Greyhound racing in New Zealand

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Greyhound racing in New Zealand
Start date1948
Addington Park
(Christchurch Greyhound Racing Club)[1]

There are eight Greyhound racing clubs operating in New Zealand. They are all affiliated with Greyhound Racing New Zealand (GRNZ).[2] Racing in New Zealand is governed by the New Zealand Racing Board (NZRB) in accordance with the Racing Act 2003.[3] Totalisator betting was not allowed until 1981.[4]

Most have modern facilities including grandstand restaurants with Totalisator Agency Board (TAB) betting available.

History[edit]

The current oval racing industry was born out of coursing which was seen at the time as a way to help control the population of hares. The first hares were brought to New Zealand in 1868 as hunting quarry but a gestation period of around 40 days resulted in problems for farmers and British greyhounds were imported to help control them. The New Zealand Federation of Coursing Clubs was formed in 1877 and the National Coursing Association was formed in 1908.[5]

Experiments with artificial hares began in 1934 and the ‘Tin Hare’ (a metal arm system on a rail around an oval track) was first officially used for a race meeting at Christchurch in 1948. This is regarded as the birth of modern greyhound racing in New Zealand.[6]

In 1954 the New Zealand Greyhound Racing Association was formed following the ban on coursing. In 1978 The modern oval form of racing was granted totalisator betting. Three years later in 1981 the industry was granted off-site totalisator betting and the TAB.[5] In 2009 the NZGRA became the GRNZ which it is called today.[6]

Stadiums and clubs[edit]

There are eight racing clubs in New Zealand who are directly responsible for the management of racetracks.[7] Around 700 dogs are bred each year for racing,[8] and around 200–300 are imported from Australia.[9]

  • Auckland Greyhound Racing Club
  • Christchurch Greyhound Racing Club
  • Otago Greyhound Racing Club
  • Palmerston North Greyhound Racing Club
  • Southland Greyhound Racing Club
  • Taranaki Greyhound Racing Club
  • Waikato Greyhound Racing Club
  • Wanganui Greyhound Racing Club

General information[edit]

Jacket colours
Greyhound racing in New Zealand has a standard colour scheme similar to Greyhound racing in Australia with the exception of trap/box 6..[10]

  • Box 1 = Red
  • Box 2 = Black & White Stripes
  • Box 3 = White
  • Box 4 = Blue
  • Box 5 = Yellow
  • Box 6 = Green
  • Box 7 = Black
  • Box 8 = Pink
  • Reserve 9 = Green and White stripes
  • Reserve 10 = Red White and Blue

Criticism[edit]

2013: WHK Review

Following concern over the welfare of racing greyhounds, the Greyhound Racing Association initiated an Independent Welfare Review from WHK, released in June 2013.[11] The review found little evidence of issues involving the care of greyhounds during their racing careers, but found issues with population management. The lack of transparency, along with reported levels of euthanasia, led the review team to consider the current situation “not sustainable”.[12]

In 2014, GRNZ conceded that its death and injury toll was too high. Between late 2012 and April 2014, 92 dogs suffered serious injuries on the track and 64 were euthanised.[13] In 2016, a top trainer claimed poor track conditions were putting greyhound lives at risk.[14]

2017: The Hansen Report

In 2017 a second report was commissioned by the New Zealand Racing Board, led by former High Court Judge Rodney Hansen, who made 20 recommendations to further advance the welfare of greyhounds.[15] The report found that 77% of trainers had had a healthy greyhound euthanised and that 1,447 greyhounds were reported as euthanised over the 2013/14 – 2016/17 seasons. The report noted evidence “suggesting the true figure is much higher”, with 1,271 dogs were unaccounted for.[16] Hansen concluded that improvements had been made since 2013 but “have been insufficient to right the structural imbalance.” [17]

In December 2017, New Zealand’s Minister for Racing Hon Winston Peters, said the reports findings were “disturbing and deeply disappointing”[18] and “simply unacceptable”.[19] In December 2018 the New Zealand government considered a second petition from Aaron Cross and 129 others seeking a prohibition on racing. In response, the government requested that the greyhound racing industry continue to implement the Hansen recommendations and invited the NZGRA to update them on their progress.[20]

