“Despite significant progress made in the greyhound racing industry in recent years, the percentage of injured dogs remains consistently high and the time has come to make a call in the best interests of the animals,” Racing Minister Winston Peters said in a statement on Tuesday.
“This decision is not taken lightly, but is ultimately driven by the protection of the welfare of racehorses,” he said.
The government introduced a bill on Tuesday to prevent the unnecessary killing of racing dogs, which “will be passed as a matter of urgency,” said Peters, who is also New Zealand’s deputy prime minister.
He said further legislation would be introduced to stop greyhound racing.
There have been three reviews of the greyhound racing industry in the past decade, all of which have recommended significant changes.
According to local media reports, 232 jumping greyhounds were killed and 900 injured in 2021.
The industry was put on “notice” by the government in September of that year, but the number of deaths and injuries continued. Animal rights group Safe reported more than 2,500 injuries and nearly 30 deaths over the next two and a half years.
Now the main task is to return the 2,900 jumpers who remained in the country to their homeland.
Animal rights groups, which have long fought to shut down the industry, cheered Tuesday’s announcement, with Seif calling it a “monumental victory for animal rights.”
New Zealand’s oldest animal welfare charity, the SPCA, said it was “delighted” by the move and called on other countries where greyhound racing is allowed to follow suit.
However, industry association Greyhound Racing New Zealand, which brings together greyhound racing clubs across the country, said it was “devastated” by the government’s proposal.
“The greyhound community has been left reeling from the announcement, with many expressing concern about the potential cultural and economic void this decision could create,” association chairman Sean Hannon said.
Greyhound racing accounts for 8.5% of New Zealand’s NZ$1.3bn ($760m; £595m) racing industry, figures show.
“The government’s decision to close the industry is deeply disappointing as it ignores the significant progress we have made,” said Hannan, who also called on the government to reconsider its decision.
