Greyhound racing ban in New Zealand

On 29 July 2026 New Zealand’s government formally ended commercial greyhound racing, launching a re‑homing programme for roughly 1,400 dogs funded by the TAB and overseen by the Greyhound Transition Agency. The decision was announced by Racing Minister Winston Peters and marked the culmination of a ban first announced in December 2024 and legislated in April 2025.

At the same time, Tasmania’s Liberal government reaffirmed its commitment to a phased‑out of greyhound racing by 2029, though the legislation had been delayed. Industry representatives warned they might pursue legal action, arguing the government could not end the sport without proper statutes.

Two days later, the New Zealand ban took effect. While most greyhounds entered the re‑homing scheme, up to 150 were slated for export to Australia on chartered flights so a small number of trainers could continue racing there. Australian authorities will treat the dogs as companion animals and screen them for diseases. The export was described by the Racing Minister as a “last gasp” of a dying industry, and the New Zealand greyhound body noted that breeding had largely ceased since the ban’s announcement.