Another greyhound has tested positive for methamphetamine in the racing industry. The drug was detected in June 2022 in Palmerston North only after the trainer used a string of excuses to delay the urine swab by two hours.

SAFE Campaigns Manager Anna de Roo said methamphetamine detections in the greyhound racing industry are a result of extreme negligence.

"Methamphetamine can cause agitation, seizures, and even death in greyhounds," said de Roo.

"What’s particularly horrifying is that methamphetamine detections are becoming more common in the greyhound racing industry, despite calls from the Government to increase animal welfare standards."

In another decision earlier this month, the Racing Integrity Board said that compared with harness racing and thoroughbred racing, detections are more prevalent within the greyhound racing Industry and they’re becoming more common.

Last year, the greyhound racing industry was formally put on notice, with the Racing Ministry at the time, Grant Robertson, identifying data recording, transparency, and animal welfare as areas that needed improvement.

"Greyhound racing has had ample opportunity over the last nine years to make improvements, and the industry’s litany of animal welfare failures should be resulting in an immediate ban."

SAFE is Aotearoa’s leading animal rights organisation.

We're creating a future that ensures the rights of animals are respected. Our core work empowers society to make kinder choices for ourselves, animals and our planet.

Notes:

- Following a review of the greyhound racing industry, Grant Robertson, the previous Racing Minister, stated there are three fundamental issues that still need to be addressed; data recording, transparency of all activities, and animal welfare generally. He tasked the Racing Integrity board to identify a specific set of indicators over each of these areas that will be used to assess the industry’s progress, reporting back to the Minister before the end of 2022.

- In August 2021, Labour MP Priyanca Radhakrishnan accepted The Greyhound Protection League of New Zealand’s 37,700 signature-strong petition, calling for a ban on greyhound racing in New Zealand. SAFE had been supporting the petition since November 2020.

- Photos of dogs rescued by the Greyhound Protection League.

- Greyhound racing is legal in only seven countries. A ban in the Australian Capital Territory came into force in April 2018, followed by a ban in Florida, USA, in November 2018. Since Florida is home to 11 of the USA’s 17 active dog tracks, this is a signal that greyhound racing will soon become a thing of the past in the United States.

- Information about greyhound racing in Aotearoa.

© Scoop Media