The New South Wales minister overseeing greyhound racing has issued a stern warning to the industry’s governing board, threatening to dismiss them over alleged mismanagement of complaints and other operational issues.
Racing Minister David Harris reportedly sent a show cause notice to the Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) board, citing breaches of their operating licence amidst rising dog injuries and adoption program criticisms. The licence mandates immediate disclosure to the minister of anything that could bring the board or industry into disrepute. Both GRNSW and Harris declined to comment on the matter.
This development follows a series of full-page newspaper advertisements by the industry body on Wednesday, declaring 2023-24 as "our best year ever." Animal welfare advocates criticised this as an attempt at damage control. In response to the show cause notice reports, GRNSW issued another statement on Thursday celebrating the rehoming of a record 2,806 racing greyhounds in 2023-24, describing it as a "collective triumph."
Lisa Ryan from Animal Liberation referred to the advertisement as “a desperate attempt by an industry on its knees to shift focus” away from rising dog injuries and claims of mismanagement. Recent media reports have scrutinised the racing body’s adoption efforts, particularly concerning injuries at a rehoming facility in Wyee and the export of greyhounds to the United States despite their alleged unsuitability for export. Harris is expected to receive a report on the Wyee injuries from the government’s independent industry watchdog on Friday.