New Zealand plans to ban greyhound racing over animal welfare concerns

New Zealand has revealed plans to ban greyhound racing citing concerns that too many dogs are being hurt or killed.

The ban, though not yet law, has received widespread public and political support after years of criticism called out the number of dogs euthanised due to racing injuries, and homes not being found after the end of their short careers.

The government plans to gradually phase out the practice over the next 20 months, ending on August 1 2026, allowing 2,900 dogs to be rehomed and more than 1,000 employees in the industry to find other work.

Commercial greyhound racing continues in the UK, US, Australia, and Ireland, though the Scottish parliament is considering banning the practice.

Racing Minister Winston Peters said Tuesday: "The time has come to make a call in the best interest of the animals."

New Zealand has recently tightened euthanasia policies and improved rehoming programmes, reducing the number of dogs killed per year. However, Peters said that the rate of injuries among dogs “remains persistently high".

Greyhound Racing New Zealand, an industry group, said the move was a "devasting blow," and accused the government of not recognising improvements made to animal welfare.

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New Zealand's animal welfare organisation, SPCA, praised the government for showing “compassion for dogs made to work in a dangerous gambling industry".

Hours after the government announced the end to greyhound racing, a law was rushed through to prevent dogs from being killed, unless a veterinarian deemed it unavoidable.

Peters said this will prevent owners from euthanising dogs for economic reasons.

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