Greyhound Racing industry breaks it’s promise

“Greyhound Racing industry breaks it’s promise”

Begins/

The racing industry has broken it’s promise of releasing greyhound death and injury data to the public, before the end of this year.

“It’s not surprising, they know the public would be sickened if they came clean” Said Aaron Cross, spokesperson for the Greyhound Protection League.

“We’ve been waiting over three years for the industry to front up and tell New Zealanders what’s becoming of slow and unwanted greyhounds. And here we are, with yet another broken promise around supposed transparency added to the list”.

“This means only bad things for greyhounds and their welfare”

The GPL is concerned that the government is turning a blind eye to the culling of hundreds of dogs each year for the gambling industry. Racing Stewards began censoring injury reports in 2013 as the result of the GPL’s petition to parliament, who were seeking more transparency over injuries and culling- not less.

“It’s a systemic approach designed to ensure gambling patrons and the public are kept in the dark around injuries and culling of slow greyhounds”

“The best thing for people to do is stop betting until the day the industry can prove it’s merit” Say’s Mr Cross.

“I’m pretty sure that day will never come”.

The live baiting scandal in Australia did not have any effect on betting turnover despite the shocking revelations.

“The government needs to remember, it’s role extends beyond enabling business at any cost. It has an obligation to the community to move society forwards, to create a better world with more humane outcomes, and to prohibit activities that cannot attain this.”

“For that reason, we will hopefully see New Zealand’s last greyhound races in 2017”

“The question is, how long will the government accept blind assurances with no actual strategies to stop the needless culling of greyhounds? How many shocking injuries before we stop this cruelty?”

“The industry has consistently said one thing and done otherwise since the moment it came under the animal welfare spotlight.”

“Relying on the disinterest of relevant government Ministers is not really a viable long term strategy”

/ENDS

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