New Zealand greyhounds are being flown to Australia’s eastern states as a nationwide ban on the sport takes effect this August. Between 1,300 and 1,500 dogs require rehoming, but some trainers are relocating their animals to Queensland and other jurisdictions to continue racing under Australian law.
The transition is happening via chartered flights, with at least two flights carrying up to 150 dogs scheduled for Australia’s eastern states. While the New Zealand ban on the sport is now in effect, racing remains legal in most of Australia. This move allows a small number of trainers to bypass the domestic shutdown and maintain their careers in a larger commercial market.
Biosecurity Loopholes and the Companion Animal Label
The relocation of these dogs relies on a specific regulatory classification. According to Brant Smith, a senior biosecurity executive within the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, the dogs are being brought into Australia under companion animal
protocols. This classification focuses on health screenings—such as rabies testing—rather than the dog’s intended purpose.
This distinction creates a gap in oversight. Once the dogs clear biosecurity, the Australian government has no power to prevent them from being used for racing. Mr. Smith confirmed to a Senate inquiry that the government has no control over how the dogs are used after arrival, noting that such consignments are not unusual; approximately 80 dogs arrived in a similar manner in April of the previous year.
The Financial and Ethical Divide Between NZ and Australia
The scale of the industry explains why trainers are looking toward the east. The commercial presence of greyhound racing in Australia vastly outweighs that of New Zealand. According to figures from Greyhounds Australasia, the industries in New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria were collectively worth almost A$2bn (£1.04bn; $1.4m) in 2022-23, which dwarfed New Zealand’s $147m total.
Despite the financial lure, the New Zealand government maintains that the sport has lost its social licence
. A spokesperson for Racing Minister Winston Peters stated that the decision to wind down the industry followed three independent reviews in 2013, 2017, and 2021, which found that injury and death rates remain unacceptably high
.
The industry’s leadership disputes this framing. Edward Rennell, chief executive of Greyhound Racing New Zealand (GRNZ), asserted that he would maintain until his death that greyhound welfare standards are the best of any racing code in New Zealand.
Relocation Logistics and the Greyhound Transition Agency
The exodus is being facilitated by GRNZ, which is covering the full cost of the flights. While owners and trainers must pay other associated costs, GRNZ is supporting the transition for six to 10 trainers who have expressed interest in moving. However, Rennell noted that these dogs may be less competitive in professional Australian racing because breeding in New Zealand largely paused 18 months ago following the ban’s announcement.
This effort to move dogs to Australia has drawn sharp criticism from animal welfare advocates and politicians. Senator Mehreen Faruqi of the NSW Greens described the move as a deliberate attempt to avoid New Zealand’s new Greyhound Transition Agency, the body established to help owners rehome dogs and provide retraining for workers.
The conflict centers on the fate of the remaining animals. While the Greyhound Transition Agency and Minister Peters’ office acknowledge that 1,300 to 1,500 dogs must be rehomed in New Zealand, critics like Amy MacMahon, president of the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds, argue that exporting them to Queensland only ensures they will continue to be raced, injured and killed.
The arrival of these dogs is already being tracked by regional authorities. The Queensland Racing Integrity Commission confirmed it has been advised by GRNZ regarding the potential relocation of industry participants and dogs into Queensland. Conversely, officials in Victoria and New South Wales reported they were not aware of specific relocation plans within their states.
As the August 1 deadline passes, the primary uncertainty remains how many more trainers will attempt to utilize the companion animal
loophole and whether other Australian jurisdictions will follow the lead of the Australian Capital Territory—which banned the sport in 2018—or Tasmania, which is attempting to legislate a ban by 2029.