2021: Robertson Review

In June 2020 GRNZ submitted a final report to Rt Hon Winston Peters, declaring all recommendations successfully implemented, and that they would no longer be reporting progress. In April 2021, New Zealand's Minister for Racing Grant Robertson appointed the Hon Sir Bruce Robertson (no relation) to undertake a further independent review, stating that some recommendations were not fully implemented or enforced.[21][22] The report identified a number of new issues since the 2017 Hansen report, in the areas of: Rehoming, Euthanasia, Database accuracy, Training, breeding and population control, Makeup of the breeding industry, Governance of the industry, and the functionality of the Health and Welfare Committee.[23] The report states that "there can be no doubt" that the Hansen Report was taken seriously by GRNZ and changes to improve animal welfare have occurred, but also that GRNZ has unnecessarily obfuscated information and that after “ten years and a further two reports” ... “the fundamental issues within the industry remain the same”.[24]

In June 2021 researchers at the University of Auckland publish a study report finding many ex-racing greyhounds poorly equipped for rehoming, remaining in kennels for years, or being disposed of when they lose economic value. The report states that “[unwanted] greyhounds pose a problem the industry cannot rehome its way out of”.[25]

In August 2021, a petition to ban commercial greyhound racing in Aotearoa New Zealand, signed by 38,631 people, was presented to the New Zealand parliament. The cross-party petitions committee concluded its response by stating "We have doubts about whether the greyhound racing industry still has a social license to operate in its current form. We have serious concerns about the way the industry is operating at present." [26]

2021: Greyhound racing industry formally on notice

In September 2021 the government formally puts the racing industry on notice. Grant Robertson asks the Racing Integrity Board to assess the industry’s progress against specific indicators, and report back before the end of 2022. He states “I want to be clear today – the greyhound racing industry is on notice: either make the improvements needed or risk closure”.[27]

On 4 May 2022, Newshub reported that a trainer dropped 11 greyhounds at a rehoming kennel, with 8 having substantial injuries. The trainer, John McInerney, was New Zealand's largest greyhound trainer, with 191 racing dogs. McInerney denied that any dogs had left his kennels in that condition.[28] On 5 May 2022, Newshub reported that the Racing Industry Board had issued improvement notices to “almost all” the kennels it had visited since its inception, between 200 and 300 notices.[29] On 13 May 2022, a third Newshub report found that Kevin Brady, a director on the board of GRNZ and the Racing Industry Unit, was co-owner of a greyhound that tested positive for methamphetamine.[30] In August 2022, Newstalk ZB reported that Racing Industry Board inspectors had found 15 racing dogs in "squalid" and "inexcusable" conditions.[31]

In October 2022 Camorra Research Ltd delivered an independent review commissioned by the Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, to analyse the sentiment towards commercial greyhound racing among the New Zealand population. Of their representative sample of New Zealanders, 9% believed that racing greyhounds have a good life, and 74.8% indicated that "given the chance, they would vote in support of a ban on greyhound racing."[32]

2022: Racing Integrity Board Review

In December 2022 the Racing Integrity Board presented its findings to Minister for Racing Kieran McAnulty.[33] The Racing Integrity Board review finds improvement in ten out of fifteen areas, and concludes that progress is mixed and has not always met the RIB's expectations.[34] It found that GRNZ had made significant progress reducing euthanasias, with 325 greyhounds being euthanised in the 2020/21 - 2021/22 seasons. 174 of these were euthanised at a single kennel belonging to 'Trainer X'. This licensed person was spoken with.[35] The Minister requested further information, and a supplementary report was received in March 2023.[36] The supplementary report included options for the closure of the industry.[37]

In October 2023 both leaders of New Zealand's main political parties agreed that greyhound racing should be banned, in the TV1 leader's debate.[38]

