Drake Report Calls For End To All Greyhound Export And Breeding

A new report by the Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission (GRNSW), reveals widespread problems in the NSW greyhound industry and significant failures in animal welfare across the state. The report recommends a cap on greyhound breeding in all of NSW and an end to all export of former racing dogs.

Led by the former head of integrity at the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission Lea Drake, key points from the report found that the current export of former race dogs, primarily to the US, is ‘distressing and sometimes fatal’ for the dogs and should be ended. 

Drake reasons that there can be no meaningful oversight of the exported dogs once they are overseas and that this is also financially prohibitive for GRNSW.

The report additionally found that more greyhounds are being bred than there is need for, meaning that too many dogs spend long periods kennelling, and are not adopted ‘to a couch’. Because of this, many dogs end up being ‘rehomed’ and don’t spend a life as companion animals in domestic settings after racing.

Several incidents of a critical work environment within GRNSW are also addressed in the report and introducing new policies to improve this is therefore recommended by Drake.

Government criticised for “weak” response to Drake’s report

As a response to the findings in the report, the Minns Government has said that they plan to take action to ensure that the industry lifts its standards and practices.

They have stated a plan to do this by introducing a new ‘Operating Licence’ to set out conditions that legally requires an organisation to address key recommendations of Drake’s report.

Minister for Gaming and Racing David Harris said that his government is committed to ensuring the NSW greyhound racing industry is competitive, responsible and sustainable with the highest standards of governance, animal welfare and integrity.

“Greyhound racing is an important industry across our state, especially in regional and rural communities where it provides jobs for many people and makes a major economic contribution,” he said.

However, despite one of the key recommendations in the report being a call for an end to all export of greyhound dogs, the government has decided not to follow this and instead requires the industry to “improve rehoming pathways and prioritise domestic rehoming where possible”.

Amy MacMahon, president of Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds told City Hub that The Minns Government should have accepted all the recommendations in the Drake Report as greyhound racing will only continue to inflict harm on greyhounds, both on the tracks and away from the public eye.

“The Report called for real reform with independent oversight, strict welfare controls, limits on breeding, safer tracks, transparency, and accountability.”

“Disappointingly, however, the Minns Government has responded weakly and has put the interests of business before greyhound welfare,” she said.

Drake’s report came out on the same day that the Minns Government revealed that Wentworth Park will be transformed into community facilities and sporting fields. The government thereby removes greyhound racing from inner Sydney.

“Today’s Wentworth Park announcement stinks of cheap politics and a shoddy attempt to obscure the government’s far deeper failure to protect greyhounds across NSW,” said Abigail Boyd, Greens NSW MP and spokesperson for animal welfare.

“After sitting on the report for months, the feeble response from the Minister in the face of incontrovertible evidence, shows what we have known and said all along, this inquiry and report process was nothing more than a political fix from a government in the thralls of the gambling and racing industry.” 

“We have known all along that the greyhound racing industry is incapable of reform. It seems now the Minister agrees, and so has no intention of requiring it to,” Boyd added.

Back in 2016, greyhound racing faced banning in NSW because of revelations of overwhelming evidence of animal cruelty, including mass greyhound killings and live baiting, however then Premier Mike Baird ended up reversing his initial decision to shut the industry down.

Drake’s report did however find that the greyhound racing industry has improved its approach to welfare issues since the Special Commission of Inquiry in 2016.

“How many more inquiries, corruption scandals, and well-documented evidence of live baiting, doping and discarded greyhounds do we have to have before the NSW government finally listens and shuts this morally bankrupt industry down?” Boyd asked.