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Leaked figures show high death rates in NSW racing greyhounds
More than 700 dogs died in a period of nine months, which equates to nearly three dogs a day. (Stock photo)
Over 700 dogs died in less than a year after racing ban ‘backflip’

Hundreds of racing greyhounds died in the months after Australia overturned its racing ban, according to statistics revealed by Mehreen Faruqi, Greens MP in New South Wales.

More than 700 dogs died in a period of nine months, which equates to nearly three dogs a day, Dr Faruqi said, as around 100 protesters gathered outside NSW parliament yesterday (11 April). The rally marked one year since the government’s ‘backflip’ on greyhound racing.

Dr Faruqi said more than half of the dogs were euthanised on the grounds that they were ‘unsuitable for rehoming’, which she referred to as “a polite term for how the industry disposes of dogs that no longer turn a profit”.

She added: “The original ban passed parliament after thousands of pages of incredibly overwhelming evidence of animal cruelty, drugging, tens of thousands of deaths and a culture that treats greyhounds as disposable.

“But now, the Racing Minister gave the greyhound racing industry $41 million of taxpayer funds against the advice of his own expert panel because the industry would not pay to meet even the low standards of animal welfare that the Government now required of it.
 
“The much hyped Greyhound Racing Integrity Commission hasn’t even been established and the code of practice that was meant to end the cruelty and the deaths hasn’t surfaced yet.

“Trainers continue to get caught drugging their dogs with methamphetamine, amphetamine, human growth hormones and arsenic.”

The Australian MP also claimed she has obtained documents that show 590 dogs were exported to Macau over the past few years, despite the fact that the country was blacklisted by Australia’s racing industry in 2013, owing to high death rates and poor welfare standards.

She is calling on pet transport companies to stop shipping dogs to Macau and China, and to arrange for any dogs left alive to be sent back to Australia for rehoming.

Hundreds more protestors are expected to appear at a second rally in Sydney Park on Saturday (14 April).
 

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Webinar to explore AMR in vet dentistry

News Story 1
 The WSAVA has invited veterinary professionals to a webinar on responsible antibiotic usage in dentistry.

On 19 November 2025, at 1am, Dr J Scott Weese and Dr Brooke Niemiec will share the latest advice for antimicrobial use. They will present research on oral bacterology, and explain how attendees can choose appropriate antibiotics.

The session will cover pre-, intra- and post-operative guidelines, with recommendations for various pathologies.

The webinar is designed to support veterinary professionals to make informed decisions and tackle antimicrobial resistance.

Attendees can register here

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue reaches Wales for first time in 2025

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has revealed that bluetongue has been confirmed in Wales for the first time in 2025.

In their latest statistics, APHA records a total of 109 cases of BTV-3 or BTV-8 in Great Britain in the 2025-2026 vector season.

The total number of BTV-3 cases in Great Britain this season is 107. This includes 103 cases within the England restricted zone and four cases in Wales.

There has also been two cases of BTV-8, which were both in Cornwall.

As a result of the cases in Wales, a Temporary Control Zone (TCZ) is enforced in Monmouthshire. Animals can move freely under general license within the England Restricted Zone, however animals with suspected bluetongue must stay on their holding.

All premises testing positive for blue tongue can be viewed on this map.