If approved, the ban, which is now subject to select committee, would put an end to years of controversy and calls for change and is a move that many would say has been a long time coming.
In 2017, Rodney Hansen QC’s review revealed more than 1440 dogs had been euthanised in only four years, some dogs were “unaccounted” for, there was poor record-keeping and low numbers of greyhounds had been rehomed.
Peters, who was Racing Minister in 2017, said at the time Hansen’s findings were “disturbing”.
A series of alarming reports, with questions also surrounding their transparency, led the previous Labour Government to put the greyhound racing industry on notice. In 2021, then Racing Minister Grant Robertson accused Greyhound Racing New Zealand (GRNZ) of “unnecessarily obfuscating information” and being reluctant to share pertinent data.
Then, last year, the industry was again warned it was on thin ice after a report from the Racing Integrity Board was published.
It would appear the majority agree with Winston Peters. Earlier this month, a survey by the SPCA found three-quarters of New Zealanders would vote to ban commercial greyhound racing if the decision were put to a public referendum.
Concerns about poor animal welfare standards have been an issue for years, with multiple groups running years-long sustained campaigns calling for an end to greyhound racing.
The industry has also been riddled with controversial incidents, including allegations that a top trainer used live animals to train his dogs, multiple racing dogs have tested positive for methamphetamine and dozens of dogs have been put down after suffering catastrophic injuries while racing.
Of course, not everyone is celebrating the ban. A number of people within the racing industry have voiced concerns about the way the ban would work and criticised the Government for only informing them an hour before the public announcement was made.
Craig Roberts, a long-time leading Canterbury greyhound trainer and member of the GRNZ board, told RNZ’s Checkpoint last week that he was blindsided by the announcement.
“We had absolutely no knowledge of this whatsoever until late in the morning, the president of the Manawatū Greyhound Racing Club rang our head office saying that he’d been approached by a TV channel ... and that Winston Peters would be there making a decision on greyhound racing.
“We have had no communication – and I mean zero communication – from Winston Peters since he has held office of Racing Minister.”
Roberts said he thought it was “disgusting, absolutely disgraceful behaviour of the minister to treat our industry like that”.
While Peters believes all racing greyhounds can be safely rehomed, including overseas, Roberts, who owns 75 dogs, said this was “unrealistic and not achievable” in the given timeframe.
“That is absolutely ridiculous to think the greyhounds will be rehomed in 20 months. It will take years to wind down the industry and get all the greyhounds rehomed.”
While the ban is a victory for animal welfare activists – SPCA chief scientific officer Arnja Dale called it “the best Christmas present ever” – it is important it is done well. There are thousands of dogs that need to find safe new homes and about 1000 employees from the industry who will need to find new jobs. The Government says it will support the industry through this transition, and an advisory committee has been set up to help manage it.
Is 20 months too short a timeframe? It depends who you ask. But it’s also worth pointing out that, on the same day as Peters’ announcement, a dog named Diamond Roman suffered a catastrophic injury and was killed following a race at Southland’s Ascot Park Raceway – so who knows how many more days like that we will have in that 20-month period?
With New Zealand being one of only five countries in the world where greyhound racing is still practised legally, it shouldn’t be too hard to look around for strategies on how to do this well and carry out the ban in a way that ensures the safety and welfare of the animals.
