Fears over SA greyhound racing deaths as inquiry deadline looms

Opinion: SA’s greyhound racing was told it had two years to address six animal welfare issues after a state inquiry, the state’s RSPCA chief executive officer Marcus Gehrig is worried not enough has changed.

For decades, South Australia’s greyhound racing industry has been riddled with animal welfare concerns and controversy. Yet despite a State Government ultimatum to clean up its act, last year alone, South Australia had the highest number of catastrophic or severe injuries in the nation with five deaths and 1,064 total injuries.

Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds 2025 Australian track deaths and injuries data also showed nationally, the statistics were abysmal with 119 on-track deaths and 10,785 injuries.

With dwindling on-track attendance, greyhound racing now relies on online betting and taxpayer top ups to survive. We’ve seen a rapid decline in this cruel “sport” across the globe, most recently in Tasmania, yet in SA these gentle natured dogs keep being used for gambling and profit.

As a state, it’s time to ask: aren’t their lives worth more than a bet?

Six significant animal welfare issues continue to plague the greyhound racing sector in SA – unacceptable numbers of deaths and injuries during races; overbreeding and inadequate rehoming of ex-racers;........

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