Australian Capital Territory
Animal Welfare (Keeping and Breeding of Racing Greyhounds in the ACT) Mandatory Code of Practice 2018 (No 1)
Disallowable instrument DI2018–76
made under the  
Animal Welfare Act 1992, Section 23 (Mandatory code of practice)
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Section 23 of the Animal Welfare Act 1992 (the Act) provides that the Minister may approve a mandatory code of practice relating to animal welfare.

Under the Domestic Animals (Racing Greyhounds) Legislation Amendment Act 2017, a person who has control of one or more racing greyhounds (for training, handling or rearing purposes) will be required to obtain a racing greyhound controller licence. A condition of a greyhound controller licence will be compliance with the Code of Practice for Keeping and Breeding Racing Greyhounds in the ACT.

This instrument approves the attached Code of Practice for the Keeping or Racing Greyhounds as a mandatory Code of Practice under the Animal Welfare Act 1992.

The overall objective of this Code is that racing greyhounds that are kept in the ACT are provided with care that maximises their long term health and well-being, and that they are protected from pain, distress, danger, illness and injury. 

Additionally, this Code aims to prevent the euthanasia of unwanted racing greyhounds.

Purpose of the Code

Beginning 30 April 2018, greyhound racing and trialling is prohibited in the ACT. ACT residents can still own, keep, breed and train greyhounds for racing elsewhere but must comply with the animal welfare standards included in this Code.

This Code has been prepared to provide standards for maintaining the welfare of racing greyhounds that are kept in the ACT. 

It is approved as a mandatory code under section 23 of the Animal Welfare Act 1992 and as such is mandatory for anybody who has day-to-day control of a racing greyhound. 

A racing greyhound controller licence under the Domestic Animals Act 2000 will be conditional on compliance with this Code. That means that if a person with 
day-to-day control of a racing greyhound fails to comply with this Code, their racing greyhound controller licence will be cancelled and other action may be taken.

Scope of the Code

This Code covers greyhounds that are kept in the ACT that are bred, kept or trained for trialling or racing in other jurisdictions. 

This Code provides standards for people who own, keep, train or breed racing greyhounds in the ACT. It recognises that animals are sentient beings and a greyhound’s welfare is impacted by its physiological and behavioural state, which is influenced by its environment and the care provided to it by the responsible people.

Where a greyhound is racing or trialling outside the ACT, it is the responsibility of the individual racing greyhound controller to ensure that they comply with the Greyhound Racing Rules that are in force in that jurisdiction.

Structure of the Code

The Code is structured into an overall objective and then sets out standards which are mandatory, and where non-compliance can constitute an offence under law.  Additional supporting information is also included to provide guidance to people on how to standards should be met.  The supporting information is not mandatory.

The determination takes effect on 30 April 2018.