Racing Minister Winston Peters told MPs the bill would ensure the safety of dogs and prevent them from being "needlessly put down". Photo: 123rf
Parliament has rushed through legislation designed to prevent any greyhound owners from killing their dogs as a result of today's announcement of a racing ban.
The law - which passed all stages with unanimous support on Tuesday afternoon - would allow currently registered racing greyhounds to be euthanised only by veterinarians for welfare reasons.
Offenders could be fined up to $50,000 or sentenced to up to a year in prison.
Racing Minister Winston Peters told MPs the bill would ensure the safety of dogs and prevent them from being "needlessly put down".
"The government expects most, if not all, people in the industry will do the right things by their dogs," Peters said.
"However there is a risk, with the announcement of the government's decision today, that some otherwise healthy dogs could be destroyed for no other reason than they are no longer economically valuable."
Peters said the industry had run its course and a ban on racing was the "tough but correct decision".
Labour's Kieran McAnulty - the former minister and "lifelong racing fan" - said it was not an easy decision to close an entire industry.
"What I faced [when minister] was the prospect of banning one of the three codes, but the evidence was so clear, that... despite the efforts, there really was no other option."
McAnulty said he regretted that Cyclone Gabrielle meant his role as civil defence minister ended up taking priority over the racing industry's future.
"This could've happened before the last election, and I personally regret that it hadn't," McAnulty said.
"[But] if the previous government introduced the legislation, I don't think the whole of Parliament would've supported it."
Green MP Steve Abel said the ban was "a long overdue decision" and he appealed to industry leaders to do everything they could to "centre the welfare and protection of greyhounds in this time."
"In the winding down of greyhound racing in New Zealand, we must ensure the dogs are kept safe."
Further legislation implementing the ban is expected to go through Parliament early next year, with the industry to be totally shut down by 1 August 2026.
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