Greyhounds as Pets SA plans rehoming facility, vet clinic in Murray Bridge
The benevolent arm of Greyhound Racing South Australia has announced its intention to help more ex-racing dogs prepare for life as household pets.
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Welfare organisation Greyhounds as Pets SA has revealed plans for a rehoming facility and veterinary clinic in Murray Bridge.
The facility on the city’s east side, next to Murray Bridge Greyhound Racing Club, would include up to 100 kennels for dogs transitioning out of the racing industry and into life as family pets.
It would also have space for a commercially operated veterinary clinic.
The facility would employ about 15 staff and be open seven days per week.
Far from being daunted by a recent inquiry into the industry, chairman Grantley Stevens suggested Greyhound Racing SA was looking forward.
“We have the best rehoming percentage in Australia, and we’re proud of that,” he told Murray Bridge councillors this month.
“We see this as a key feature of our success.”
The rehoming facility was originally proposed back in 2016 as part of the racetrack development, which was completed in 2018.
GAP SA opened a smaller-scale dog training facility inside Mobilong Prison, where inmates can help dogs with their rehabilitation, around the same time.
Mr Stevens hoped the new facility would be open within 18 months.
“This is something that we need to do,” he said.
“It is going to bring our industry forward.”
He rejected Cr Tom Haig’s suggestion that greyhound racing had an “image problem”, and that most locals wanted to see greyhound racing banned.
That was only a minority view, he said – though he acknowledged that community support was vital to the sport’s continued operation.
“Transparency as far as training, rehoming, veterinary care – this site … can do all those three things,” he said.
“People can actually see the dogs and be with the dogs and pat them, and potentially train dogs as well.
“I know there’s a lot of naysayers out there, but that’s with all industries, not just greyhounds.”
The greyhound racing industry generated $110 million in revenue in 2022-23 and supported 730 jobs, according to Mr Stevens.
GRSA redirected about $2 million per year into GAP SA.
More information: gapsa.org.au.
Thanks for speaking up Cr Tom Haig.
I agree with Tom Haig that the industry has a bad name and I disagree with Grantley Stevens who said this was a minority opinion. There was a huge outcry from the community after the Murray Bridge trainer’s cruelty was discovered and further discovered he had been previously ‘fined’ by the SA greyhound racing community for sexually abusing his dogs which he maintained made them race faster. We have trainers ‘fined’ for giving their dogs amphetamines. It is difficult to understand why the industry continues to be allowed to operate.
I cannot believe the majority of Australians agree greyhounds (or any other animal) should be used for “sport”, entertainment and gambling.
We also have an over breeding problem which leads to the large number needing to be re-homed and if one adds to this figure, the number of pups who are never registered but euthanized before maturity/registration and the number of dogs which just disappear, it is just cruel.
I do not believe that this industry can be safely regulated by the greyhound racing community. The greyhound racing industry in SA and throughout Australia, excepting the ACT, fails to protect the animals.
I believe the tax on the winnings from the gambling on greyhound racing generate millions of dollars every year for the government. But surely this is not cost effective. It is known that the repercussions of gambling on human mental health, domestic violence and financial stress are a huge problem.
I believe Australia is one of only seven countries in the world with an established greyhound racing industry - and ours is the biggest. Australia has 58 greyhound racing tracks compared to the United States’ two and I believe greyhound racing is illegal in 39 states in America.
Greyhound racing was banned in the ACT in 2018 and our capital Territory remains the only state or territory to take this step - and stick to it. A ban on greyhound racing was famously overturned in NSW in 2016 following industry backlash. That an industry which has repeatedly proved that its priorities do not include the welfare of animals, can have the power to affect such change at a government level is a travesty.
And please stop the export of our greyhounds to China for further atrocities.