Four greyhounds euthanised and 109 injured this year a Wenty Park
Four greyhounds have been euthanised and more than 100 have been injured already this year at Wentworth Park.
Inner West
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FOUR greyhounds have been euthanised and more than 100 have been injured already this year at Wentworth Park.
Analysis of publicly available Greyhound Racing NSW steward’s reports show there have already been 109 injuries from 41 races at the premier track since January 3.
Those injuries which resulted in euthanasia ranged from a fractured hock (ankle) to a more severe fracture below the elbow.
A former GRNSW on-track vet, who did not want to be named, said the euthanasia figures recorded at race meets across NSW were just scratching the surface of the number that ended up getting put down at a later date.
“The ones that are recorded is just a small percentage of the ones that get put down from their injuries,” he said.
Commenting generally on his experience working at tracks across the State, he said it was “too common” for greyhounds to be euthanised for “treatable” injuries.
He was not criticising the on-track vets for carrying out euthanasia.
“If the owner says they’re not going to get the dog treated, the kindest thing to do to alleviate their suffering is euthanasia,” he said.
“Greyhounds are seen as a disposable commodity. They could spend an absolute fortune doing adjustments to Wentworth Park but they’d still get injuries. They’re never going to eliminate those catastrophic injuries because they stem from collisions, which come from dogs running in a tight pack.”
GRNSW data obtained by Greens MLC Mehreen Faruqi showed 296 greyhounds were euthanised across NSW as a result of injury between April 12 and December 31 last year and an average of about three greyhounds are killed every day. Sources said the figures were likely to be an underestimate because they relied on reports from owners. Ms Faruqi described the figures as the “tip of he iceberg”, adding the backflip on the racing ban as “one of the most shameful episodes in NSW politics”.
“Wentworth Park is the home of greyhound racing in NSW and the fact that dogs continue to die and get seriously injured while racing shows the industry promise to stop the deaths was meaningless,” she said.
A GRNSW spokesman said: “If a greyhound is injured on a track, the on-track vet will assess the dog and advise the owner of the most appropriate treatment options. If the on-track veterinarian forms the opinion that euthanasia is the most appropriate option to prevent further suffering or distress, the veterinarian can euthanise the greyhound. The on-track vet will generally follow best practice and seek the owner’s consent prior to performing euthanasia.”
A spokesman for Racing Minister Paul Toole said the Government had committed $30 million over five years to help GRNSW and its clubs upgrade tracks to prevent and reduce injuries.
Recommendations from a University of Technology report, which included purpose-built straight tracks, redesigning lures and removing bend starts, would guide the development of minimum standards for track design and would be subject to approval by the new Greyhound Welfare & Integrity Commission, he said.