New South Whales Bans Dog Racing
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

GREY2KUSA.org
August 2016

This is truly the beginning of the end of dog racing Down Under. We must now fight as hard as we can to end racing across the entire country. Working with the Animal Justice Party and the Greens, as well as groups such as Animals Australia, Animal Liberation Queensland, the Animal Welfare League, Friends of the Hound, Gone are the Dogs, the Greyhound Equality Society, the RSPCA and Sentient, we will close down ALL operating tracks in the seven remaining Aussie states.

greyhound racer
Photo: Animal Welfare League Queensland

I am happy to announce that New South Wales has become the first Australian state to prohibit dog racing! That's right, moments ago Parliament voted to:

  • outlaw greyhound racing and training
  • end the breeding of greyhounds for racing
  • close the state's three dozen dog tracks
  • all effective July 1, 2017

On July 7, NSW Premier Mike Baird and Racing Minister Troy Grant announced that greyhound racing must end stating that “[a]s a humane and responsible Government, we are left with no acceptable course of action except to close this industry down.” When pressured to reconsider, they stood firm and stated, “We simply cannot stand by and allow the widespread and systematic mistreatment of animals.”

We would like to offer special thanks to Members of Parliament, Dr. Mehreen Faruqi of the Greens and Mark Pearson of the Animal Justice Party, both of whom gave stunning testimony during the August 9 floor debates. They detailed the findings of a Special Commission of Inquiry into Greyhound Racing that described the killing of over 68,000 greyhounds since 2004, the common practice of using live animals as bait to train greyhounds, and the repeated failure of industry to clean up its act. MP Pearson also emphasized dog racing's effect on social values, concluding:

“This bill is not only about the animal issue — dogs, possums, rabbits, piglets, cats, et cetera — but it is also about bringing people into a better way of compassionate living and children not being exposed to brutalities upon animals.”

We are honored to know and work with these courageous lawmakers, who wore GREY2K USA Worldwide insignia while delivering their remarks!

Over the next several months, with funding from the government and non-profit groups, a series of greyhound sanctuaries are envisioned for dogs in need, retraining programs for former industry workers will be provided, and track properties are to be converted to better use. A new day will soon come for the people and the greyhounds of New South Wales!

This is truly the beginning of the end of dog racing Down Under. We must now fight as hard as we can to end racing across the entire country. Working with the Animal Justice Party and the Greens, as well as groups such as Animals Australia, Animal Liberation Queensland, the Animal Welfare League, Friends of the Hound, Gone are the Dogs, the Greyhound Equality Society, the RSPCA and Sentient, we will close down ALL operating tracks in the seven remaining Aussie states.

If you would like to help make this dream come true, please make a donation today of $10, $25, $50, $100 or more to support our vital legislative work. It was in 1919 that the cruelty of dog racing was invented in the United States, so we feel a special duty to undo this wrong and stop the killing of abuse of greyhounds wherever it is happening!

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