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Animal rights activists in New Zealand are angry at the government’s $72.5 million Support package for the racing industry in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The government budget includes Support for horse and greyhound racing.

“On Sunday the Government gave Pharmac an extra $10 million for the next financial year, today we learnt that Winston Peters is giving racing multiple times that,” said National MP Michael Woodhouse.

Activists have been pushing for a ban on greyhound racing and they are against the additional funding. In 2019, Animal Welfare spokesperson Gareth Hughes, said of the problems in the industry, “We’ve seen numerous scandals, including a dog a day being killed in this industry last year alone. We don’t think it has a place in New Zealand, and we should be a country that espouses strong animal welfare – and sadly that’s not represented in the greyhound industry at the moment.”

But in 2020 with the coronavirus pandemic causing economic problems and banning large gatherings, racing advocates say the funding is needed to help the industry’s “weak financial state.” Aaron Cross, spokesperson for the Greyhounds Protection League of New Zealand says taxpayers should not be funding animal mistreatment, “We’re appalled that New Zealanders’ taxes are to be used to prop up a dying, cruel industry. There is no public information on the killing and injuries of horses in racing and what the greyhound racing inquiries revealed was utterly appalling,” he said.

To learn more about the cruel greyhound racing industry, read Greyhound Racing is Anything but Fun for the Dogs and 4 Facts About the Lives of Greyhounds in Racing Industry.

Sign this petition to end greyhound racing in New Zealand!

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