Since 1 July 2018 the Commission has worked closely with the federal Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) to track the exporting of NSW registered greyhounds to New Zealand and other countries. The Commission uses this information to identify welfare related concerns or improper conduct.
Greyhounds Australasia (GA) has updated its policy for the approval of a Greyhound Passport for export.
The updated policy which took effect on 1 August 2023 provides clarification on destination country requirements (excluding New Zealand) for GA Greyhound Passport approval where greyhounds are being exported, for the purpose of:
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Racing and/or
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Breeding.
The updated policy can be downloaded here.
Under Greyhounds Australasia rule 44 Greyhound passport and certified pedigree (1) Any person bound by these Rules or those of a relevant Registration Controlling Body who is intending to export a greyhound from Australia or New Zealand to any other country must: (a) first, obtain a greyhound passport and certified pedigree issued by Greyhounds Australasia; and (b) having obtained a greyhound passport, meet the quarantine and inspection service requirements of the country the greyhound is to travel to.
All exporters must apply for the Greyhound Passport directly with GA. The reason behind this mandatory passport is in support of GA’s National Animal Welfare Policy.
If you are registered with the Commission as a greyhound participant in NSW and you send your greyhound to New Zealand to race whilst retaining ownership of that greyhound, you must comply with the Commission’s Rehoming Policy.
In practice this means that you must make multiple genuine attempts to rehome the greyhound in accordance with the policy. A greyhound owned by a NSW registered participant cannot be euthanised at the end of its racing career in New Zealand without first complying with the NSW Greyhound Rehoming Policy.
This is even if New Zealand (or any other State in which your greyhound is located) has different policies that govern rehoming or euthanasia.