Parliament has voted 112–11 to shut down greyhound racing, with the ban taking effect on 1 August 2026.

Racing Minister Winston Peters said the Racing Industry (Closure of Greyhound Racing Industry) Amendment passed its third reading with overwhelming cross‑party support, citing three independent reviews in 2013, 2017 and 2021 that identified serious animal welfare concerns.

“While improvements were made, those gains plateaued and injury/death rates remained unacceptably high to the point the sport had lost its social licence,” Peters said. “Action had to be taken.”

The Government will establish a transition agency to manage the wind‑down and the rehoming of dogs. It will be chaired by Heather Simpson, alongside Murray Johnson and Dr Lindsay Burton, who currently serve on the Ministerial Advisory Committee on greyhound racing. A fourth member will be appointed.

According to the Minister, the agency’s remit includes:

• Support for greyhound owners to maintain high standards of care while dogs await rehoming, including housing, training and behavioural support
• Partnerships with existing rehoming agencies, with practical backing to expand capacity and adoptions
• Retraining and redeployment support for industry workers through the Ministry of Social Development
• Mental health and wellbeing services for people closely tied to the industry

Peters rejected claims that participants and dogs would be left without support. “There has been a great deal of misinformation suggesting that people and dogs are being abandoned. That is simply wrong,” he said. “This Bill underpins a structured transition, with funding, agencies, and support mechanisms in place.”

The Minister framed the move as part of a wider international trend, noting jurisdictions such as Scotland, Wales and Tasmania have also signalled plans to end greyhound racing.

The Government says it is now moving into the formal setup phase for the transition agency. Details on funding levels, timelines for rehoming capacity, and the total number of affected workers and dogs were not included in the announcement.