New Local and National Rules coming into effect

Prohibited practices include:

1. Anything prohibited or restricted by relevant legislation or regulation, depending on the state or territory where the greyhound is domiciled.
2. Ear cropping – a surgical procedure that removes part or all of the external flaps of a dog’s ear to allow them to stand erect.
3. Debarking – a surgical procedure performed to primarily reduce the noise of a dog’s bark.
4. Electric stimulus/shock devices – such as anti-barking collars or other devices used for behaviour modification, by delivering an electric stimulus or shock that can alter the behaviour of a dog
5. Thermocautery (firing) is the technique of using heat to destroy or remove star tissue.
6. Blistering is the process of applying caustic solutions to the skin over bones and joints.
7. Limb neurectomy/permanent limb desensitisation are surgical procedures or treatment performed to mask injury.
8. Racing of pregnant or serviced females. This has been added as a prohibited practice to ensure that breeding females are not raced when pregnant or within 28 days of being serviced.

Restricted practices include:

1. Anything restricted by relevant legislation or regulation to only be performed by a veterinarian, depending on the state or territory.
2. Any surgical procedure
3. Tail docking
4. One-sided castration (hemi-castration)
5. Use of sclerosing agents
6. Intra-articular injections
7. Introduction of any object into a joint of a greyhound
8. Shockwave therapy
9. Limb desensitisation
10. Transcervical artificial insemination
11. Euthanasia of a greyhound
12. Tattooing

A prohibited practice cannot occur.

A restricted practice is restricted to veterinarians only.

National rule changes are being implemented which align with the local rules currently in Victoria.

These existing rules prohibit three or more starts in seven days AND eight or more starts in 28 days.

Changes to registration conditions (number of greyhound limits) will apply to new applications for registration only (including those returning from disqualification or after their registration was cancelled by the Controlling Body).

The conditions are not intended to apply to participants who were registered in the relevant category when the rules come into effect.

However, they are intended to apply if the participant changes their registration (for example, an owner applying to be a trainer).

The new rule will see that a person registered by the Controlling Body after 1 November 2025 is registered on the condition that they may own or train no more than five greyhounds at any one time, and new breeders may whelp no more than two litters. These rules will apply to a person’s registration for a period of three years.