Greyhound racing ban push returns as dog injuries surge
A leading animal welfare group is once again calling on the state government to phase out greyhound racing in South Australia amid claims a government inquiry has not improved dog safety.
RSPCA SA has made fresh calls to ban greyhound racing in the state, claiming an inquiry to “clean up” the sector undertaken two years ago has failed to address greyhound welfare concerns.
A state government-commissioned independent inquiry was led by former Victorian police commissioner Graham Ashton in 2023 following an ABC report showing multiple greyhounds being abused on an Adelaide property.
The Ashton Inquiry led to 87 recommendations for change in the industry, with the sector given until July 8, 2026, for full implementation.
“It is the conclusion of this review that there is an urgent need for the greyhound racing industry in South Australia to reform if it is to meet contemporary community expectations,” the 2023 report states.
“If the sport is to retain a social licence into the future, it will only be achieved if the reforms recommended in this report are immediate and widespread.”
Recommendations included establishing an independent inspector, governance reforms and government funding for a full-time RSPCA greyhound welfare officer.
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The state government in December 2023 gave the greyhound racing industry two years to improve standards or face a complete ban.
But RSPCA SA’s animal welfare advocate Dr Rebekah Eyers said more than two years on, the reforms had not fixed welfare issues “entrenched” in greyhound racing.
“Sadly, we think that the biggest welfare problems in the South Australian greyhound racing industry are baked into the industry’s own operating model,” Eyers told InDaily.
“We’ve looked at the evidence of animal welfare problems in the greyhound racing industry. We believe that good dog welfare for the whole of the dog’s life is impossible to achieve in the greyhound racing industry.”
Race-day stewards’ reports collated by the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds show 1064 greyhounds were injured in SA last year, including 316 major injuries and five deaths.
Latest data between January and March 2026 shows a 16 per cent increase in injuries on the previous quarter, with 259 injuries on SA tracks. One greyhound was euthanised two weeks ago after sustaining serious injuries during a race in Mount Gambier.
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Eyers said a lack of transparency on greyhound rehoming initiatives following the retirement or rejection of dogs remained a prominent issue.
“We have no idea once they leave the industry whether they’re alive or whether they’re dead and buried somewhere in a hole, and that is completely unacceptable,” she said.
“Hundreds and hundreds of greyhounds are rejected from the industry every year, and these dogs are rejected at a young age.
“These greyhounds should still have a lot of life in front of them, but because they’re no longer of any financial value to the racing industry, the racing industry rehomes them and then doesn’t bother to track them at all.”
Greyhound racing is banned outright in the ACT, while Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff announced plans to phase out the sport in the state by 2029. RSPCA SA has asked the state government to follow the lead of other states.
“RSPCA SA acknowledges that the proposed phase out will impact some jobs, which is why we are advocating for the government to implement a managed transition plan to support those who may be affected,” Eyers said.
Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing Rhiannon Pearce said she was aware of RSPCA’s concerns and remained committed to putting “industry on notice to clean up its act”.
“We have made it abundantly clear to the industry that they need to work harder. If people are found to be doing the wrong thing, we expect further action to be taken,” Pearce said
“However, the Government is not going to pre-empt the Greyhound Industry Reform Inspector’s report on the implementation of the 87 recommendations contained in the Ashton review due in July.
“The State Government recently overhauled the Animal Welfare Act, including introducing mandatory reporting of suspected animal welfare offences within the greyhound racing industry. The Bill includes fines of up to $250,000, or 10 years jail, for people who mistreat animals.
“Any suspected acts of animal cruelty should be referred to the RSPCA immediately.”
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