FILE PHOTO: Greyhounds compete during a race at Wimbledon Stadium in London, March 18, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth/File Photo
(Reuters) -The New Zealand government on Tuesday proposed to ban greyhound racing from 2026, saying the percentage of dogs injured in races remained significantly high.
New Zealand's greyhound racing industry has long faced criticism for not doing enough to protect the welfare of the animals, with three reviews on the industry over the past decade all recommending major changes.
"While fewer dogs are dying, injury rates, while down slightly, have plateaued and remain unacceptably high," Minister for Racing Winston Peters said in a statement.
Greyhound racing will be wound down over a 20-month period, and an advisory committee has been appointed to help find new homes for an estimated 2,900 racing dogs, Peters said.
The government on Tuesday introduced a bill, with the support of the opposition Labour party, to prevent the unnecessary killing of racing dogs. It will introduce further legislation next year to make changes to the existing laws to outlaw greyhound racing, Peters said.
Greyhound Racing New Zealand chairman Sean Hannan said the decision was a "devastating blow" to an industry which had invested heavily in reform.
"We are extremely disappointed that the government has not recognised the work the industry has done to address areas of concern – to the extent that it now leads the wider racing industry with its commitment to animal welfare," Hannan said in a statement.
"We are extremely concerned for the future of the industry’s greyhounds, which may no longer be a breed seen in New Zealand."
New Zealand, along with the U.S., Ireland, Australia and Britain, is one of only five countries where commercial greyhound racing is still allowed.
It accounts for 8.5% of New Zealand's NZ$1.3 billion ($760 million) racing industry, with just over 1,000 full-time jobs, data showed.
($1 = 1.7094 New Zealand dollars)
(Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Sonali Paul and Peter Rutherford)
