Greyhounds run during a lure coursing in the castle of Grillemont, with one of the last dog track in France, in La-Chapelle-Blanche-Saint-Martin, central France on September 29, 2024. FILE PHOTO/Agence France-Presse

WELLINGTON — New Zealand said Tuesday it will shut down its greyhound racing industry, citing animal welfare concerns and the “unacceptably high” number of injured and dying dogs.

Minister for Racing Winston Peters said the industry would be phased out over the next 20 months, giving trainers the chance to rehome dogs.

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“This is not a decision that is taken lightly but is ultimately driven by protecting the welfare of racing dogs,” Peters said in a statement.

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New Zealand is one of a handful of countries that still permits commercial greyhound racing.

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Greyhound Racing New Zealand said hundreds of trainers, breeders and industry employees now faced losing their jobs.

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Non-profit Safe for Animals said there were 13 greyhound deaths during New Zealand’s racing season in 2023-24.

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The Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds has documented hundreds of deaths and tens of thousands of injuries on Australian tracks over recent years.

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The Australian state of New South Wales moved to ban greyhound racing in 2017 but backed down after an industry backlash.

A shrinking number of tracks still run greyhound races in Australia, the United States, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

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