Greyhound NZ is offering part shares in a racing dog as a prize in a competition. File picture. Photo: Supplied
A desperate attempt to salvage a dying industry is how one animal welfare group is describing a competition where a racing greyhound is the prize.
Greyhound Racing NZ has been offering a 25 percent share in a racing dog as a prize in a competition where entrants have to say why they oppose a ban on the sport.
It comes as the government is outlawing greyhound racing at the end of July next year due to animal welfare issues.
It said dog deaths and injury rates had remained consistently high.
Greyhound Racing NZ has applied for a judicial review of the government decision to outlaw the industry.
It has been promoting a competition where people go into a draw to win shares in a greyhound racer and any prize money it collects.
GRNZ board member and greyhound trainer Craig Roberts told Checkpoint they had had over 350 entries to the competition.
"We're trying to get out to the general public and just see, get some interest from people that don't really know a lot about greyhound racing."
While entrants have to say why they oppose a ban on the sport, Roberts said entries were open to anybody.
He said he saw no issues with offering up shares of a dog as a prize.
"Greyhound racing is very transparent and very open to the public. So of course I think it's a great idea to give a member of the public the opportunity to share the excitement of owning a share in a greyhound."
Roberts said the group would not put up with any "anti-greyhound people" who entered the competition, adding that even if the 25 percent share owner asked for the dog to stop racing, that would not be possible.
"[They are just] trying to infiltrate just to disrupt our day-to-day operations of being greyhound participants."
The dog on offer belongs to Roberts' son, and he said she was doing "exceptionally well', winning three races in a row.
Fifteen dogs have died in the most recent racing season, and hundreds of injuries were reported.
Roberts said bar the 15 deaths, the other hundreds of dogs had recovered and were living happy lives.
"We don't race our greyhounds to purposely get them injured, obviously as people don't drive a car to purposely have a crash."
Animal welfare groups SAFE and SPCA have both raised concerns about the competition.
SPCA chief scientific officer Dr Arnja Dale told Checkpoint that the SPCA was aware of the competition and had serious concerns about the ethics of offering a racing greyhound as a 'prize'.
"Greyhounds are sentient beings, not commodities to be given away in a competition. Greyhound racing is inherently dangerous.
"The last racing season has seen 15 dogs [which] have died or been euthanised as a result of injuries sustained on racetracks."
The chief executive of animal welfare group SAFE, Debra Ashton, agreed calling the move a desperate approach to salvage a dying industry whose day has come.
"Tactics such as offering the chance to own a quarter share in a dog by writing a submission confirm that this industry has always placed a higher value on using dogs as commodities rather than on animal welfare.
"Greyhound Racing New Zealand's focus should now be on doing the right thing by the rest of the dogs who are still being used by winding down races and supporting the rehoming of these dogs."
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