2015-01-16
Monica Seeber
My life changed dramatically after I adopted Bruce. I've had dogs since I was 12 however I've had more comments and compliments with Bruce than with my other dogs combined.
Australia is one of only eight countries in the world with commercial greyhound racing. The United States is also one of those eight however 39 of the 51 states have banned the “sport”. Our greyhound racing industry is the third largest in the world. Approximately $3 billion is wagered on nearly 40,000 races each year.
The Greens draft their animal-related policies considering the five freedoms of animals:
- Freedom from hunger and thirst: by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigour.
- Freedom from discomfort: by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.
- Freedom from pain injury and disease: by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.
- Freedom to express normal behaviour: by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal's own kind.
- Freedom from fear and distress: by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.
The WA Greens policy on animal racing is:
- to work towards the abolition of any inhumane use or killing of animals for sport, recreation or entertainment
Unfortunately, we have no defined measures for working towards this aim and in the public actions of Greens members and representatives it is often an issue that is pushed into the background.
To be quite frank, this isn't good enough.
Greyhound breeding is controlled by the industry and there is no mandatory reporting so we don't really know how many pups are bred each year, but we do know it's about 17,000. Every year. That's more than 1400 pups each month.
Approximately 30% of these pups are “missing” or “unaccounted for” every year.
The greyhound racing industry is Australia's largest puppy mill. And the most lethal.
Of those greyhounds that make it through puppyhood, only 1 in 10 greyhounds is “successful” on the track.
The rest are called “wastage” — approximately 15,300 dogs each year. Less than 10% of those 15,000 dogs are rescued by industry adoption programs or third-party rescue groups.
And they're called rescue groups for a reason.
Somewhere between 18,000 and 25,000 greyhounds are killed each year by the racing industry. They're euthanised at the track because of racing-acquired injuries; sent to veterinary schools for use teaching students and as blood donors for other dogs; or they're just euthanised and dumped.
It is not unusual for a trainer to call a rescue organisation and allow them only 24 hours to arrange accommodation for a dog or else it will be killed.
Bruce was three years old when I adopted him. He was one of seven pups born to a sire and dam who both had successful racing careers. Bruce was registered for racing but never made it to the track. None of his siblings raced either.
Greyhound Adoptions WA rescued Bruce and he lived with a foster family for about a week before he came home with me, eating good food and sleeping on a soft bed. However, his fur was a mess: yellow patches that were supposed to be white, bald patches on his legs and belly, and his skin was dry and flaky. These are signs of prolonged crappy living conditions with inadequate bedding, inadequate food, and inadequate cleaning. It took months for his coat and skin to heal. The yellow-stained fur eventually fell out and healthy white grew to replace it. His bald patches have grown over and his skin is healthy. Now, he is regularly complimented on his beautiful, soft fur.
If Bruce hadn't been rescued, he would be one of the thousands of greyhounds that was killed in 2012. And I would never have met the beautiful, socially awkward, couch potato that is my Bruce.
This is an issue we should all be discussing at the regional level and working towards a comprehensive policy. Because it's not just one dog's life — it's thousands.
The Greens need to do more. We need to do more.
The Greens respond:
The Greyhound industry in Western Australia has a dark underbelly that means many innocent dogs are euthanised if they are injured or do not make it to the track. In the hope of reducing that high rate of euthanasia, in 2013 Lynn MacLaren MLC supported new provisions to enable retired racing greyhounds to safely return to the community as household pets. The solution was introduced as part of the Dog Amendment Bill 2013. That provision allows retired greyhounds that have completed an approved training course to be released without a muzzle into family homes as household pets. This means Greyhounds do not have to wear a muzzle if they have completed an approved training course. The training course deems that a dog is not dangerous to members of the community. This provision acknowledges that every greyhound is different and gives each one shot at life after racing without a muzzle. This reduces the stigma, fear and unfair euthanasia; and hopefully this improves the rate of adoption.
Lynn says: In September last year the WA Greyhound Association announced $13million for a new Cannington Race Track. I called for funding out of the $13million to go towards the retirement of Greyhounds after their racing career is over or if they do not make it to the track. I have met with Greyhound Adoptions WA and expressed my support for their commitment and hard work.
Just as I have worked together with activists opposed to shark culling, live exports, factory farming, breed specific regulations for dogs and those fighting to protect habitat for numbats, red-tailed and Carnaby's cockatoos, I would welcome more action on greyhound racing and encourage Ms Seeber to get in touch.
The SA Greens have a strong track record of standing up for companion animals and supporting measures to reduce euthanasia rates for them. Tammy Franks MLC initiated a 2012 forum of stakeholders bringing together shelters, rescues, vets and politicians to work together for reform. This was a first for the state and led to some useful cross party alliances being formed to further companion animal welfare.
The SA Greens strongly support the current Liberal Party Bill being debated, which focuses on licensing of breeders, to stamp out unethical breeding practices and puppy farms.
We will strengthen these moves to eliminate puppy mills with our own Smarter Shelter Bill this year to ensure that euthanising animals is always seen as a last resort.
Similarly, the Greens NSW have condemned the greyhound racing industry and committed to:
- Replace the industry regulator Greyhound Racing NSW with two separate bodies to remove the conflict of interest posed by one body managing both commercial and regulatory functions.
- Reduce the numbers of dogs being killed by increasing rehoming rates and tightening control over the numbers of dogs born.
- Increase legal protections for greyhounds including legislated standards for breeding, rearing and education practices and lifetime tracking.
- Increase transparency by mandating the collection of data on the number of greyhounds whelped, killed and injured each year.
- Prohibit the live export of greyhounds for racing or breeding purposes
And an initiative to abolish puppy farms formed a key component of the Victorian Greens' election campaign last year.
We strongly agree that the greyhound racing industry has appalling animal welfare practices and is troubled by serious regulatory issues. The Greens welcome the opportunity to work with the community to minimise animal cruelty, in line with our policy on Animals.