The RSPCA has called for an end to abuse directed at its staff and volunteers as Tasmania’s greyhound racing ban nears a decisive vote in the Legislative Council.
CEO Andrea Dawkins said staff and volunteers were being targeted both online and in person over the organisation’s support for phasing out the sport.
“Unfortunately, our paid staff members and volunteers are increasingly falling victim to verbal abuse, both online and in person, apparently due to our advocacy for greyhounds,” she said.
Dawkins said tensions boiled over at Hobart’s Salamanca Market on the weekend.
Volunteers running the RSPCA’s ‘puppy parking’ service were “harangued” by a group she said was “parroting the industry’s talking points”.
The incidents follow what the RSPCA described as a series of abusive Facebook posts directed at Racing Minister Jane Howlett late last year.
“I ask all participants in this debate to be respectful of each other and of our democratic processes,” Dawkins said.
The Greyhound Racing Legislation Amendments (Phasing Out Reform) Bill passed the lower house in December.
The bill would end greyhound racing in Tasmania by June 2029.
It has been referred to a Legislative Council committee for review, with a final vote expected in coming weeks.
The industry has strongly opposed the ban.
Former Labor leader Dean Winter described the government’s decision as “the most shocking betrayal” he had witnessed in state politics.
He told a parliamentary committee last year that participants had invested based on the premier’s earlier assurances of support.
Greyhounds Tasmania refused to participate in consultation with the racing integrity commissioner, arguing the legislation was tabled without proper industry consultation.
Racing Minister Jane Howlett acknowledged the disappointment felt by participants but told the committee it’s the “right” decision.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff has since said the bill will be amended to include a compensation package, with details to be outlined in the state budget.
