Current and former staff have raised serious concerns about animal welfare and the culture at the agency overseeing greyhound racing in New South Wales following the abrupt closure of one of its two adoption centers for ex-racing dogs this week.
Employees at the Greyhound Adoption Program (GAP) in Wyee were dismissed on Monday, the same day that Greyhound Racing New South Wales (GRNSW) CEO, Rob Macaulay, announced a 30% budget cut for the next financial year, following a 22.5% decline in gambling revenue. In a press release, Macaulay stated that GRNSW’s cost-saving measures would include staff layoffs and the “re-purposing” of the Wyee GAP kennels into a facility for retired greyhounds intended for rehoming in the US.
Macaulay asserted that there would be “no negative impact on animal welfare” as a result of the cuts. However, staff who spoke to Guardian Australia, both on and off the record, strongly disagreed.
Sarah Stratford, who worked part-time at the Wyee GAP until her recent dismissal, expressed concerns that many greyhounds would “not cope” with the flight. A GRNSW spokesperson stated that none of the greyhounds housed at Wyee “on Monday” were part of the US program, but Guardian Australia has seen a list of 13 dogs earmarked for export to the US. In response to further inquiries, GRNSW stated that it was “yet to be seen which dogs will go to the US.”
Stratford also criticized the way Macaulay and two other executives spoke about the dogs.
“We would have mandatory meetings where they would [call] them commodities,” Stratford alleged. Another former worker added, “It was honestly like they couldn’t care less about the dogs.”
A GRNSW spokesperson countered these claims, stating that such allegations “could not be further from the truth” and emphasizing that “our care for our animals and the welfare of all greyhounds is paramount.”
The Greyhound Adoption Program (GAP) rehabilitates racing greyhounds for adoption and facilitates their placement into new homes. While the program operates as a charity, its staff are employed by GRNSW, which aims to rehome 3,500 dogs in the 2024-2025 financial year. The other GAP adoption center in western Sydney will remain operational.
Hanrob, the contractor slated to assume operation of the Wyee facility, did not respond to inquiries for comment.
‘Sales Targets’ for Greyhound Rehoming in the US
According to a current GAP employee who requested anonymity, executives have pushed to send dogs to the US that may not be suitable for adoption, including those with higher grade heart murmurs or pannus, an eye disease.
These dogs would be counted as “rehomed” even if they were destined to “sit in a kennel” or be transferred to another adoption center in the US.
A spokesperson for GRNSW asserted that all dogs sent to the US undergo full veterinary checks and are deemed fit for adoption.
In an email sent by Macaulay to staff in August of the previous year, viewed by Guardian Australia, the executive referred to dogs sent to the US as “sales targets.”
A member of staff involved in the “Aussie Mates in the States” program, which commenced in January 2023, informed Macaulay that by the end of July, 208 retired racing greyhounds had been sent to the US at an average cost of $4,400 per dog, according to emails reviewed by the Guardian.
This staff member suggested to Macaulay that 600 greyhounds could be rehomed in the US annually, but Macaulay expressed a desire for even higher numbers.
Emails obtained exclusively by the Guardian unveil a directive from Macaulay to a staff member, tasking them with crafting a strategy to meet a fresh Key Performance Indicator (KPI): “1009 for the balance of the year = 92 per month = 21 per week.”
“We must revise our monthly sales target for the remainder of the year to attain our annual sales objective,” Macaulay asserted.
“Consistently achieving this delivery level each month is crucial to prevent a significant shortfall at the end of the year.”
A former GAP employee divulged: “We’d chase up with the American rescues… and many of them would still have dogs awaiting adoption, kept in kennels. And that wait could stretch for months.”
Initially, GRNSW refuted claims that Macaulay set a target of 1,000 dogs for the previous financial year. When pressed about the emails, a spokesperson clarified: “He didn’t term the greyhounds as sales targets; he referred to sales targets for greyhound rehoming.”
The spokesperson affirmed that dogs sent to the US were tallied as “rehomed”.
‘Incentives tied to dog turnover’
Stratford alleged that bonuses for GRNSW executives were linked to meeting KPIs, including the number of dogs rehomed. A GRNSW spokesperson stated that rehoming was a common organizational KPI across all leadership roles.
According to a former colleague of Stratford: “Their bonuses hinge on the number of dogs they’re offloading. The more dogs they rehome, the more they can breed. So, they’re shipping them off to the US.” Stratford and her team reportedly alerted Macaulay and other executives to safety concerns and urgent repair needs at the facility, citing alleged injuries sustained by greyhounds, such as one dog suffering a severe foot injury.
“They all claimed renovations were postponed for our site due to an additional cost, I think around $4 million, which they claimed they couldn’t afford,” Stratford disclosed.
Another ex-staff member claimed that the “site was deteriorating” and raised similar concerns with executives. The Guardian has been provided with purported photos of injuries sustained by dogs on the premises.
A GRNSW spokesperson rebuffed these allegations, asserting that the facility had never been unsafe and that its “experienced site manager” had ample budget for repairs and upkeep.
Following the announcement of Wyee GAP’s closure, Macaulay informed the Newcastle Herald that only one dog had died “in transit” to the US.
Stratford disputed this, alleging three deaths. “I want to be unequivocal; it wasn’t just one dog,” she emphasized.
When questioned about the disparity, Macaulay stated that two other dogs enrolled in the US program had died in NSW.
The Guardian reached out to racing minister David Harris for comment. A government spokesperson stated that they, along with the “wider community,” anticipated the industry to be upheld with the “utmost standards of integrity and animal welfare”.