Greyhound ban gathers pace: Compensation plan; rehoming strategy revealed

New details have emerged in the Government’s bid to ban greyhound racing with new laws being considered to get the New Zealand TAB – now run by a global gambling giant – to help pay for the rehoming of ex-racing dogs.

Racing Minister Winston Peters confirmed the plan in an interview with the Herald and revealed options are being explored to set up a single group to co-ordinate all greyhound rehoming nationally.

Racing Minister Winston Peters asked a ministerial advisory committee to come up with a plan for winding down greyhound racing in New Zealand. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The recommendations are part of an interim report from a ministerial advisory committee chaired by Heather Simpson, who was Helen Clark’s former chief of staff.

It means greyhound owners and trainers – who may be required to continue housing and feeding their dogs while they await adoption post the end of racing – will likely get compensated.

“All aspects to do with the ownership, the compensation and the conclusion of this business [the greyhound industry] is under the committee’s consideration,” Peters told the Herald.

However, Peters said compensation will not extend to payouts for not being able to race any more, or for assets accrued by those involved in the sport which will become redundant.

Greyhounds chase a lure at Cambridge Raceway in January. Photo / Yvette Bodiam

He said just like saddle makers lost money when transport changed from horseback to cars, “change is inevitable and that’s the point”.

“It won’t be compensation for not being able to do dog racing anymore but in dealing with the dogs as they’re being rehomed – that cost,” Peters said.

It’s estimated about 1500 ex-racing dogs will need to be rehomed when the sport ends in July next year, although the exact time it’ll take to rehome all dogs isn’t known.

Edward Rennell is the CEO of Greyhound Racing NZ and has announced plans to fight the Government's plan to ban the sport in the High Court.

Greyhound Racing New Zealand (GRNZ) CEO Edward Rennell suggested it would cost $40 million to look after greyhounds for a period of three years post the end of racing.

In June, he said that was a cost that would need to be fronted by the taxpayer.

“Current rehoming costs are met by GRNZ, funded by revenue from racing. There will be no racing after July 2026, so rehoming costs post-closure will have to be funded from alternative sources,” Rennell said.

The committee’s compensation plan means the TAB – now operated by international sports betting and gambling company Entain – will be asked to help pay for rehoming rather than the taxpayer.

Peters said new laws may be introduced which would effectively force the TAB – which earns millions from greyhound racing – to help pay for rehoming costs.

“Bear in mind of course that if there was universality and acceptance, legislation may not be required.”

Peters said GRNZ’s three-year estimate to rehome dogs was a pessimistic outlook and he was confident the job could be done much quicker.

Any recommendations made by the committee would need to be considered by Cabinet before any decisions are made.

Co-ordinated rehoming strategy

SPCA chief science officer Dr Arnja Dale. Photo supplied.

The committee also wants a shake-up of the current greyhound rehoming model with the creation of a single entity to co-ordinate efforts to get dogs adopted.

GRNZ currently co-ordinates greyhound rehoming under its “Great Mates” programme.

The programme has contracts with various agencies, including adoption kennels in Feilding known as Nightrave Greyhounds.

The Herald understands the committee wants to reorganise and expand rehoming efforts by:

• Establishing a single, co-ordinated rehoming programme.
• Use common branding for all advertising.
• Introduce a standard set of welfare and contractual arrangements.
• Increase the number of locations where dogs can be viewed.

The SPCA’s chief scientific officer Arnja Dale told the Herald her agency “absolutely supports” improving rehoming efforts.

“It’s really critically important that we have consistent standards and policies that govern the rehoming and that there’s a central port, so essentially a central website where all the greyhounds are listed for adoption,” she said.

Dale backed moves to ask the TAB to help fund rehoming costs providing the industry also pitched in.

“We support it if Greyhound Racing New Zealand and their millions and millions in reserves help support that as well,” she said.

The SPCA is willing to be involved in a future greyhound rehoming drive and Dale is “confident New Zealanders will stand up” and help with adoptions when the need arises.

“When we made a call out [for adoptions] when Covid-19 got to New Zealand, we got thousands of animals into homes over a very short period of time,” she said.

Greyhounds as Pets spokesperson Daniel Bohan

Daniel Bohan from Greyhounds as Pets – NZ’s oldest adoption charity – told the Herald he backs a co-ordinated approach to rehoming.

“Greyhounds as Pets would support any initiative to co-ordinate rehoming efforts at a national level and apply effective, consistent marketing and adoption policies across all agencies,” he said.

In terms of funding rehoming, Bohan said he supports any plan that treats all stakeholders “fairly and equitably”.

Court action looms

GRNZ is going to court next month in an attempt to overturn the Government’s plans to ban the sport.

Rennell claimed in May a judicial review of the proposal would expose the Government’s “cavalier attitude” in the lead-up to its decision.

GRNZ’s High Court application will argue political leaders rushed the decision and failed to consult industry before making the call to end the sport.

“This is an injustice to greyhound breeders, owners, trainers and all other industry participants, as well as a dereliction of duty to New Zealanders,” Rennell said.

Rennell told the Herald it was “deeply cynical” and “hypocritical” to ban greyhound racing in NZ while accepting millions in revenue from Australian dog races.

He said if a ban does proceed, it must be implemented with “impeccable fairness” to those who will lose their incomes.

Peters pushed back on claims the industry wasn’t consulted, saying there have been three separate reviews of the sport – including the 2017 review by High Court Judge Rodney Hansen – which found 1140 dogs were euthanised in just four years.

Peters, who was Racing Minister in 2017, said at the time the Hansen report findings were “disturbing and deeply disappointing”.

That was followed by another review by Sir Bruce Robertson in 2021 which found issues with data recording, animal welfare and industry transparency. At the time, then Racing Minister Grant Robertson put the industry on notice.

In 2023, a Racing Integrity Board report found the industry was making “slow progress” in five out of 15 key areas including bringing down injury rates.

Peters told the Herald he regrets having to make the call to end the sport but said the industry had “failed to meet their requirements”.

He said it was “breathtaking” to claim the decision was rushed given the longstanding issues identified in multiple reports over consecutive years.

“To say that we’re [the Government] being cavalier, is to be perhaps looking in the mirror.”

Michael Morrah is a senior investigative reporter/team leader at the Herald. He won News Journalist of the Year at the 2025 Voyager Media Awards and has twice been named reporter of the year at the NZ Television Awards. He has been a broadcast journalist for 20 years and joined the Herald’s video team in July 2024.