Animal welfare activists say there's been little improvement, one year since Greyhound Racing New Zealand admitted there'd been 353 dogs that were euthanised in the 2017/18 season for dogs with injuries, illness or an inability to be rehomed.
Lucy is a retired race dog. Photo: RNZ / Katie Todd
About 57 of those happened on the racetrack - and although the organisation can't yet put a total figure on the number of dogs euthanised this season, stewards reports show just one less racetrack death.
Last month, Greyhound Racing New Zealand also backed down on a fee that could have discouraged Australian dogs being raced and rehomed here.
Mad Harry, Snippy Pippi and Buddy Rocket are the greyhounds that arrived healthy at racetracks this season and left dead, while another seven dogs have been euthanised at events at Auckland's Manukau Stadium, Southland's Ascot Park Raceway and Christchurch's Addington Raceway since the new season started in August.
Most dogs being euthanised on the racetracks came after fractures to the legs or feet, which Greyhound Protection League spokesperson Emily Robertson said could compromise a dog's racing career, but didn't necessarily stop it living a happy life.
Despite pressure to reduce the euthanasia rates, she said dog trainers didn't want to fork out on surgery or rehab.
"It's not something that they're ever going to address because it's inherent in the sport, it's dangerous," Ms Robertson said.
"If trainers are going to have to pay for every single injury and to rehome every dog it's not going to be economically viable. They want to maintain their industry so the dog's welfare is always going to come second."
Following recommendations in a 2017 report by High Court Judge Rodney Hansen QC, Greyhound Racing New Zealand rolled out new welfare initiatives, including publicly reporting the euthanasia of 353 dogs in the 2017/18 season and launching the Great Mates Prison Fostering Programme.
Last month it teamed up with Greyhounds as Pets, which had helped re-home 2000 retired race dogs, like Lucy the "super-chilled out" greyhound, who hangs out with clients at Bodyworks Massage.
Her owner Rachel Ah Kit was an advocate for the program and its new partnership with the industry and said most greyhound trainers were really good people who cared for their dogs.
"It's really important for the two to work together because greyhound racing ... it's not something that's going to go away," Ms Ah Kit said.
"What this does it provides a really good channel for trainers to know their dogs are going to go into good homes once they've finished racing.
"I think them working together also encourages trainers to understand their dog and make sure they are going to be suitable because the reality is not every greyhound is going to make a good pet, although the great majority of them do."
But some activists said the industry stemmed the arrival of about 15 greyhounds a month from Australia, which was a cheap way for trainers to get race-ready dogs, that put more pressure on rehoming programmes.
Greyhound Racing New Zealand was going to introduce a $2000 bond for imports, to be returned when the dog went back to Australia at the end of its career, but deferred it last month until at least next year because of "significant feedback consisting of new, interesting and relevant information".
Greyhound Protection League head of research Aaron Cross said it was disappointing given the Greyhounds as Pets already had over a 100 dogs waiting for adoption, plus dozens more at other rehoming programmes.
The number of dogs crossing the ditch had dropped earlier this year when the fee was first discussed, then increased to 24 in August when it was deferred.
"If you extrapolate that out over a year then that becomes a couple of hundred dogs we have to find homes for," Mr Cross said.
But Ms Robertson didn't think the fee would have made a huge difference anyway.
"We still have the huge problem of overbreeding in New Zealand's own industry. So while it would have eased a little pressure potentially, it wouldn't necessarily reduce the euthanasia statistics," she said.
Greyhound Racing New Zealand declined to be interviewed or say what new information made it back down on the bond.
A spokesperson said they would be able to advise the total number of dogs euthanised for the latest season in November.
