Animal welfare group Animal Liberation will take to the streets of Wentworth Park this Friday in a protest against the Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase (MDC) calling for an end to what they call a “dog killing industry”.
Regional Campaigns Manager for Animal Liberation Lisa Ryan expressed the group’s concerns ahead of the event, highlighting the negative impact of greyhound racing on animal welfare.
“The message is simple: greyhound racing is a gambling-fuelled dog killing industry that must end. The Minns minority Labor government must respond to the overwhelming evidence and growing public demands for the cessation of commercial dog racing,” Lisa said.
Animal Liberation’s protest aims to draw attention to various issues associated with the greyhound racing industry, including excessive breeding and the practice of “wastage”.
Despite multiple inquiries and reforms, greyhound welfare remains compromised.
“Greyhound racing in NSW has demonstrated over decades that it is built on excessive over-breeding and inherent cruelty, resulting in unacceptable suffering, maiming, killing, and disposal of dogs,” Miss Ryan said.
The group’s protest at Wentworth Park coincides with the MDC final, which is marketed as the world’s richest greyhound race.
Ryan criticised the event, claiming that the prize money, derived from gambling revenue, exacerbates animal welfare issues.
“Behind the diminished gloss of the MDC lies a path strewn with immense greyhound suffering, broken bones, and industry wrongdoing. Many of the participants in the MDC final have a history of penalties for mistreating the greyhounds they claim to love,” Miss Ryan said.
According to Animal Liberation, 19 greyhounds have sustained injuries in the 2024 MDC qualifying races, with some injuries deemed severe enough to warrant extended stand-down periods.
She stated that the financial incentives of the race encourage practices that prioritise profit over the welfare of the animals.
“The reality is that it is often more economical for the industry to euthanize injured greyhounds rather than provide proper veterinary care” she said.
Animal Liberation is calling for a total ban on commercial greyhound racing in NSW, citing long-term issues at tracks such as Wentworth Park.
Ryan noted that since the greyhound racing ban was overturned in 2016, the park has recorded 65 greyhound deaths and 2,323 injuries.
“There is no such thing as a safe track, and the numbers confirm this,” Ryan said.
The protest reflects a growing push against commercial greyhound racing, with Ryan asserting that the only acceptable solution is a legally enforced end to the industry.
“The industry is founded on gambling revenue, and despite claims of reforms and best practices, the evidence shows that the suffering continues,” Ryan said.
As the Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase final draws closer the controversy over greyhound racing in NSW heightens, raising questions about the future of the sport.
