Unacceptable rates of on and off track deaths of greyhounds in the Tasmanian greyhound racing industry.

To the Honourable the President and Members of the Legislative Council, in Parliament assembled.

The Petition of the undersigned Residents of Tasmania.

That your Petitioners draws to the attention of the Legislative Council:

The wholly unacceptable rates of violent on and off track deaths, cruelly injured and prematurely euthanised dogs in the publicly funded Tasmanian greyhound racing industry.

It is because of these fatalities and ongoing suffering that RSPCA, Dogs Homes of Tasmania and multiple other mainstream animal welfare organisations deem greyhound racing to be inherently and irredeemably cruel.

A record e-petition to Parliament opposing this State-subsidised cruelty was presented in 2022 but the deaths, injuries and welfare breaches have continued.   The voices of the 13.5k petitioners have now been joined by 80 per cent of Tasmanians who oppose taxpayer funded greyhound racing. (EMRS state-wide poll October 2023).

Amidst the ongoing cost of living crisis in Tasmania the community is entitled to expect that essential government services will be prioritised ahead of handouts to an increasingly marginalised, declining and scandal ridden industry that treats sentient beings as disposable commodities.

Your petitioners request the Legislative Council, seek the agreement of the House of Assembly, to establish a Joint Select Committee to independently and thoroughly examine the economic and welfare implications of the industry subsidy ahead of any renewal of the current 20-year taxpayer funded Racing Deed, due for expiry in 2029.