Dear Hon Meka Whaitiri

Hello, I am Callum, I am 11 years old and I love dogs. I have two dogs of my own and I love playing with them. We keep them as pets and they are part of the family. But some dogs are unlucky, such as Greyhounds, because they are forced to race for human entertainment and gambling purposes. Imagine being a greyhound that races. You would train hard and then you would get put on a racetrack knowing that you could fall and injure yourself. If you did fall and get injured you would be deemed useless and would be put down. It’s a really tough life for most Greyhounds.

The humans that train the greyhounds want to win the prize money, and to do that some people would actually drug the dogs to make them go faster. In March 2019 a greyhound was tested positive for cocaine and a beta blocker. In Christchurch a greyhound racer gave their dog methamphetamine and got banned for 4 months with a $3,500 fine, but she is racing again today. Methamphetamine can cause aggression, strokes, death and much more. This drugging can cause major injuries and can harm other dogs.

Greyhounds love human affection and attention. They also love getting cuddled and tickled on the couch. But humans are forcing the greyhounds to do otherwise. They aren’t treated as well as other dogs and that's just because they can run fast. The annual report from Greyhound Racing NZ in 2020 says that 214 greyhounds were euthanized last season from racetrack injuries and a further 47 sudden deaths of racing dogs not included in the report was revealed. (Page 24)

At the end of August in 2021 the results of a government review into Greyhound racing was announced, identifying three areas of ongoing concern - data recording, transparency of all activities and animal welfare. This is the third such review in ten years showing that the industry is reluctant to change its practices. The government has given the industry until the end of 2022 to report it’s progress. However, I feel that they have had enough chances and Greyhound racing should be banned now. 

Greyhound racing is a heartless sport where the animals are getting exploited for human benefit. Every Greyhound deserves love and affection in a family environment and not to suffer for the sake of gambiling. Greyhounds do not have a voice so we need to speak up for them and get this cruel sport banned.

Thank you for taking the time to read and sign my petition. Please share it with your dog loving friends.

Yours sincerely,

Callum Silva