VICTORIAN DOGS ARE DYING: We demand an inquiry into greyhound racing.

The Victorian greyhound racing industry is a killing machine.

Before we even made it to June, 20 dogs were killed on Victorian racing tracks, making us the leading state for on-track deaths.

After a shocking investigation found multiple greyhounds, including puppies, being brutally kicked, punched and South Australian trainer, whose dogs race in Victoria too, the South Australian government announced an Inquiry into the industry.

Victoria must do the same, and call for an independent inquiry now.

Off the track, cruelty cases in Victoria are common too. Trainers have been caught neglecting and threatening to shoot their dogs and further ...

The Victorian greyhound racing industry is a killing machine.

Before we even made it to June, 20 dogs were killed on Victorian racing tracks, making us the leading state for on-track deaths.

After a shocking investigation found multiple greyhounds, including puppies, being brutally kicked, punched and South Australian trainer, whose dogs race in Victoria too, the South Australian government announced an Inquiry into the industry.

Victoria must do the same, and call for an independent inquiry now.

Off the track, cruelty cases in Victoria are common too. Trainers have been caught neglecting and threatening to shoot their dogs and further evidence of live baiting has surfaced.

Victoria is also home to some of the deadliest tracks. In April alone, five dogs were killed at Traralgon — more than in the whole of 2023. The multi-million dollar, government funded ‘safety improvements’ at the track have been an abysmal and expensive failure. So we’re calling for it to be permanently closed.

Last year in Victoria, 31 dogs were killed on tracks, and 2024 is looking even more deadly. 2023 also saw 3,414 dogs injured on these tracks.

On top of all of this, the industry is breeding almost 350% more dogs than they have the ability to rehome.It’s the dedicated animal protection groups and whistleblowers who repeatedly expose the greyhound industry for illegal exports and extreme cruelty. It’s about time they were held accountable.

There’s no denying that racing dogs die distressed, confused, panicked and in pain. It’s a brutal industry where the losers are the dogs - and they pay with their lives.

We’re calling for an independent inquiry into greyhound racing in Victoria, and for the closure of the state’s most brutal track, because these remarkable animals deserve safety and kindness, not suffering and killing.

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Email the Racing Minister and CEO at Greyhound Racing Victoria

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Dear Anthony Carbines (Minister for Racing) and Stuart Laing (CEO at Greyhound Racing Victoria),

Victoria must follow the example set by South Australia and act on the widespread calls for an independent Inquiry into greyhound racing.

Before June, 20 dogs were killed on Victorian racing tracks, making us the leading state for on-track deaths.

The worst track of all is Traralgon. In April alone, five dogs were killed at Traralgon — more than in the whole of 2023. The multi-million dollar, government funded ‘safety improvements’ at the track have been an abysmal and expensive failure. I urge you to please close this death track.

By the end of last year, the greyhound death toll in Victoria was 31, and this year is looking worse. These horrific statistics don’t take into account the ‘wastage’ – those killed with injuries off the track, or because they didn’t make the grade or were considered superfluous through over breeding.

There is no limit imposed on the breeding of greyhounds in Victoria. Based on the 2022 Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) annual report, the industry is currently breeding almost four times as many dogs as it has the capacity to rehome through the Greyhound Adoption Program (GAP).

Community led, volunteer rescue groups rehome the majority of retired and discarded racing greyhounds each year, however the pressure it is putting on them due to Victoria’s rehoming crisis is significant.

The list of greyhounds in need of a home is endless and individual volunteers and rescue groups should not be responsible for sustaining the demand. Rescues are struggling to find foster carers as well as permanent homes.  One rescue recently reported 7,000 volunteer hours per year to save greyhounds from the industry.

The devastating reality is that each rescue represents a continuous stream of dogs that will languish in barren concrete kennels or risk being killed if they cannot be saved.

We urge you as the decision makers to support our call for an immediate inquiry into tax payer funded greyhound racing, and to close the deadly Traralgon track.

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