SHEPPARTON recorded its third greyhound death on May 16. The death marked the 50th death on greyhound tracks in Australia in 2024.
According to the Shepparton stewards’ report, in Race 10 three-year-old Zipping Tania fell at the first turn and suffered a foreleg fracture and was euthanised by the racing industry vet. This death follows that of Kraken Loop, killed on April 29 of a foreleg fracture, and Gangsta Paradise, killed on April 22 with a spinal fracture. All three deaths occurred following falls at turns on the Shepparton track.
The Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds (CPG) has called for an inquiry into Racing Victoria.
“The ongoing carnage on Victorian racetracks is unacceptable and has to stop. The Victorian State Government has given a green light to this dog abuse. The greyhound racing industry appears to have stopped caring about greyhound welfare and just churns them through the meat grinder,” said CPG head of research, Harry Rothenfluh.
“There has to be an inquiry into Victorian greyhound racing, as there was in South Australia. Greyhound racing in Victoria is poorly regulated.” CDG claim that in the last financial year, Greyhound Racing Victoria euthanised 382 greyhounds but refuses to disclose any details about this.
This claim is disputed by Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV), despite the sudden uprise in deaths this year. They claim there’s been a decline in on-track deaths by up to 51 per cent in the last five years.
“The serious injury or loss of any greyhound is both tragic and distressing for our industry and particularly for the owners, breeders and trainers,” Greyhound Racing Victoria said in a statement.
“As with any incident that leads to a fatality on track, the circumstances will be formally reviewed by the Greyhound Racing Integrity Unit. The incidence of greyhound racing fatalities in Victoria have more than halved over the past five years.”
In 2018 the ACT banned greyhound racing in the territory. Despite this and recent pressure from groups such as CPG, no State Government has given any serious thought to banning the sport.
