By Elissa Fitzgerald

Topic: Greyhound Racing

Sat 1 Aug 2026 at 2:48pm

Greyhound trainers are moving to Australia because the sport is now banned in New Zealand.

In short:

Greyhound racing is now banned in New Zealand.

About 150 dogs will fly to Australia so trainers can keep racing them.

What's next?

About 1,400 greyhounds will stop racing and need new homes in New Zealand.

Flights will take up to 150 greyhounds to Australia because of the racing ban.

The ban started after many years of concerns about animal welfare.

Ten greyhounds were put down during the last racing season in New Zealand.

Heather Simpson knows that Greyhound Racing New Zealand has planned flights for about 150 dogs to go to Australia.

She said trainers can export their dogs to Australia if they want to.

A bill to ban greyhound racing in Tasmania has been delayed.

Greyhound racing is still allowed in most of Australia.

Plans to stop greyhound racing in Tasmania have been put on hold.

A private message showed that chartered flights had been planned for the dogs.

The move seems like an attempt to avoid New Zealand's transition agency.

If the dogs survive, Australians will have to find them new homes.

We already have too many dogs that need new homes.

The greyhounds going to Australia will be called 'companion animals'.

The government has been working with New Zealand on the dogs' import.

The dogs will be called 'companion animals', but they might still be used for racing.

The government can't control what happens to the dogs after they arrive.

A similar group of greyhounds was imported to Australia last year.

About 80 dogs were imported under normal conditions.

About 1,400 more dogs will stay in New Zealand and need new homes.

The rehomed dogs will be checked regularly to make sure they're okay.

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