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Karen Cunnington BSc BVSc Hons

The Pet Greyhound Wellbeing & Veterinary Advisory Service

& the Greyhound Rehoming Centre

www.greyhoundrehomingcentre.org

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• Of the 7,500 greyhounds born [in Victoria each year], approximately only 1,000 will live a full life span. *

https://assets.justice.vic.gov.au/justice/resources/5b85e800-7569-40a0-bd79-3ed5ef1d303c/letter_judge_gordon_lewis_providing_integrity_report_to_minister_aug_2008.pdf*Covering Letter to Honourable Rob Hulls MP, Minister for Racing, Victoria, 1 August

2008 to Judge G D Lewis AM, A Report on Integrity Assurance in Victoria’s Racing Industry (2008)

• Over breeding/supply

• Outdated training techniques

• Lack of early & appropriate socialisation

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• Green collar standard

• Public perception

• Low demand for adoption

• 3,300 litters per year are registered with Greyhounds Australasia*

• 3,300 x 6 (average numbers of puppies in a litter)=19,800

• 13,300 greyhounds named (registered for racing)

• 19, 800 – 13,300 = 6500 puppies/young that are not suitable for racing (failure to chase, injuries, lack ability)

• 32.8% initial failure rate

• Very little if any regulation of the dogs that are unnamed

*figures obtained from Greyhounds Australasia

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• GAP VIC– 4000 since 1996– 2011-2012 (354)

• GAP QLD – 2011 - 2012 (96)– 2012 – 2013 (73)

• GAP NSW – <300 since 2009

• Less than 700 are adopted through industry funded programs nationally each year

• 19 800 born vs. 700 through GAP per year

• Average racing life of 2-4 years

• Average 14 000 racing each year– How many are retired/in need of homes at 2 or 4

years?

• An unknown percentage are retained for– Breeding

– Privately rehomed or kept as pets by trainers?

• Lack of transparency & industry self regulation

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• The racing industry is actively promoting theadoption of a predatory animal, whilst in principlevia the GAPNTT failing those that actually are.

• In respect of GAP itself, I find it astonishingthat there is a lengthy waiting list of adoptersin the context of the number of young healthydogs being killed.*

From a covering Letter to Honourable Rob Hulls MP, Minister for Racing, Victoria. 1August 2008 in Judge G D Lewis AM, A Report on Integrity Assurance in Victoria’sRacing Industry (2008)https://assets.justice.vic.gov.au/justice/resources/5b85e800-7569-40a0-bd79-3ed5ef1d303c/letter_judge_gordon_lewis_providing_integrity_report_to_minister_aug_2008.pdf

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• Query healthy, young dogs?

– Physical health vs mental health

– Many require extensive rehabilitation prior to rehoming

• The general public:

– Are often unwilling to adopt a dog with behavioural problems

– Can be unrealistic in their expectations

• Cats, birds, chickens even rabbits

Picture sourced from: winniethegreyhoundblogspot.com

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Need this for racing But want this for retirement

And the industry has no time, facilities, budget or expertise to allow this remarkable transformation to take place for many dogs!

• Is the “traditional” training life cycle of the greyhound conducive to maximising successful racing potential?

• Or just as importantly, retirement?

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*

• 6-12 weeks in puppy groups

source GRNSW website and “Care of racing and retired greyhound”, authors: L Blythe, J Gannon, A Craig, D Fegan

• Rearing farm

–Usually rural areas

–Raised in groups in long runs or paddocks

Photos sourced from Greyhound Data

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*picture from No Agent Reality, “Premium Greyhound Rearing Property for sale”

– Come in out of the paddocks to begin education!

– Learn how to be kennelled

– Experience the excitement

of the trial tracks

*source GRNSW website and “Care of racing and retired greyhound”, authors: L Blythe, J Gannon, A Craig, D Fegan Picture: Greyhound Data

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– leash/collar trained

– been in a car

– met children

– left the property

– been in a house

– heard a vacuum

– or traffic noise

– chewed a bone

– chased a ball

– had a bath

– been groomed

– seen a television

– or met another breed of dog

Most have not been adequately socialised or exposed to novel stimuli during recognised critical periods

• Quite rural environment, lacking habituation to normal suburban sounds

• Environmental enrichment is rare

• Often manifesting as generalised fearfulness

• Or adrenaline junkies?

*picture from No Agent Reality, “Premium Greyhound Rearing Property for sale”

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• First 16 weeks are critical learning periods

• Deprivation (socialisation & habituation) is well recognised as having severe and long term effects on the ability of a pet to live successfully in a family environment

• It must do on racing as well– (6500, or 32% initial failure rate)

• 3 - 12 months*

• 12 months-retirement

• 6-12 weeks*

• Retirement

retirement Puppy farms

Rearing Properties

Kennelling

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Anxiety is frequent

Anxiety disorder is common

• Dependent on background

– often a notable difference between rural vssuburban dogs

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• Why has muzzling greyhounds become accepted as the norm in legislation rather than addressing the core issue of why they (may) need one in the first place?

• i.e.:

– Training techniques etc

– Lack of early and appropriate socialisation

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Unrealistic!

• In all states (where applicable) exceptNSW/ACT, muzzling exemption is administeredby the industry funded GAP

• Public opinion divided regarding GAPassessing dogs arguably of the industries ownmaking (rather harshly)

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• Now largely retained as a marketing point of difference between industry vs. non industry programs

• Fiercely protected in some states

– QLD and VIC

• Long waiting times for industry funded programsensure that by default they are catering for dogswhose owners/trainers

– have the resources to care for their dogs post-racing, and

– who in all likelihood could play a more active role in the

re-homing process of their own dog

• It does however neglect

the most vulnerable

– E.g. the 6500 un-named dogs

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• Each dog costs conservatively in the region of$2000 - $4000 to put through GAP

• With an industry funded clinic for example,how many dogs could be neutered or indeedfed for that?

• All or nothing approach is/should be of publicconcern

– GRV - $1.035 million over 3 years for GAP

– Used to fund pet insurance and subsidiseadoption fee to $75.00 for the same population ofdogs

• There is an urgent need to exploreopportunities to cater for more dogs moreefficiently using the available funding

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The focus needs to shift from the currentrelatively small % of dogs to a program that canoffer:

• neutering

• basic health care and

• behavioural advice

• for dogs being re-homed privately or waiting toenter GAP or other programs

• Additional funding for rehoming is pointless unless it is combined with changes to:

– Breeding

– Rearing

– Training

– Education &

– Enforcement

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