01.08.2026 At least two chartered flights carrying up to 150 greyhounds are set to fly to Australia’s eastern states, as a New Zealand ban on the sport comes into effect.(Image: courtesy Mark Galer)
The last greyhound race in New Zealand has just been run! It's over.
New Zealand, like Australia, likes to hide falls and injuries from the public. Replay for one of the final races is currently "missing". It shows greyhound Shows Promise falling badly. Thankfully no injuries… https://t.co/OwID1o1gPl pic.twitter.com/ZFI8ivg3Y4
— Susan Metcalfe (@susanamet) July 31, 2026
Several greyhound trainers in New Zealand are responding to a new ban by moving their dogs to Australia with plans to continue in the sport, governing body Greyhound Racing New Zealand (GRNZ) told the BBC.
While the ban across New Zealand takes effect on Saturday, the practice remains legal almost everywhere in Australia.
The ban was first announced in December 2024, and legislated in April. Approximately 1,400 greyhounds will retire in New Zealand under the ban and require re-homing.
DOG RACING IS OVER IN NEW ZEALAND! ALL SIX TRACKS ARE CLOSED AS OF JULY 31, 2026!
"Racing Minister, Winston Peters says a brighter future awaits the hundreds of dogs involved in the greyhound racing industry which officially winds up for good from today."
Read more at… pic.twitter.com/CYRBRlvZCp
— GREY2K USA Worldwide (@GREY2KUSA) July 31, 2026
Australian authorities say that greyhounds arriving from New Zealand are classed as “companion animals” which will undergo screening for diseases such as rabies.
“Australia’s import requirements for dogs are based on biosecurity risk, not the intended use of the animal,” Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry told a Senate inquiry in June.
A spokesperson for New Zealand’s Racing Minister Winston Peters called the plans to relocate the dogs “the last gasp actions of a dying industry”.
Peters said the dog racing industry had “lost its social licence” after multiple reviews concluded that dog and injury death rates “remain unacceptably high”, a conclusion that Greyhound Racing New Zealand (GRNZ) disputed.