Rehoming costs for greyhound adoptions revealed in GBE scrutiny

Questions during recent GBE inquiries have revealed that almost $17,000 was spent on rehoming greyhounds through the government-run adoption program.

Dogs in the Greyhound Adoption Program Tasmania

The taxpayer burden of rehabilitating ex-racing greyhounds by the government-run adoption program is almost $17,000 a dog but $0 for those greyhounds going through other not-for-profit animal shelters.

During scrutiny of Tasracing’s annual report in Friday’s House of Assembly government business enterprise sessions, the cost to run Tasracing’s greyhound adoption program – which rehomed 83 dogs in the year 2023-24 – was revealed at $1.4m.

Independent member for Clark Kristie Johnston said based on those figures, it was a cost of almost $17,000 per dog per year to rehabilitate and rehome through GAP.

“I just note that the RSPCA, Dogs Homes, Small Paws, Illoura and Brightside don’t receive a single cent from the industry to try and re-home the wastage,” Ms Johnstone said.

Tasracing chair Gene Phair. Tasracing. GBE 2024. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Tasracing chair Gene Phair said with new rules in place, Tasracing pays for desexing, vaccinations and dental work all the retiring dogs need, not just those going through GAP- effectively taking those costs up to $1100 off the ancillary rehomers.

“For every dog that they rehome, we have funded a significant component of that cost,” he said.

Mr Phair said they had introduced a welfare grants scheme to assist groups that have a positive impact on racing animals, and added no applications were received from ancillary rehomes.

He said the “ancillary re-homers” rehomed 33 of the nearly 180 dogs retired in the past year, but Ms Johnston disputed this after “receiving confirmation” that both the RSPCA and Dogs Home had rehomed 47 dogs combined.

Doctor Rosalie Woodruff Greens leader. Final day of state parliament for 2024. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff asked Racing Minister Jane Howlett when the “critical” tracking of greyhounds from birth to death would be put in place, as there is currently no tracking or oversight of what happens to dogs after they retire- leading to dogs ending up for giveaway on online sites like Gumtree.

Numbers outlined in the Tasracing annual report are self-reported numbers and have not been independently verified.

Ms Howlett said the RSPCA and the Office of Racing Integrity would provide her with their recommendations for lifetime traceability options for greyhounds “in the coming months”.

Greyhound welfare was in the spotlight last week as a group of vets added their support to a campaign to end funding of the code.

CEO Andrew Jenkins said in summary, litters were being responsibly bred, fewer greyhounds were being euthanised and more dogs were being rehomed.