About 30 members of Animal Liberation NSW and collaborating partner, the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds, rallied outside the Wyong office of Minister for Gaming and Racing David Harris on Thursday, April 24.
The group is asking for immediate action from Harris, who is also the Member for Wyong, and Premier Chris Minns to end commercial greyhound racing in NSW.
Animal Liberation’s Regional Campaigns Manager Lisa Ryan said the peaceful protest delivered a clear message to Harris and Minns.
“The community demands an end to the inherent cruelty of commercial greyhound racing, an industry built on gambling revenue at the expense of dogs’ lives,” she said.
“Our campaign and our steadfast commitment to protect greyhounds from this industry will not falter.
“We will relentlessly expose the ugly truth of this industry and hold the government accountable for its continued failure to protect these vulnerable animals from exploitation and harm.”
Ryan said the protest served to highlight the tragic reality faced by dogs in the industry, saying that already in NSW this year 15 young greyhounds had died (six on-track, nine off-track) after serious racing incidents, with another 1,220 injured.
“The statistics are horrifying – week after week dogs are suffering catastrophic injuries or dying – purely so bets can be placed and the government can collect revenue,” she said.
“This state-sanctioned animal cruelty must stop.”
Ryan said concerns raised during the ongoing NSW parliamentary inquiry into greyhound racing, also known as ‘the Drake Inquiry’, were a key focus of the demonstration.
“The ongoing Drake Inquiry has already revealed a systemic failure,” she said.
“Despite receiving $30M in public funds supposedly for safety, official testimony confirms that no NSW track currently meets even the minimum standards.
“Where has that money gone?
“We may be up against powerful vested interests, but our strength lies in the ethical imperative to protect animals and the growing number of Australians who are sickened by this industry and demand change,” Ryan said.
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