At the end of the run

Greyhound racing is smartening up its act after two reports recommended changes.

An honest end-of-year report on the greyhound-racing industry in this country would say “can do better; a lot better”. A recent review of welfare standards in the industry shows that 1447 greyhounds were put down from 2013/14 to 2016/17.

And there could be more – 1271 retired or non-racing dogs remain unaccounted for.

The review, by former High Court judge Rodney Hansen, QC, was commissioned by the New Zealand Racing Board. It evaluated standards over the four years since a review by Australasian accounting firm WHK, released in 2013. That report highlighted the need to reduce levels of euthanasia, after a survey of trainers found 77% had had a healthy greyhound put down, most commonly on the grounds that it would be unsuitable as a pet.

It suggested reducing the number of bred and imported greyhounds, extending the racing careers of greyhounds and increasing rehoming opportunities. It also stressed the need for an accurate database to track each greyhound from whelping or import until the governing body, the New Zealand Greyhound Racing Association (NZGRA), was no longer responsible for it.

This latest review acknowledges the NZGRA has made “a genuine and determined commitment to improving greyhound welfare across the board”. Welfare expenditure has trebled over the past five years and there has been a small increase in the levels of rehoming. But there are still concerns over the number of greyhounds being euthanised and the inadequate tracking of greyhounds that do not race or who retire from racing.

The review recommended a number of changes if euthanasia is to be a last resort “and not simply a convenient means of disposing of an animal that is no longer of use to its owner”.

In a media statement, Greyhound Racing New Zealand (GRNZ) says it is working on all 20 recommendations in the report. It says it will be rolling out new population-management software this year and is drafting a rule change that will require approval before a dog is euthanised.

“But we’re not complacent,” says the organisation’s chair, Sean Hannan. “We acknowledge and accept that there are still areas where real improvements are imperative. We are committed to addressing those areas and have … published a three-year plan showing exactly how we plan to tackle the gaps identified.” inhumane treatment, repeated caesareans, puppies kept in bathtubs or never welcomed into a home environment, but they still want to keep onside with breeders to ensure they will be called on when needed. Concerns were raised a few years ago about puppy mill-type enterprises in Manawatu and Horowhenua, says Ferguson, but they seem to have subsided.

“The issue now is not so much the puppy mills as the gazillions of backyard breeders who are just in it for a few litters, a quick buck, who are not passionate about the breed, who are not well versed in what the problems of a particular breed are. They’re doing just as much damage. On a large scale or a small scale, you are still compromising their welfare.”

Carolyn Press-McKenzie, founder of the Huha animal shelter and sanctuary in Otaki, north of Wellington, describes an “epidemic” of unsafe and irresponsible puppy-breeding: as well as a raft of new “foofoo” breeds for sale on online platforms and Facebook, backyard operators are selling puppies to mates with no understanding of proper puppy healthcare and desexing responsibilities, and farm-dog puppies deemed untrainable or simply not given adequate training are being flicked on.

Companion-animal and professional organisations have regulations to protect the welfare of dogs and puppies. Dogs New Zealand (formerly the New Zealand Kennel Club) has a breeder code of ethics that restricts to six the number of times members can breed a bitch over her lifetime. The female dog should not be younger than 12 months or older than eight when she conceives and she can’t have more than three litters within an 18-month period (the NZVA recommends bitches be bred each season from their second season to a maximum of three litters, then spayed and rehomed). All parent dogs are tested for inheritable disorders and puppies are kept with their mothers for at least eight weeks.

Trade Me has taken steps to curb irresponsible breeders, but its code of animal welfare is voluntary and there is no auditing process.

NO DOGGIE IN THE WINDOW

Commercial operators are also trying to rein in irresponsible breeding. Pet-shop chain Animates no longer sells puppies or kittens; instead, it works with the SPCA to rehome unwanted cats and dogs. National brand manager Jacqui Baigent says it focuses on supporting rescue shelters and desexing to prevent unwanted animals.

Since 2015, Trade Me has taken steps to curb irresponsible breeders. Potential dog buyers are now reminded of the responsibility of taking a dog on; owners and animal-welfare organisations can list a dog for adoption for free (or a minimal cost to cover expenses); and sellers have the option of ticking a voluntary Code of Animal Welfare. Under this code, sellers attest that both the puppy and mother have been cared for in accordance with legal requirements; that at the time of conception, the mother was in good health; that the puppy has been examined by a vet and has had the required vaccinations and worm and flea treatments; that it is not the progeny of individuals related within two generations; and that it will not be released to a buyer before it is eight weeks old.

“In the absence of the Government doing anything, we stood up and did it ourselves,” says Trade Me trust and safety team leader James Ryan. “We don’t want [puppy-farmtype] behaviour on our site and now we are pretty confident the code has instilled a sense of Trade Me as a place to get an animal from a good home, rather than one that has been put through the mill.”

But the code remains voluntary. Anyone can tick the box – there is no auditing process – so buyers have no idea what sort of environment the sweet-looking pup in the photo came from. Arnja Dale, chief scientific officer for the SPCA, applauds Trade Me’s actions but says “it doesn’t stop the significant issues and welfare compromises we see in puppies that are the progeny of unhealthy parents. If [a dog] has bad hips or bad elbows, you should not breed from that dog, because it will result in direct suffering of the offspring. You must be a responsible breeder and select those that don’t have physical or behavioural health issues.”

Ryan says making Trade Me’s animal welfare code compulsory for sellers would immediately stop the rehoming of dogs from inadequate or unknown backgrounds. “We have to give people room to breed; to add anything else on to that is too onerous – it is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.”