Greyhounds—Rehoming
702. Hon Amanda Dorn to the minister representing the Minister for Racing and Gaming:
I refer the minister to the WESTCHASE incentive scheme and his previous answer that "There are no current plans to review" the scheme.
(1) What safeguards exist to ensure that all greyhounds bred under the scheme are rehomed given that 220 pups were whelped and only 126 rehomed by Greyhounds as Pets Western Australia in the same period?
(2) Is it ethical for a wagering-funded scheme to reward breeding when rehoming capacity is clearly limited?
(3) Will the minister table any welfare impact assessments or risk analysis used to justify the scheme's continuation?
Hon Samantha Rowe replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question and provide the following answer on behalf of the minister representing the Minister for Racing and Gaming.
(1)–(2) The Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety advises that the breeding of greyhounds is regulated under the rules of greyhound racing, which include the education and licensing of breeders, limits to the number of litters that can be whelped, mandatory veterinary health assessments and an approval process for intended matings. These regulatory measures are designed to ensure that all breeding activities are responsible and sustainable.
(3) No.
