A Staggering Number Of Greyhounds Have Died On The Track This Year
Ban racing now.
A new report from The Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds has revealed that 150 greyhounds have died on the track this year, a tragic reminder that the racing industry thrives on the torture of innocent animals.
The precise number of dogs that have died is 153 — 86 percent of that number were euthanised after leg fractures, a common sight on the track; during races, greyhounds will often take tumbles and spills, particularly around corners. Four percent of the total deaths followed neck fractures. On top of that, a staggering 8799 animals were injured.
That’s part of a trend over the last few years, with 202 deaths reported across Australia in 2021. In NSW, the number of deaths is up by 10, with the state holding the inauspicious title of most dogs dead after racing injuries.
Such figures are a stunning riposte to those in the industry who claim that dogs “love to race”, or that deaths are an aberration. The report proves that injuries and fractures are in fact the norm, and that the industry’s death toll will continue the longer that is allowed to prosper.
The report doesn’t even touch on the rude shock that “retired” (read: rescued) racing greyhounds endure. While organisations like Greyhounds As Pets are committed to finding long-term homes for the animals after their time on the track is done, re-homing is a fraught and difficult process, with greyhounds often taking months to adapt to living in their new setting, and learning what it is like to be a dog.
That, of course, is also a deeply necessary process, and ex-racing dogs can make beautiful and loving pets — personally, I owned an ex-racer for two years, and she was the most loving, beautiful dog I’ve ever encountered. But many will suffer ongoing health problems and behavioural issues from their time living in a cramped, tiny kennel, only encountering the world of humans when forced to run in cruel races.
In essence, the report makes clear what so many already realise — that it is high time to ban greyhound racing in Australia.