Newcastle greyhound track The Gardens recorded the highest number of dog deaths of any track in NSW in 2019, new figures show.
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An analysis of 99 stewards' reports compiled by NSW Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi show eight dogs died and 250 were injured after racing at the Birmingham Gardens facility.
Gosford, Nowra and Lismore each recorded six deaths. Wagga, which had five deaths, recorded the highest fatality rate 0.20. The Gardens had a fatality rate of 0.08.
The stewards reports reveal 63 dogs died and 2530 were injured across NSW tracks during the year.
The most common reason greyhounds were put down was a fractured hock, which although not fatal, spells the end of a dog's racing career.
Despite reforms designed to improve greyhound welfare in recent years, Senator Faruqi, said the statistics showed the industry had not changed.
"Dog racing can never be made safe for animals. We know that only half of dogs make it out of racing alive," she said.
Former Premier Mike Baird announced a ban on the sport in 2017 but later backflipped due to intense industry and political pressure.
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Dr Faruqi said animal welfare concerns, which were used to justify the original ban, remained as relevant as ever.
"Forty one million dollars in taxpayer money has been sunk into greyhound racing and gambling industry since the Liberal's backflip and dogs are still breaking their necks, spines and legs for the sake of a bet. I'm dismayed that taxpayers are propping up this bloodsport," she said.
"At the very least, we cannot allow public money to subsidise the gambling and racing industry."
The government's annual report showed 538 dogs died off the track from injuries or because they were considered 'unsuitable for rehoming' in 2018-19.
"We know 40 per cent of dogs still leaving racing in a body bag," Dr Faruqi said.
The establishment of the Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission was one of the main recommendations of the Greyhound Industry Reform Panel, which was set up to provide new animal welfare and governance arrangements to reform the greyhound industry.
A commission publishes a quarterly report of greyhound injuries to inform strategies to minimise injury and improve animal welfare.
The commission supervised 286 greyhound race meetings consisting of 2,835 races and 20,289 greyhound starts during the July to September quarter.
A total of 3,781 individual greyhounds started in races over this period, with an average of 5.4 starts per greyhound.
The number of greyhounds that sustained an injury was 754, amounting to 3.72 per cent of all greyhound starts or a total injury rate per 1,000 starts of 37.2.
"The vast majority of injuries, some 632 or 83.9 per cent, were classified as minor or medium, requiring incapacitation periods of less than 21 days. For the same period, 34 greyhounds (or 4.5 per cent of all injuries) suffered more serious injuries, categorised as Major II," spokeswoman said.
"The number of greyhounds that suffered a catastrophic injury resulting in euthanasia or death was 12, representing a rate of 0.6 per 1,000 starts. This is the lowest catastrophic injury rate since reporting began in 2016."
The commission has also introduced several initiatives aimed at improving the welfare of racing greyhounds including the implementation of Rule 21A that prohibits greyhounds from competing in races on consecutive days.
"Better injury data collection has been made possible by the commission's collaboration with the University of Technology Sydney. A reporting system used by the commission's on-track veterinarians is providing better information about greyhounds who suffer injury on tracks including the location and nature of the injury, precisely where injuries are occurring on specific tracks and all treatment information. This data is utilised by the industry to make changes to reduce injury rates including for example changes to the position of starting boxes, safety railing and track surfaces," the spokeswoman said.
The race injury treatment scheme, introduced in March 2019, provides financial support for the off-track diagnosis and treatment of serious injuries which occur during racing, thereby eliminating unnecessary euthanasia of injured greyhounds due to the financial commitments associated with surgery and on-going treatment of serious injuries," the spokeswoman said.
The Gardens did not respond to questions about the track's greyhound mortality rate.
An RSPCA spokesman said the organisation did not support greyhound racing.
"The RSPCA considers that there are significant and entrenched animal welfare problems inherent in the greyhound racing industry, including problems with over-supply, injuries, physical overexertion, inadequate housing, lack of socialisation and environmental enrichment, training, illegal live baiting, administration of banned or unregistered substances, export and the fate of unwanted greyhounds ie. high wastage and high euthanasia rates," he said.
"Until all of these problems are recognised and effectively resolved, the RSPCA does not support greyhound racing."
Matthew Kelly
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
