Media Release
24 June 2014
Peak national greyhound racing body Greyhounds Australasia (GA) today published its final report into Australian
greyhound export welfare standards, with the GA Board accepting each of the report’s 12 recommendations including
maintaining GA’s suspension of the issuance of passports to Macau.
GA CEO Scott Parker said the final report confirmed Australian greyhound welfare standards were world class but that
the industry faced challenges in stopping greyhound exports to countries GA has assessed as not fully compliant with
GA’s Required Standards for Countries Seeking to Import Australian Greyhounds.
“The report’s assessment of greyhound welfare standards in export destinations against Australian industry standards
leaves me in no doubt that Australia is a racing greyhound welfare world leader. Our industry is well placed to work
with, and improve, welfare outcomes in countries that are not fully compliant with our standards.
“Our biggest challenge is that, despite the industry’s rule that registered participants must obtain a GA issued passport
before export, GA cannot control the destination of Australian greyhound exports. Because GA’s Passport Scheme
does not have the regulatory backing of Australian law and does not form part of the compulsory quarantine and export
regulations required by the Federal Department of Agriculture’s Biosecurity Unit, the industry’s rule is not legally
enforceable.
“GA is uncomfortable with the number of Australian greyhounds apparently leaving the country without a GA issued
passport. But while the Department is supportive of GA’s Passport Scheme, it cannot enforce it without legislative
amendment to the Commonwealth Export Control Act 1982.
“GA will lobby the Federal government for the required change to the Act which would make it mandatory for exporters
(whether they are registered industry participants or not) to comply with GA’s Passport Scheme and allow GA to control
where Australian racing greyhounds are exported,” Mr Parker said.
The final report identifies the United Kingdom and Czech Republic as fully compliant with GA’s required standards and
Ireland, the United States and New Zealand as being close to fully compliant. Vietnam did not cooperate with the
review, indicating no future requirement to import Australian greyhounds, and are therefore non compliant. GA will not
issue passports to that destination. Passport applications to all other destinations will be assessed on a case by case
basis and approved only if that destination complies with GA’s Required Standards to Import Australian Greyhounds.
“GA condemns the mistreatment of greyhounds by any individual anywhere, at any time. The conduct of this review and
the implementation of the report’s recommendations will enhance GA’s efforts to protect greyhound welfare across the
world,” Mr Parker said.
Click here for a copy of the full report.