Industry figures in: Betting on the dogs is on the decline.
Fewer people are betting on greyhound racing. Fewer dogs are racing. And more people are questioning whether this industry still has a place in our community.
The industry's own figures show that betting on greyhound racing has fallen by 14% this year.
At the same time, a recent YouGov survey found that...
62% of South Australians do not support taxpayer money being used to fund the industry.
75% of South Australians aged 18-24 oppose greyhound racing.
66% of South Australians support a funded transition plan.
3% of South Australians had attended a race meet in the past year, and just 9% had placed a bet.
Why? Because more and more people are asking a simple question: if dogs continue to be injured on racetracks, is this a sport worth keeping?
For years, the answer has been reform. More reviews. More recommendations. More promises that things will improve. Yet dogs are still getting hurt.
As our understanding of animal welfare grows, many South Australians are finding it harder to accept a system where dogs risk injury for gambling and entertainment.
Just last week at Parliament House, the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds tabled a petition signed by more than 11,000 South Australians to put an end to greyhound racing.
The conversation is changing. Momentum is building.
This is no longer just about whether greyhound racing can be reformed...
It's about whether it should continue at all.
When public support is declining, participation is falling and welfare concerns remain, perhaps the real question isn't how greyhound racing survives.
Perhaps it's time to start planning for a future beyond it.
A future where greyhounds are valued for who they are, not for how fast they can run.
Hi, I'm Frankie.
I came into the world as a racing greyhound, and I didn't know anything different.
I've always been expected to run. Run fast. Run hard. Run even when my legs were tired and I didn't want to.
One day, my shoulder gave out… and just like that, my racing life was over.
But today, my life looks very different, and I'm so grateful for that.
I love all the things your dog loves - soft beds, warm cuddles, a backyard to zoom around in, and long naps on the couch.
But back then, I didn't know these wonderful things existed.
Now, my life is finally mine. I get to choose when I run. I get to have zoomies because I want to, not because I'm being made to.
I have a family who loves me and a comfy spot on the couch to call my own. It’s everything a dog could ever hope for.
But sometimes, when I curl up at night, I think about the dogs I left behind - my brothers, my sisters, my friends.
The ones who didn’t get a couch. The ones who didn’t get a second chance. The ones I can’t find anymore... I wonder if they're okay?
If you wouldn’t want your dog to face the risks of racing, please… think about why it should be okay for me, or for them.
Will you help speak up for my family still out there?
Love, Frankie xx
Rest In Peace – Weblec Prince
Image: GRSA
And then there are individual stories that cut through the statistics.
In yet another night of carnage at Angle Park racetrack, two-year-old Weblec Prince lost his life after suffering from catastrophic bilateral leg fractures.
After 36 races and $49,070 earned for humans, he was euthanised on the track on Thursday 18 June. A life cut short for profit.
In the very same race meet, 18‑month‑old Zinfandel Star fell horrifically in only her second start. She didn’t finish.
Another life lost. Another dog whose final moments were spent in fear and agony.