Night-time view of handlers and airport workers loading green-coated greyhound into wooden export crates near MAF Hold Area sign


Exporting Cruelty: Over 140 NZ Greyhounds Airlifted to Australia to Evade Historic Ban

A second charter flight carrying approximately 70 New Zealand racing greyhounds landed in Toowoomba early Thursday morning (August 13), marking a total of roughly 140 dogs exported to Queensland since New Zealand’s nationwide ban on greyhound racing took effect on 1 August.

The offshore transfers have sparked immediate outrage among animal protection groups on both sides of the Tasman. Advocates condemn the greyhound industry’s decisions as a cynical ploy to bypass democratic legislation and keep dogs running for gambling profit, rather than allowing them to retire into safe homes.

Among those forced onto the crates was Opawa Soap, a young greyhound who turns one on 22 August. She has never stepped foot on a race track, yet was flown straight into Australia's racing system before even reaching her first birthday.

Un-raced greyhound pup Opawa Soap sitting inside a wooden export crate marked NZ to QLD
Undercover footage shows un-raced greyhound Opawa Soap caged inside crate #70 at Christchurch Airport prior to export to Queensland. Photo: Grassroots Campaigns Aotearoa.

Evading the Public Will

Greyhound racing was officially banned in New Zealand following years of persistent public outcry, regulatory scrutiny, and unacceptable injury and death rates. The ban was designed to phase out the industry entirely and mandate the rehoming of remaining dogs.

Instead, Greyhound Racing New Zealand (GRNZ) financed private charter flights to export the animals. The first flight departed Christchurch for Toowoomba on 6 August, followed by a second flight out of Auckland on 13 August.

Greyhound advocates from Grassroots Campaigns Aotearoa filmed the loading process at Christchurch Airport, capturing distress calls, yelps, and crying from inside the transport crates as the animals were loaded onto the plane.

“These flights are a cynical attempt by the racing industry to evade a New Zealand ban that was introduced due to public concern over high injury rates,” said Amy MacMahon, President of the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds (CPG).

“However, the injury rates in Australia are even worse. It seems that New Zealand trainers are just chasing gambling dollars and ignoring the welfare of their dogs.”

Out of the Frying Pan, Into Deadlier Fire

Animal welfare organisations warn that sending New Zealand greyhounds into Australian jurisdictions places them in far greater danger. Unlike New Zealand, Australian greyhound racing operates without national welfare targets, and both Queensland and New South Wales record significantly higher track injuries and fatalities.

Data analysed by the CPG shows that as of 14 August 2026, stewards’ reports across Australia have already logged 6,128 track injuries and 105 racing deaths this year alone. Industry figures reveal Queensland’s total injury rate is almost 40 per cent higher than New Zealand’s FY2025 baseline, while New South Wales exceeds New Zealand’s rate by nearly 70 per cent.

Crucially, Category F injuries—comprising on-track deaths, catastrophic trauma, and mandatory euthanasia—are dramatically higher in Australia. Queensland records a Category F rate 48 per cent higher than New Zealand's pre-ban figures.

“Greyhound racing in whatever country it's been practised in carries a significant and inherent risk of serious injury and death —and in New Zealand, we banned it due to injuries.” Dr Alison Vaughan, Senior Scientific Officer at SPCA NZ.

Compounding a National Rehoming Crisis

The influx of New Zealand dogs threatens to buckle Australia’s already struggling animal welfare infrastructure. In New South Wales, modelling from the Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission (GWIC) places the state's greyhound rehoming backlog at an alarming 4,100 dogs.

Advocates also point to serious biosecurity and health risks, noting recent reports of drug-resistant hookworm outbreaks impacting greyhound properties across south-east Queensland.

Track records for previously exported dogs paint a bleak picture. In April 2025, Goldstar Racing transferred 80 greyhounds to Queensland. According to tracking by CPG, two of those dogs have already been killed on track—including Goldstar Buzz, who died in July at Purga's "The Q" racing centre—while 24 others have sustained 32 distinct injuries between them.

“The NZ dogs will likely race at The Q racing centre, the deadliest greyhound racing complex in Australia,” said Amanda Holly, Director of AnimalKIND.

“This is an appalling betrayal of the public’s wishes and of the greyhounds themselves, who should have been safe but are now exposed to the carnage that occurs on Australia’s racetracks.”

Jo Webb, Director of Corporate & Government Relations at Animals Australia, echoed the toll placed on local rescuers.

“While the industry charters flights to keep dogs racing as long as they can make a buck, it will ultimately fall to the already overwhelmed volunteers and charities in Australia to pick up the pieces and find these dogs loving homes,” Webb said.

“After everything they have endured, these dogs deserve safety. They deserve peace—not to be dispatched to another country to keep running for their lives.”

Appendix: Statistical Comparative Data

The greyhound racing industry measures track harm using an "injuries per 1,000 starts" metric. Below is the comparative breakdown of injury and mortality rates between New Zealand and major Australian destinations:

Jurisdiction Total Injury Rate (per 1,000 starts) Variance vs. NZ Baseline Category F Rate (Deaths & Severe Trauma per 1k starts) Variance vs. NZ Baseline Source Data Period
New Zealand 22.50 Baseline 2.20 Baseline GRNZ FY25 / NZRIB Apr 2026
Queensland 31.34 +39.3% higher 3.26 +48.2% higher QRIC Jan 2025 – Dec 2025
New South Wales 38.00 +68.9% higher 2.90 +31.8% higher GWIC Apr 2025 – Mar 2026
  • Goldstar Racing Tracking (April 2025 Cohort): Out of 80 dogs exported from NZ to QLD, 2 confirmed dead on track (Goldstar Buzz at Purga; 1 additional unconfirmed death), 24 dogs suffered 32 separate injuries, and 16 have retired.
  • NSW Rehoming Backlog: GWIC modelling estimates approximately 4,100 greyhounds currently awaiting rehoming in NSW alone.

Photography credit: All images courtesy of Grassroots Campaigns Aotearoa.