Joint Statement: RSPCA Tas Leadership (Past & Present)

For over a decade, RSPCA Tasmania has been a consistent and principled advocate for ending greyhound racing in Tasmania, grounded in evidence of ongoing animal welfare harm and a clear shift in community expectations.

This position has remained unchanged across successive leadership, reflecting both the strength of the evidence and the organisation’s enduring purpose: to protect animals from cruelty and improve their welfare.

Former CEO Peter West articulated this clearly as early as 2016, when he said:

“There are problems within the industry across the board, and it’s this denial that has caused us to get to where we are now.”

That early warning helped shape RSPCA Tasmania’s long-term advocacy, including public campaigns encouraging Tasmanians to support a ban, prioritising the rehoming of greyhounds, and calling for the redirection of public funding into animal welfare initiatives.

Former CEO Jan Davis reinforced this position in 2023, stating:

“The only way to end greyhound suffering is to ban greyhound racing.”

Former CEO Dr Andrew Byrne placed this advocacy in a broader historical context, noting:

“RSPCA Tasmania continues to utilise knowledge from the historical lessons surrounding the formation of the Tasmanian SPCA almost 150 years ago, to reaffirm its purpose – being the protection of those vulnerable animals in most need, along with continuing to educate the community regarding acceptable animal care and to advocate for more effective animal welfare laws.”

Dr Byrne emphasised that this work remains as relevant today as it was at the organisation’s founding, reflecting a community that has increasingly embraced kindness toward animals and expects stronger protections.

Current CEO Andrea Dawkins said Tasmania now stands at a decisive moment:

“It’s now or never. Greyhound racing is not only unpopular, but it embeds animal welfare issues at its core and has not resolved the issue of how many animals are injured or killed while racing, let alone the poor living conditions for many.”

Together, these perspectives demonstrate a clear and consistent position: the welfare issues inherent in greyhound racing have been recognised for more than a decade, and despite ongoing scrutiny, they remain unresolved. They also reflect a broader truth – RSPCA Tasmania’s advocacy is not new, nor reactive. It is the continuation of nearly 150 years of work to improve the lives of animals through education, reform, and community engagement.

As Tasmania considers the future of greyhound racing, there is strong and growing public support for change – evidenced by EMRS polling showing 74% of Tasmanians support phasing out greyhound racing by 2029.

Now is the time for members of the Legislative Council to support the government’s Greyhound Racing Legislation Amendments (Phasing out Reform) Bill 2025, improving outcomes for animals and reinforcing Tasmania’s leadership in animal welfare.