Defund Tasracing: Key Demands
Our primary objective is the abolition of all animal racing industries. Animal racing is animal exploitation, no matter what animal welfare policies are in place. Animal lives are their own, and their autonomy must be upheld to the fullest extent possible in an anthropocentric society. However, as we progress towards this goal, there are key areas we wish to see addressed.
Our current demands focus on the greyhound industry, however will expand as our campaign focus spreads towards other racing codes.
1. Defunding Tasracing: the funding deed upon which the industry currently relies to be economically viable ends in 2029, and will have seen over half a billion dollars of taxpayer funding being placed in the racing industry's pockets. In the midst of a growing cost of living crisis, this arrangement must cease. Taxpayer funding must not be used to support racing, to pay for prize purses, for the construction of new private facilities, or to support gambling ventures within the community.
2. Mandatory building codes for kennels: the Greyhound Kennels Code of 2019 from the Greyhound Board of Great Britain states that "wood is difficult to clean, and therefore should be avoided in kennels where possible. Moreover, chewed or splintered wood could present a hazard to greyhounds as well as harbouring pathogens." Wood as a primary building material for greyhound kennels should be banned, not only preventing the spread of pathogens or injury to greyhounds, but also the risk of exposure to arsenic.
3. Vets to be mandatory reporters: in cases where vets attend to a racing animal who is showing clear signs of cruelty or neglect (parasite burdens, injuries, illness, or general condition), they should be mandated to report the case to Biosecurity Tasmania and the RSPCA Tasmania, until such time as an Independent Office of Animal Welfare is established to oversee animal welfare in all areas of animal exploitation, including racing.
4. Independent Office of Animal Welfare: an IOAW must be established, with the powers to investigate animal cruelty and neglect. In direct relation to racing, appeals against stewards decisions regarding animal welfare breaches must be overseen by the IOAW, removing responsibility from the Tasmanian Racing Appeals Board.
5. Breeding quotas: breeding must be capped, with a quota system. Racing animal breeders will be required to purchase an allocation for the year. The number of quotas will be determined by the IOAW based upon the numbers of greyhounds currently racing, the numbers being prepared to race, and those who have exited the industry whether as deceased or as successfully rehomed survivors.
6.Raise the age: currently, greyhounds are racing at as young as 16 months of age. This places still developing bodies at increased risk of injury and stress. No greyhound should be raced under the age of 2 years old.
7. Electronic full-life tracking; every greyhound must be identifiable from whelping to death, from the track to rehoming, by an independent monitor. All "unnamed" dogs must be identifiable via this system, along with those exploited on the track and for breeding. No dog is to be left behind.