6 Tracks


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There are 2,478 greyhounds racing, or training to race, at six tracks in Aotearoa.1

An October 2022 survey commissioned by SPCA New Zealand found that 74% of New Zealanders would vote to ban dog racing and that only 9% believe that greyhounds have a good life.2 This poll was preceded by a GPLNZ petition signed by over 38,000 people urging New Zealand Parliament to outlaw dog racing.3



Between the 2020-2021 and 2022-2023 racing seasons, there were 2,622 injuries, 336 cases of greyhounds being destroyed due to “aggression,” illness, or injury and a further 231 deaths due to accident, illness, or natural causes.4

In the 2022-2023 racing season, over 4,900 races were run.5 The greyhounds racing in New Zealand are both bred in-country and imported from Australia. Between 2016 and 2022, 1,268 greyhounds were imported from Australia, supplementing the hundreds born at the country’s nine breeding kennels.6

The 2017 “Report to New Zealand Racing Board on Welfare Issues Affecting Greyhound Racing in New Zealand” by High Court Judge Rodney Hansen found that 1,447 greyhounds were destroyed between 2013-2014 and 2016-2017.7 Data provided by Greyhound Racing New Zealand confirm that an additional 1,490 greyhounds were destroyed from 2017-2018 thru 2022-2023.8

In May 2023, two damning Racing Integrity Board reports were released providing two specific "closure options." Continuing problems were highlighted and key concerns raised, including high injury rates, overbreeding, and an inadequate adoption system, persistently unsafe racing conditions, — all prompting Racing Minister Kieran McAnulty to put dog racing "on notice" and to state that the status quo is not an option.9 Animal protection group SAFE concluded that change is long overdue and “many of the concerns (found in the new RIB Reports) are as relevant today as they were 10 years ago.”10

Drugging is also a problem in the New Zealand racing industry. The Racing Integrity Unit found fifty-four greyhound drug positives from 2014-2023, including five for methamphetamine. The Judicial Control Authority identified morphine positives as well.11

Bets on dog racing may be placed at the track and also through off-site betting outlets. In 2022, NZ $612 million (US $369.5 million) was wagered on New Zealand races.12

Greyhound racing in New Zealand is governed by the New Zealand Racing Board, a government body formed in 2003 under the Racing Act. The Racing Board reports to the New Zealand Minister of Racing. The New Zealand Greyhound Racing Association, also known as Greyhound Racing New Zealand (GRNZ), is the organization that represents the greyhound racing industry and organizes its activities.

New Zealand races are currently broadcast domestically and internationally to Australia and other countries.13


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  1. "Greyhound Review Supplementary Report," Racing Integrity Board, March 16, 2023, dia.govt.nz, p. 6 (accessed May 30, 2023).
  2. "Commercial Greyhound Racing - NZ Market Analysis," Camorra Research Limited, October 2021, spca.nz, (accessed May 30, 2023).
  3. "Petition of Aaron Cross for the Greyhound Protection League of New Zealand: Ban commercial greyhound racing in Aotearoa New Zealand," New Zealand Parliament, September 3, 2020, petitions.parliament.nz, (accessed May 30, 2023).
  4. "GRNZ Annual Report 2022," Greyhound Racing New Zealand, 2022, grnz.co.nz, p. 23-24 (accessed May 30, 2023); "GRNZ Annual Report 2023," Greyhound Racing New Zealand, 2023, grnz.co.nz, p.21-22 (accessed February 26, 2024).
  5. "GRNZ Annual Report 2023," Greyhound Racing New Zealand, 2023, grnz.co.nz, p. 31 (accessed February 26, 2024).
  6. "Greyhound exports," Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, agriculture.gov.au, (accessed February 26, 2024); "Greyhound breeder directory," Greyhound Data, greyhound-data.com, (accessed February 26, 2024).
  7. Nicholas Jones, "Disturbing' greyhound death rate revealed," New Zealand Herald, December 19, 2017, nzherald.co.nz, (accessed May 30, 2023).
  8. "Annual Reports 2018-2023," Greyhound Racing New Zealand, grnz.co.nz, (accessed February 26, 2024).
  9. "Greyhound racing ‘no longer viable’, decision delayed on its future," Stuff, May 23, 2023, stuff.co.nz, (accessed May 30, 2023).; Michael Morrah, "Kieran McAnulty requests options on shutting down greyhound racing industry," Newshub, May 23, 2023, newshub.co.nz, (accessed May 30, 2023).
  10. "Racing Integrity Board reports makes the case for greyhound racing closure," SAFE, May 22, 2023, news.fuseworksmedia.com, (accessed May 30, 2023).
  11. "Annual Reports 2014-2023," Greyhound Racing New Zealand, grnz.co.nz (accessed February 26, 2024); "Judicial Decisions," Judicial Control Authority for Racing, 2016.
  12. "Industry Progress Report," Greyhound Racing New Zealand, December 12, 2022, grnz.co.nz, p. 9 (accessed May 30, 2023).
  13. "Industry Progress Report," Greyhound Racing New Zealand, December 12, 2022, grnz.co.nz, p. 9 (accessed May 30, 2023).

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