【新西兰华人每日资讯网 7月31日讯】 今天（7月31日），新西兰商业赛狗（Greyhound Racing）正式画下句号，一个延续数十年的产业正式退出历史舞台。随着禁令全面生效，政府工作的重点也随之转向另一项更重要的任务——为约1400只退役灵缇犬寻找充满关爱的永久家庭。

赛马事务部长温斯顿·彼得斯（Winston Peters）表示，今年4月，新西兰国会一致通过终止商业赛狗的立法。这项决定源于过去十年来三份独立调查报告持续指出，赛狗行业犬只死亡和严重受伤率始终居高不下，行业长期未能改善动物福利问题，最终失去了社会公众的支持。

目前，政府已委任灵缇犬过渡机构（Greyhound Transition Agency，GTA）统筹全国退役赛狗安置工作，并推出“灵缇犬重新安置计划”（Greyhound Rehoming Project）。该计划不仅与多家长期从事灵缇犬救助和领养的专业机构合作，还将继续向原犬主和训练师提供资金支持，确保所有退役赛狗在成功领养前都能获得妥善照顾。

彼得斯强调，这项总额约6000万纽元的安置计划全部由新西兰TAB（博彩机构）承担，资金来自原本用于赛狗产业的收益，不会动用任何纳税人的资金。

令人惋惜的是，在赛狗产业结束前最后一周，一只灵缇犬在基督城Addington赛场比赛中腿部骨折，最终被实施安乐死，成为这一产业谢幕前最后的悲剧之一。

彼得斯表示，这再次提醒公众，赛狗产业长期伴随着大量犬只死亡和严重受伤，因此结束这一产业是社会发展的必然选择。

“希望这是新西兰最后一只因赛狗比赛而失去生命的犬只。” 他呼吁更多新西兰家庭加入领养行列，为这些退役灵缇犬提供一个安全、温暖的新家，让它们真正开启属于自己的幸福生活。

随着最后一场比赛落幕，新西兰也正式成为全球少数全面禁止商业赛狗运动的国家之一。这不仅标志着动物福利迈出了重要一步，也意味着1400只退役灵缇犬将迎来人生新的起点。

Racing Minister Winston Peters says a brighter future awaits the hundreds of dogs involved in the greyhound racing industry which winds up today.

Commercial greyhound racing ends 31 July 2026 following the passing of legislation in April with the support of all parties in Parliament. The legislation followed a decade in which three independent reports showed unacceptable death and injury rates, with no noticeable improvement. 

Mr Peters says the focus is now on rehoming the estimated 1400 dogs with the Greyhound Transition Agency (GTA) appointed to coordinate the task.

“The GTA is has a clear plan – the Greyhound Rehoming Project – is fully funded and is working with established expert organisations who have been rehoming racing industry greyhounds for years.

“The rehoming plan ensures owners / trainers of former racing dogs have financial support to care for animals until they are rehomed,” Mr Peters says.  

“There was clear, strong support from most New Zealanders that ending greyhound racing was the right thing to do. 

“No taxpayer money is being used in the $60 million programme which is funded by the TAB using proceeds that would previously have gone into greyhound racing.

“The last week of racing was sadly marked by yet another death of a greyhound which was put down after breaking her leg in a race at Addington on Wednesday.  It was a tragic reminder of the toll of deaths and serious injury for an industry which had run out of social licence to operate. 

“Let that be the last death of a racing dog, and we encourage Kiwis to get onboard in providing these greyhounds with a loving home and a brighter future,” Mr Peters says.