In November 2023 trainer John McInerney was disqualified for a year after one of his greyhounds tested positive for meth and another was mistreated.[39] McInerney's dogs had, on previous occasions, tested positive for procaine, heptaminol, codeine, hydroxystanolozol, caffeine and ketoprofen.[40]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The Club". Christchurch Greyhound Racing Club. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  2. ^ "Clubs and Tracks". GRNZ. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  3. ^ "About Us". GRNZ.
  4. ^ "History". GRNZ.
  5. ^ a b "History". GRNZ. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Page 10. Greyhound racing". The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  7. ^ "NZRB report on greyhound welfare 2017, page 5" (PDF). nzrb.co.nz.
  8. ^ "Statistics". www.galtd.org.au. Archived from the original on 2016-02-27.
  9. ^ "Australian Government Non-Livestock Exps". Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  10. ^ "Rules of Racing" (PDF). GRNZ. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  11. ^ WHK (25 June 2013). "Independent Welfare Review" (PDF). grnz.co.nz. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 April 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  12. ^ WHK Review, p. 4.
  13. ^ Wall, Tony (21 April 2014). "Greyhounds 'a bloodbath'; injury toll too high". Stuff. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  14. ^ Lichter, Barry (23 February 2016). "Top trainer Steve Clark claims track conditions putting greyhound lives at risk after dog put down". Stuff. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  15. ^ Hansen, Rodney (11 October 2017). "Hansen Report" (PDF). grnz.co.nz. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  16. ^ Hansen Report, p. 32.
  17. ^ Hansen Report, p. 56.
  18. ^ Kermeen, Matt (20 December 2017). "Dead dogs: 1447 greyhounds known to be euthanised in four years, report reveals". Stuff. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  19. ^ "Racing Minister says Hansen report findings are disturbing". The Beehive. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  20. ^ "Hon David Bennett Chairperson Petition 2014/94 of Aaron Cross and 129 others". Parliament. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  21. ^ "Review into greyhound racing announced". The Beehive. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  22. ^ Robertson, Bruce (30 July 2021). "Robertson Review" (PDF). The Beehive. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  23. ^ Robertson Review, p. 8.
  24. ^ Robertson Review, p. 16.
  25. ^ University of Auckland (13 June 2021). "Rehoming greyhounds no sure bet for animal welfare issues". Newsroom. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  26. ^ "Petition of Aaron Cross for the Greyhound Protection League of New Zealand: Ban commercial greyhound racing in Aotearoa New Zealand". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  27. ^ "Greyhound racing industry formally on notice". The Beehive. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  28. ^ Morrah, Michael (4 May 2022). "Racing regulator inquires into condition of dogs owned by John McInerney, NZ's most prolific greyhound trainer". Newshub. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  29. ^ Morrah, Michael (5 May 2022). "Racing regulator issued up to 300 warnings to greyhound trainers over health and welfare failures in under a year". Newshub. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  30. ^ Morrah, Michael (13 May 2022). "Co-owner of race dog who tested positive for meth is on board of Racing Integrity Unit, Greyhound Racing NZ". Newshub. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  31. ^ Open Justice (26 August 2022). "15 racing dogs found in 'squalid' and 'inexcusable' conditions". NewstalkZB. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  32. ^ Cameron, Kristie E; Vaughan, Alison; McAninch, Marie J; Briden, Kayla; Dale, Arnja (8 January 2024). "Cross-Sectional Survey of Public Perception of Commercial Greyhound Racing in New Zealand". Animals. 14 (2). Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  33. ^ "Racing Integrity Board Greyhound Reviews released". racingintegrityboard.org.nz. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  34. ^ "Greyhound Review Final Report – 12 December 2022" (PDF). racingintegrityboard.org.nz. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  35. ^ Racing Integrity Board Review 2022, p. 67.
  36. ^ "Greyhound Review Supplementary report – 16 March 2023" (PDF). racingintegrityboard.org.nz. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  37. ^ Racing Integrity Board Supplementary report 2023, p. 9.
  38. ^ Van Beynen, Martin (13 October 2023). "Leaders' stance on greyhounds spooks industry". The Press Te Matatika. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  39. ^ Boland, Kristie (3 November 2023). "Top greyhound racer disqualified for a year after dog tested positive for meth". The Press Te Matatika. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  40. ^ Reason, Mark (24 September 2017). "Mark Reason: Greyhound racing has gone to the dogs". Stuff. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
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