BEGINS/

The New Zealand Racing Board has announced huge stake money increases for the racing industry, and animal welfare advocates are crying foul.

The increases totalling 24 million over two years are an affront to the industries animal welfare crisis, activists claim.

“This is 24 Million dollars of tax-exempt earnings straight into the pockets of racing industry beneficiaries, and not a cent for the Greyhound Adoption Program nor any efforts to care for ex-racing horses” Says Aaron Cross, spokesperson for the Greyhound Protection League.

“The industries wastage is a huge animal welfare concern, and yet the GAP program relies on volunteers begging on the streets to save a lucky minority of greyhounds lives’ he says.

“Putting money into the pockets of those causing the animal welfare crisis while the GAP program struggles to rehome a minority of industry ‘wastage” speaks volumes about the racing industries agenda.”

Despite years of reform in the greyhound racing industry, Mr Cross said that the outcomes for greyhounds had changed little, and despite promises, the industry remained defiant with regard to transparent injury reporting and reporting on the numbers of slow greyhounds culled as a result of being poor financial investments.

“the industry and government strategy is to keep the public in the dark and hope that not too many people become concerned enough to cause problems.”

“Greyhounds are dogs, not ATM machines. We as a country cherish dogs, and the greyhound racing industry acts in many ways that are at odds with mainstream values and responsible dog ownership.”

“It’s obscene and barbaric that we regard animals as disposable in order to conduct gambling business” says Mr Cross.

“This money will do nothing but further the suffering and wastage of animals for a non-essential entertainment industry.”

“This prioritisation tells us everything we need to know about the Racing Boards values. Profit first, looking after its animals somewhere else down the line.”

/ENDS

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