Greyhounds Australasia (GA) wishes to confirm it’s process for approving participant applications for greyhound passports and its position regarding exports to Macau and Vietnam.
Under national rule of greyhound racing GAR 124, GA approves passports to allow registered greyhound participants to export their greyhounds to jurisdictions that meet Australian animal welfare standards.
GA uses its 2014 Review of Australian Greyhound Welfare Standards of seven overseas jurisdictions to assess all passport applications. A copy of the final report is available on the GA website www.galtd.org.au
GA’s Review of Australian Greyhound Welfare Standards report confirms that Macau is not fully compliant with GA’s export welfare standards. The finding drew heavily on GA representatives visiting the Macau Canidrome in 2013 and observing welfare standards that fell well short of the standards we demand of Australian greyhound racing clubs and participants.
In response, GA suspended the processing and issuing of greyhound passports where the destination was Macau. This decision was re-confirmed by the GA Board in June 2014.
At the same time, the Board approved the classification of Vietnam as non-compliant with GA’s export welfare standards. As such, GA does not issue passports to greyhounds intending to be exported to Vietnam.
It is important to note that GA understands that no Australian greyhound has been exported to Vietnam since 2009.
“Industry controlling authorities, particularly on the eastern seaboard, have significantly improved their investigative and compliance regimes since early 2015. State governments have acted appropriately by introducing legislative change that supports the achievement of improved animal welfare outcomes in Australia,” said GA CEO Scott Parker.
“It’s now time the federal government supported the industry and the community by making the provision of a GA Greyhound Passport mandatory at the export gate. No passport should mean no export.
“GA will be writing again to Federal Minister for Agriculture, The Hon. Barnaby Joyce MP to seek a government regulatory solution that improves greyhound welfare outcomes, “ Mr Parker said.
