Death toll still rising

Calls for dog racing changes

A GEELONG greyhound has become the third to die in Victoria following a race injury this year.

Two-year-old Star Ability fell heavily while racing at Geelong on January 14 and broke a foreleg.

The dog was put down by the ontrack vet and is the third to have died in a race in Victoria this year.

Stewards’ reports show five dogs were killed at Geelong in 2021 and six in 2020.

A further 532 dogs have been injured in the same two-year period, and eight this year.

A Greyhound Racing Victoria spokeswoman confirmed the death.

“The loss of any greyhound is personally tragic and distressing for owners, breeders and trainers who love their dogs and for our sport more broadly,” she said. “The welfare of the greyhound is a constant key strategic focus of the whole industry.

“GRV is committed to ensuring greyhounds race on the safest tracks possible with ongoing safety standards, track upgrades and redevelopments, and testament to that commitment is the recently reopened Traralgon track, featuring a revolutionary J-curve design for safer racing.”

Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds director Annie Hendley said 77 per cent of Australian racing fatalities happened after incidents at track turns and 86 per cent of greyhounds killed were put down after suffering leg fractures.

“It’s been a grim start to the year for greyhounds in Victoria. Dogs have been killed with broken legs in Sale and Geelong,” Ms Hendley said.

“Racetracks are deadly and curved tracks are the most lethal.

“Twelve dogs have been killed at Geelong and 540 injured in the period 2020-22.”

Ms Hendley said curved tracks killed more dogs than straight tracks and called for races to be moved to the straight track at Healesville.

Western Victorian Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick said the industry should be banned.

“Greyhound racing has been banned in many places all over the world – it’s time for Victoria to follow. No animal deserves to die for gambling profits,” Mr Meddick said.