives to barren concrete and wire kennels, and are exposed to a high risk of painful injury and death during training and racing. 

For as long as greyhound racing is permitted to continue anywhere in Australia, Australian dogs, and the animals who are used as ‘live bait’, will continue to suffer.

With Australians demanding an end to cruel greyhound racing, a ban in the ACT was a big win for dogs and those who care so much about them. If you think your state should join the ACT in putting an end to this unnecessary cruelty, please send an urgent message to your local MP today.