Tuesday, 5 March 2024

Greyhound rescue

Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (02:05): (746) My adjournment matter this morning is for the Minister for Racing, and the action I seek is for him to fund the work of community greyhound rescue groups.

Last week I attended the first ever national community greyhound workshop held in Melbourne, hearing from rescue groups and advocacy groups. One thing was abundantly clear for Victoria: not-for-profit greyhound rescue organisations are contributing more to the rehabilitation and rehoming of ex-racing greyhounds than the industry itself without receiving a scrap of support from people in this place. In this state the number of greyhounds bred into the racing industry each year is uncapped, and it significantly outweighs the capacity of the industry’s own Greyhound Adoption Program – by 347 per cent, to be exact. Despite receiving around $3000 per dog, each year GAP is rehoming less greyhounds than unfunded private or non-GAP groups. In 2021–22 rescue groups rehomed almost 3000 dogs. That is 768 more than GAP.

It is not the first time this government has required the labour of a volunteer workforce but has been unwilling to fund it. We see it time and time again in the animal protection space. There are only a few greyhound-specific rescue groups operating throughout Victoria, and my friends at Greyt Greys currently have a waitlist that exceeds 100 dogs. They still receive phone calls almost daily from trainers who are desperate to leave the industry. The demand is so exhausting that some rescues are at the point of closure. Trainers are literally throwing away dogs in a situation that is desperate for not only rescuers but participants too.

In 2023 a trainer was found to have killed and buried five dogs on his property after failing to rehome them. Rescuers share stories with my office of the impossible situation that they are continuously faced with. One that sticks in my mind is of Rambo, who was surrendered by a trainer to a rescue group after missing the GAP cut-off. Rambo had a sore tooth that the trainer assured had been vet checked. Closer examination revealed a massive tumour in his mouth that was far too advanced to remove. Rambo’s only option was euthanasia, but the responsibility was once again on volunteers. They explained to me that while Greyhound Racing Victoria owners might make a cost–benefit analysis to decide what to do with these dogs, rescuers make an emotional investment, doing everything they possibly can to save and prolong their lives.

It is clear that if community rescues close or remain unsupported, euthanasia, welfare and integrity issues are guaranteed to soar. I hope the minister will consider funding these dedicated rescue groups so that their life-saving work can continue.