The Greyhound Racing New Zealand (GRNZ) has urged the Government to provide more details on how the country’s greyhound racing industry will transition ahead of a planned ban on the sport later this year.
Legislation to wind up the sport passed its first reading in late 2025, with a parliamentary select committee recently recommending that the ban proceed.
However, the committee also suggested that the national betting operator TAB New Zealand should still be able to take wagers on international greyhound races after domestic racing ends.
GRNZ CEO Edward Rennell said the industry still faces significant uncertainty about how the shutdown will be implemented.
He commented: “We’re only four and a half months out now and there’s a tremendous lot of work and there's a lot of uncertainty in terms of how things are going to work from 1 August and further clarity is required for our industry participants.”
One of those challenges on which he is seeking more certainty is the rehoming of racing dogs. Rennell said the industry expects around 1,600 greyhounds could still require new homes by 31 July.
He added: “We felt the greyhound industry and the people that submitted clearly outlined why we didn’t believe there were grounds for closure and the progress the industry has made from a welfare perspective.”
The decision to ban greyhound racing was announced by Winston Peters, New Zealand’s Racing Minister, who said the Government acted due to ongoing concerns about the welfare of racing dogs.
While acknowledging improvements within the industry, Peters has said that injury rates remained too high and stronger action was necessary – he has previously said: “This decision was not taken lightly."
Legislation is currently being considered in Wales and Scotland that could potentially outlaw greyhound racing
