Bulli has racked up one greyhound death and 69 injuries since the start of 2020, yet more high stakes racing is due with the Million Dollar Chase heat on Tuesday, 15 September 2020, said the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds (CPG) today.
On 27 June 2020, two-year-old Bugatti’s Wish collided with another dog at the first turn and fell, sustaining a compound fracture of the radius/ulnar (forelimb). she was euthanised after the eight-dog race - steward’s report (see race 7), racing profile, video. A normal greyhound life expectancy is 12-14 years.
Of the 69 injuries at Bulli, there were 17 major ones. Most racing injuries are treatable and a normal greyhound life expectancy is 12-14 years. For more state and national death and injury statistics, see here. CPG sources death and injury statistics from publicly available stewards’ reports.
CPG national president, Mr Dennis Anderson, said the NSW Government should not be giving taxpayers' money to an industry which causes so much animal suffering.
“Most Australians are disgusted by animal cruelty, yet the Government gives multi-millions to an industry which causes greyhound deaths and injuries every week across this country,” he said.
Despite UTS research in 2017 which showed racing only six dogs reduce deaths and injuries, Mr Anderson said both the NSW Government and GRNSW have failed to act.
“The UTS research, funded by the industry, showed six-dog racing improved race safety for the dogs, as did our own review of the data, but GRNSW didn’t act on it yet six-dog racing is also the current standard in the UK. Is it because betting revenue is more important than these dogs’ lives in NSW?", he said.
In 2017, the NSW Government also committed $30 million to support improved track safety - see CPG’s money map.
"But you won't find any details on a government website about how this money’s being spent, nor will you find a NSW auditor's report on outcomes achieved. Yet, almost 40,000 people in NSW told politicians they didn't want their money used for the Million Dollar Race when it was first announced,” said Mr Anderson.
A Channel 7 News poll in 2018 showed 95 per cent of its 39.8K respondents said 'no' to the question - 'The NSW government today donated $500,000 to the richest dog race in the world. Is this a good use of taxpayer’s money?'
Mr Anderson said a much better way to use public money would be to establish greyhound sanctuaries.
"Greyhound sanctuaries could create over 7,000 new jobs across rural NSW. The indirect jobs created would be about ten times the numbers supporting the greyhound racing population now. There’s no reason the Bulli region couldn’t be part of this," he said.
Mr Anderson said the racing industry must find a solution like sanctuaries instead of killing dogs, while the betting industry should also contribute.
“There would be no greyhound racing without the betting industry. NSW could amend the Betting Tax Act 2001, which is already used to collect funds from the racing industry, to pay sanctuary operators and staff," he said.
"The only way to end the dogs’ suffering is to ban greyhound racing, but until that happens, the industry must reduce on-track deaths and injuries by making tracks safer by way of straight tracks and six-dog races."
CPG's proposals are part of a five-point plan developed to reform the racing industry. As well as safer tracks, the plan includes whole-of-life tracking of each dog, reduced breeding, sanctuaries and increased penalties for mistreatment.
