Australians hate animal cruelty, yet many don't know it's taking place every week in their own backyard.
Last week Newcastle hosted a regional heat for the Million Dollar Chase at The Gardens race track.
It now ranks as the second worst track in NSW for greyhound deaths.
Since the start of 2020, The Gardens has racked up three deaths (to Richmond's five - it leads the state) and 227 injuries.
This year in NSW, 32 greyhounds were euthanised due to racing. There were also 1790 dogs injured.
So what happened to the three greyhounds at The Gardens?
Two-year old greyhound Aria Mulwee was euthanised on September 4 when her leg shattered in a collision. It was a seven-dog race.
Two-year old greyhound Coniglio was euthanised on May 15 after he hit the rail, suffering severe lacerations to his sternum.
It was an eight-dog race.
Four-year old greyhound Senor Marina was euthanised on January 25 when he suffered a fracture.
It was also an eight-dog race.
All three dogs were injured in races where more than six dogs ran.
Yet, it's well known that deaths and injuries can be reduced by racing only six dogs at a time, as they do in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) funded research by the University of Technology Sydney that confirmed this in 2017.
GRNSW took no action on the findings.
So, every time a dog is killed in this state due to injuries suffered in a seven or eight-dog race, GRNSW has blood on its hands.
So does the NSW Government.
Three years ago it took on responsibility for greyhound racing regulation.
Why, you might ask, didn't they introduce six-dog racing?
Because it will reduce betting revenue.
Why, you might ask, do owners who 'love' their dogs euthanise them when they fracture a leg?
Because it costs about $4000 to treat a simple fracture, let alone a complex fracture.
So now you know the truth.
All they care about is money.
Please keep it in mind when you next vote for the NSW Upper House.
Both major parties support greyhound racing.
Both care more about money than taking real action to improve animal welfare.
Dennis Anderson
National president for Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds
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