Greyhound racing sprints to the finish in New Zealand, edging U.S. by a nose

Seven tracks in New Zealand to close while two in West Virginia run on

WELLINGTON, New Zealand––Among the last great races in greyhound history appears to be which of the last nations involved will be out of the business first:  Australia,  Ireland,  New Zealand,  or the United Kingdom.

The  New Zealand greyhound racing industry just took the lead,  headed toward a newly scheduled finish by August 1,  2026.

The U.S. greyhound industry had appeared to be ahead in the race toward oblivion,  represented by just two remaining active tracks,  the Wheeling Island Casino & Racetrack and the Mardi Gras Casino & Resort,  both in West Virginia,  both owned by Delaware North.

But New Zealand minister for racing and deputy prime minister Winston Peters on December 10,  2024 upset the odds.

“The time has come to do the right thing”

“While fewer dogs are dying,  injury rates,  while down slightly,  have plateaued and remain unacceptably high,”  Peters declared,  with “no evidence that injury rates would significantly decline,”  under any amended rules.

“Despite significant progress made by the greyhound racing industry in recent years,”  Peters conceded,  “the percentage of dogs being injured remains persistently and stubbornly high and the time has come to make a call in the best interest of the animals.

“The time has come to do the right thing.  It’s a very significant day,”  said Peters.

“This is not a decision that is taken lightly but is ultimately driven by protecting the welfare of racing dogs,”  Peters emphasized.

20-month phase-out

Peters pledged,  as Guardian Wellington correspondent Eva Corlett summarized,  “The greyhound industry will be wound down over the next 20 months to allow a transition period and enable the rehoming of racing dogs.  Legislation to prevent the unnecessary killing of racing dogs has been introduced, while legislation to end racing will be introduced in 2025.  The select committee process will allow any interested parties,  including the greyhound industry,  to make submissions on the legislation,”  including to try to block it.

The 123-seat New Zealand legislature is fragmented among six parties,  of which Peters’ NZ First Party holds the second fewest seats,  but is also part of the 68-seat governing coalition.

While it is theoretically possible that greyhound industry lobbying could split the governing coalition,  there appears to be broad support among the minority parties as well as among the government for the greyhound-racing phase-out.

Peters was believed to be pro-greyhound racing

Indeed,  Peters,  79,  was widely believed to be supportive of both greyhound racing and the also embattled New Zealand horse racing industry.

Explained Corlett,  “The three-time racing minister and supporter of the racing industry [Peters] has been considering the future of greyhound racing since early this year.

“Many anti-greyhound racing activists believed his love of racing meant the industry would survive, so the announcement is likely to come as a shock both to the industry and opponents alike.”

Continued Corlett,  “An advisory committee has been appointed to manage the rehoming of 2,900 racing dogs,”  who will be displaced by the end of greyhound racing,  “and the government will work with animal welfare groups to support this,  Peters said.”

The money

The New Zealand greyhound industry,  initially only a target of animal advocates,  has come under increasing public scrutiny since publication of a 2017 report by former High Court Judge Rodney Hansen,  Queen’s Counsel,  who “found high rates of injury and euthanasia,  high numbers of ‘unaccounted for’ dogs,  and low re-homing numbers,”  Corlett recalled.

Greyhound racing currently accounts for about $114 million in U.S. dollars of the total $760-million-a-year New Zealand racing business.  Horse racing accounts for the other $646 million.

The New Zealand greyhound industry,  including seven greyhound racing clubs and six tracks,  staged approximately 4,800 races during the 2023/24 racing season.

This activity is believed to have generated about 1,000 full-time jobs.

But current greyhound industry claims may be exaggerated

However,  the data cited in a 2004 New Zealand Racing Board report entitled Size & Scope of New Zealand Racing Industry:  Economic Impacts & Community Social Benefit calls into question the accuracy of current greyhound racing industry claims,  and at the same time indicates that the industry has declined considerably over the past 20 years.

“The large number of hobby greyhound breeders makes it very difficult to accurately assess the cost of breeding greyhounds,”  the 2004 report said.  “It is estimated that breeders spend around $12 million [New Zealand dollars,  worth about $7 million U.S. dollars] each year producing pups in order to replenish greyhound racing stock.

“As most greyhound sales occur in private sales arrangements it is very difficult to estimate the value of these transactions,”  the 2004 report continued.

“Greyhound race clubs employ the services of nearly 1,200 persons to run the clubs throughout the year,”  the 2004 report added,  while estimating that “just over 60%” of the people participating in the greyhound industry “provide their services on a voluntary basis.”

“Long out of favor”

Peters’ announcement,  offered the New Zealand SPCA web page,  “Means that approximately 3,500 dogs currently involved in the racing industry,”  600 more dogs than Peters mentioned,  “will no longer be put at risk of injury,  distress,  or avoidable death.

“Greyhound racing,”  introduced to New Zealand in 1948,  “has long been out of favor,  with 75% of New Zealanders saying they support a ban,  preferring to see these dogs as pets not bets,  the New Zealand SPCA said.

In addition to mentioning the 2017 Hansen report,  the New Zealand SPCA cited other critical reports published in 2013,  2021,  and 2022.

Having to rehome either 2,900 or 3,500 retired racing greyhounds would increase the number of dogs handled by the New Zealand SPCA in an average year by as much as a third.

Many New Zealand greyhounds may come to the U.S.

However,  observed Grey2kUSA cofounder Carey Theil,  “Twenty months is a long time to facilitate the adoption of these dogs. When greyhound racing ended at the Macau Canidrome,”  in 2017,   “and in Guam,”  in 2010,  “many of the dogs went to Europe and the United States.  I would expect the same thing to happen in this case.

“It’s true that the American greyhound adoption community is a shadow of what it once was,”  Theil acknowledged,  as rescue participation has declined parallel to the supply of dogs,  and many longtime participants have aged out of activity.

“Even so,”  Theil said,  “hundreds of racing dogs are currently being adopted in the United States after being sent here from Australia,  Ireland,  and New Zealand.

“The New Zealand government could end up choosing to compensate greyhound racing participants,”  Theil conceded,  a possible political obstacle to the greyhound industry phase-out,  along with loss of tax money,  “but it will have no requirement to do so.  We do not believe that will endanger the phase-out.  We are confident the phase-out legislation will pass next year with a near unanimous vote.

“The decision to end greyhound racing in New Zealand is historic, and a major milestone for the animal protection community,”  Theil concluded.

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