In twenty months, the greyhound racing industry in New Zealand will be a thing of the past. Earlier this month, lawmakers in Wellington announced a plan that gives greyhound racing industry workers just 20 months to wrap up the industry’s affairs, find homes for the dogs, and be gone forever.
Though greyhound racing has existed in New Zealand for more than a century, the industry has been under fire recently by animal rights groups. These groups have shown lawmakers, and the New Zealand public, that the industry has been putting down healthy dogs and not always providing proper care for the dogs that survived.
Deputy prime minister and racing minister Winston Peters addressed the ban in comments reported on by the Guardian saying, “Despite significant progress made by the greyhound racing industry in recent years, the percentage of dogs being injured remains persistently high and the time has come to make a call in the best interest of the animals.”
Peters’ plan for ending New Zealand’s dog racing industry will be beefed up with legislation that will be voted on next year. That plan includes a 20-month period for shutting down the industry and a bill aimed at preventing the mass slaughter of racing dogs.
Not surprisingly, Greyhound Racing NZ Chairman Sean Hannan was opposed to the move saying, “We are extremely disappointed that the government has not recognised the work the industry has done to address areas of concern – to the extent it now leads the wider racing industry with its commitment to animal welfare.”
New Zealand’s greyhound racing business currently employs about 1000 people.