5 days ago
Greyhounds die from injuries at The Q greyhound racing track before official opening
At least six dogs have died due to injuries sustained at Queensland's new premier greyhound racing track before its official opening, despite the promise it would be "as safe as possible" for animals.
The three-track facility at Purga, near Ipswich, called The Q has been holding trials since March before its official opening this weekend.
The Queensland government put $44.15 million from the racing infrastructure fund towards the $85 million facility.
The venue, which is a collaboration between state government-owned Racing Queensland and local clubs, has a one-turn, two-turn and straight racing tracks.
The Brisbane and Ipswich greyhound clubs have both relocated to the venue.
In 2022, then-Racing Minister Grace Grace said the three tracks would have the "health and safety of greyhounds at the heart of design and construction" and the centre would be "as safe for dogs and trainers as possible".
But Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds president Amy MacMahon, the former Greens member for South Brisbane, said dozens of dogs had been injured during the trials.
"This is supposed to be the most advanced and safest greyhound racing complex in the world but it even before the official opening," she said.
The Coalition claims seven dogs have died during trials. The ABC has been able to independently confirm six of those deaths.
In correspondence with the Coalition, seen by the ABC, the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission said two greyhounds sustained hock fractures in late March and had to be euthanised.
Steward reports showed Federal Recall died after a trial on April 21 and Travis' Scrub died after a trial on May 17.
Feed Him Mungo was injured during a trial on April 25 and industry database FastTrack now lists the dog as deceased.
It's a similar case for Hara's Mickey, who was injured on May 12 and is now listed as deceased on FastTrack.
The Coalition claims there has been 16 deaths so far this year in Queensland.
Ipswich resident Amanda Holly, who is the campaign manager of AnimalKind, (formerly known as Animal Liberation Queensland) said there was no way to make greyhound racing safe for the animals.
"There's always promises that it's going to be safer and [have] better welfare for greyhounds, but greyhound racing just can't ever be made safe," she said.
"The speeds these dogs are travelling at, the amount of dogs on the track, all trying to get to that one lure, it's just not an activity that's safe.
"It's why so many countries in the world don't have this industry anymore. Claims that it can be made safe is whitewashing."
Ms Holly said she was also concerned about the impact the facility would have on her community when it came to gambling.
Racing Queensland declined to be interviewed, but in a statement a spokesperson said the organisation placed the "welfare of its animals at the heart of its decision making".
The spokesperson said Racing Queensland delivered close to $1 million in greyhound welfare initiatives in the 2024 financial year.
"In collaboration with the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission, we continue to explore and adopt new strategies to reduce the incidence of injury in greyhounds at race meetings in Queensland," the spokesperson said.
"This includes analysis of injury data and research into risk factors for injury, and strategies to optimise track curation processes.
A spokesperson for the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission said the regulator remained "committed to reducing injury rates among racing greyhounds".
"[We are] continuously exploring and adopting new strategies, including enhanced analysis of injury causes through the Racing Injury Working Group, and providing ongoing education to participants on best practices in greyhound care," the spokesperson said.
Ms MacMahon said the state government needed to undertake an "urgent safety review" into the industry.
"The community no longer supports greyhounds dying for international gambling companies," she said.
Her comments were echoed by Ipswich MP Jennifer Howard, who has previously spoken out against the new track.
"I'd like to see an actual independent body established, that's separate to the industry, to scrutinise the industry," Ms Howard said.
"[In the meantime] we've got a number of bodies who are keeping a very close eye on what's going on out there, and we need to pay attention to what they're telling us."
Ms Howard said more than 10,000 submissions against the track were received when it was first proposed.
She said similar tracks in other cities had been repurposed for different sports and was hopeful one day that will happen to The Q.
"We need sporting facilities, we're heading into the Olympics," she said.
A spokesperson for Racing Minister Tim Mander said the state government took animal welfare "very seriously".
"We are committed to ensuring all racing animals are afforded high standards of care which is why it is a key priority for the Racing Review," they said.
The Queensland Greyhound Racing Club, which operates out of The Q, was contacted for comment.
