Call to ban dog racing

The SPCA has joined calls for greyhound racing to be banned following the death of five dogs in five weeks. It comes as the Greyhound Protection League, alongside animal rights charity Save Animals From Exploitation (SAFE), has created a petition to ban the sport. The petition calls for all dogs bred for racing to be rehabilitated and rehomed. One dog was put down at Waikato’s Cambridge Raceway while two others were put down at Addington Raceway in Christchurch. All three animals suffered a fractured radius and ulna and were euthanised. Twomore dogs were put down at Auckland’s Manukau Stadium on Sunday, and six injured, SAFE said. The SPCA opposes greyhound racing due to the ‘‘significant animal welfare concerns regarding current practices’’ within the industry.