Integrity and the welfare of our greyhounds are key strategic objectives of Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV). We recognise and understand the need to meet community expectations for contemporary approaches to greyhound welfare and management and that, if the industry doesn’t meet those expectations, it will not have the community’s support and our sport will not have a viable or sustainable future.
GRV is committed to using best-practice integrity and animal welfare approaches to design and implement policies, procedures, education programs, regulatory initiatives and incentives that provide a whole of life cycle approach and focus on:
Eliminating unnecessary euthanasia
Reducing injuries and illness
Improving and enhancing knowledge and skill levels among participants
Improving compliance levels
Providing strategic direction for research programs
Some of GRV’s activities include the implementation of:
Fit and Proper Person test for the registration of participants
Intelligence-led and risk-based integrity management
Targeted and routine property inspection program and drug detection strategy
Enhanced regulatory framework to prevent unnecessary euthanasia and promote rehoming
Feeding Guidelines
Prohibited Substance Research
The Racing Integrity Commissioner, which provides independent oversight of integrity in greyhound racing, also has powers to conduct audits, investigate complaints, summons persons, take evidence, and make directions to the Victorian Racing Tribunal which has jurisdictions for all matters involving serious offences under the rules of racing of the respective racing codes.
GRV is committed to transparency and regularly reporting the outcomes of our activities. This is important in ensuring we maintain our own high standards and giving the community confidence the industry is performing to the standards it expects. To this end, GRV publishes monthly reports by the Integrity Unit and has established the Greyhound Care & Standards website which provides welfare information for participants about the appropriate care and treatment of greyhounds.
