The Department of Local Government, Racing and Multicultural Affairs has allocated $60,000 to animal welfare to help re-home greyhounds and racing horses.
Minister for Racing, Grace Grace said the money would be distributed in the form of grants to 11 organisations from Far North Queensland to Brisbane’s south-side.
“We want to see racing animals treated properly when they are racing and afterwards,” Ms Grace said.
“We also want to protect the industry itself for the economic and social benefit it brings to Queensland,” she said.
“Racing generates more than $1.6 billion a year for the Queensland economy and supports more than 12,600 full-time equivalent jobs within the industry and in its supply industries.”
Acting Commissioner of Queensland Racing Integrity, Mark Ainsworth said the projects promoted and supported the Commission’s animal welfare objectives, including maximising the post-racing career of racing horses and greyhounds.
“The grants assist organisations ranging from the Far North Queensland Foster Farm, at Lake Eacham on the Atherton Tablelands to Rosewood near Ipswich and for projects including dental work for greyhounds before they are re-homed, and shelters for track horses,” Mr Ainsworth said.
He said that in the current financial year $2.3 million was forecast to be spent on the welfare of Queensland’s racing animals.
“This includes funding for greyhound adoption programs and resources to enforce animal welfare compliance as well as an education program,” Mr Ainsworth said.
