Greyhound industry unites to announce new rehoming and prohibited substances strategies

BATHURST: Experts and industry stakeholders from across the greyhound racing industry have announced two major strategies to protect and promote the future of the sport at the industry’s first Rehoming and Prohibited Substances Summit.

Hosted by the Greyhound Welfare & Integrity Commission (GWIC) and Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) with support from NSW Greyhound Breeders Owners & Trainers Association (GBOTA) and Greyhound Clubs NSW (GCNSW), the historic summit focussed on innovative ways to increase rehoming pathways for retired greyhounds and steps to significantly reduce the prevalence of prohibited substances in the code, including the unveiling of a new prohibited substances checker.

“The NSW Greyhound Racing industry is more focused than ever on delivering the highest standards of welfare and integrity and positioning itself as the leading global jurisdiction for the sport, including by developing strategies that are designed to futureproof the industry,” Mr Alby Taylor, Chief Commissioner, Greyhound Welfare & Integrity Commission said.

“The industry recognises it has an obligation to support participants to make informed choices that reduce the incidence of prohibited substances, and I am highly encouraged by the agreement to support a world-first prohibited substances checker app for smartphones to be developed over the next six months,” he added.

Greyhound Racing NSW Chief Executive Officer, Mr Rob Macaulay, declared the Summit a great initiative and success, particularly its focus on rehoming.

“Rehoming of our retired greyhounds is one of the most important focus areas of our sport, and it is something the industry as a whole needs to take ownership of,” Mr Macaulay said.

“GRNSW has put enormous efforts into expanding its rehoming pathways in the past 12 months, introducing programs with the Police Association of NSW, the Australian Federal Police Association, and notably the introduction of the US adoption program and subsequent partnership with the Fraternal Order of Police in the USA.

“We have come away from the Summit with confidence that the entire industry is focussed on welfare and ensuring that our greyhounds live out their lives in loving homes once their racing careers are behind them.”

In addition to the commitment to deliver an increase in rehoming places, the Summit agreed a new strategy to reduce the incidence of prohibited substances in the sport alongside a multi-year education campaign and pioneering smartphone app.

The smartphone app would act as a key educational tool, both empowering participants to make informed decisions about supplement usage and informing the Commission and the industry about potential trends in substance usage.

Such an app would also underline the industry-wide commitment to promote animal welfare.

“Substantially reducing prohibited substances is also an important commitment to fairness in the sport. Those who seek to game greyhound races through unfair advantage not only jeopardise the health of greyhounds, but they risk losing their ability to participate in the sport altogether.”

“These collaborative, whole-of-industry approaches are leading the industry to a more dynamic future,” concluded Mr Taylor.

Strategies agreed and committed to by the industry at the Summit will be published in Q4 2023, and available on the GWIC website and elsewhere.

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Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission

The Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission is the independent regulator for the greyhound industry in NSW. The Commission was established to promote and protect the welfare of greyhounds, safeguard the integrity of greyhound racing and maintain public confidence in the greyhound racing industry.

Greyhound Racing New South Wales

Greyhound Racing NSW is responsible for the industry’s commercial functions, including conducting or authorising race meetings, registering greyhound racing clubs, developing safety standards for licensed racecourses, distributing money received under the Totalizator Act 1997, and managing greyhound adoption programs.

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