Greyhound rehoming made easier

Jane Howlett,Minister for Racing

In welcome news for Tasmanian greyhound owners, all greyhounds being rehomed will have their de-sexing operations paid for by Tasracing.

New local welfare rules requiring the desexing of all greyhounds prior to being rehomed were introduced in March 2020.

The cost of de-sexing was, up until now, previously only covered if the dog was rehomed through the Greyhound Adoption Program.

Starting this week, Tasracing will cover the costs of de-sexing operations if the dog is rehomed through all other organisations that undertake such rehoming services.

This will reduce costs for greyhound owners and trainers and make it easier for them to have their greyhounds rehomed.

Further detail on this expanded de-sexing scheme is currently being finalised by Tasracing. This work includes development of a Greyhound De-sexing Program Policy, governance arrangements with the Office of Racing Integrity and Service Level Agreements with veterinarians through a formal tender process.

In the interim, Tasracing will contact Tasmanian vets directly to secure an option for owners to present their greyhounds for desexing, and for the respective clinics to invoice Tasracing directly.

Greyhound welfare is a high priority for the Tasmanian Government.

Our Government is investing more money than ever before into greyhound welfare to ensure that greyhounds are treated with dignity and care before, during and after their racing days.

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