The “scandalous” decision to allow dozens of greyhounds to race in Hobart tonight amid a heatwave with temperatures in excess of 36 degrees has sparked outrage from The Greens.
Holding the Hobart greyhound meeting was another example of the racing industry “putting profits before animal welfare”, Greens Leader Rosalie Woodruff claimed.
“The welfare of the greyhounds … has been completely ignored by Tasracing and the Office of Racing Integrity.”
She said the dogs were potentially at risk of dying from heat stroke.
“Greyhounds are particularly susceptible to heat stress and heat stroke due to their slender bodies. Their low body fat makes insulating themselves against extreme heat very difficult,” Woodruff said.
TasRacing has confirmed that ‘extra measures’ will be taken to ensure the safety of animals and participants at the event, saying temperatures were expected to drop below 30 degrees by the start of the first race.
“On arrival at the track in the afternoon, all greyhounds will be examined by a team of three vets, two of whom will specifically check the dog’s hydration and thermal comfort levels,” TasRacing said.
“All greyhounds racing on Thursday night will be provided with a minimum 30-min interval in the air-conditioned kennels after they complete their race to ensure they maintain thermal comfort levels.”
TasRacing said ice baths, chilled water hoses and drinking water will be made available for the greyhounds.
While the RSPCA acknowledged TasRacing’s “proactive response”, they said it was “still too hot” for the “poor dogs to be racing”.
