Jenny Bartlett wants to know how they will rehome 2900 plus greyhounds.
Greyhound Racing NZ has applied for a judicial review of the Government plan to ban the sport. Jesse Wood talks to an advocate of the sport about her concerns if the ban goes ahead.
Cambridge-based greyhound advocate Jenny Bartlett is concerned about where more than 2900 dogs will go once the industry is out of the picture in New Zealand.
Racing minister Winston Peters announced the end of greyhound racing in December. A date of July 2026 was set to give time to rehome the dogs.
Former Waikato Greyhound Racing president Bartlett said that’s not possible and after meetings with Greyhound Racing New Zealand, the Government appointed Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC) have come to the same conclusion.
“When the ban was announced, there was no warning of it. We were absolutely blindsided,” she said. “There were trainers that would have had a bitch having a season that they’d impregnated just prior because they had no idea this was coming.
“We’ve got these racing dogs out there, the brood bitches, the sires and we’ve got puppies. So, 2900 is just a ballpark figure.”
MAC have realised rehoming the total dog population by July 31, 2026, is not possible and there will need to be a rehoming effort of 24-30 months post closure.
“It really worries me as to how we are going to rehome 2900 plus greyhounds. How do we do it? Don’t think that the SPCA are going to do it,” Bartlett said.
“I’ve yet to see one politician put their hands up and say we’ll take a dog. I’ve yet to see one anti-greyhound
