In an incredibly upsetting milestone, more than 150 greyhounds have officially been killed in races this year in Australia.
The Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds (CPG), an org dedicated to banning “greyhound suffering”, analysed industry steward reports to find that over the course of 2021, a whopping 153 dogs have been killed and 8799 injured.
86 per cent of the greyhounds killed were euthanised with leg fractures while four per cent had neck fractures.
In the last week alone, six dogs were killed and 143 were injured across the country.
The top offender for 2021 so far is NSW, which holds the frankly embarrassing title of most prolific greyhound killer, making up just over 38 per cent of the deaths.
Despite initiatives to reform racing, fatalities in the state have actually gotten worse, with NSW this year responsible for 58 deaths compared to last year’s 48.
Back in 2018, the NSW government established the Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission in response to the incredibly damning Special Commission of Inquiry into the sport, which levelled accusations of live-baiting, euthanasia and mass-graves of dogs.
The Inquiry also resulted in nearly 80 recommendations in an attempt to make the sport more ethical, including more regulations around animal welfare.
As you might remember, former NSW Premier Mike Baird banned the sport in a landmark move back in 2016, only to infamously backflip on the decision two months later.
Currently, the only state where greyhound racing is illegal is ACT, where the sport was officially banned in 2018.
Last year, there were 202 track related deaths across Australia, and Victoria and Queensland were the biggest culprits with 72 and 40 deaths respectively.
According to the CPG, in 2021 so far there has been at least one death in every state where greyhound racing is legal.
The CPG’s director Annie Hendley laid out the organisation’s objection to dog racing in a statement.
“Greyhound racing is cruel and barbaric. Dogs should not be dying in agony for the sake of a bet,” the CPG’s director Annie Hendley said in a statement about the findings.
“There’s no place for a dog-killing industry in the 21st century. Greyhounds are beautiful, gentle dogs, but the gambling industry treats them like disposable commodities.”
