The Greyhound Welfare & Integrity Commission has released the findings of its observational study that assessed drinking water consumption by racing greyhounds while kennelled during NSW race meetings.

The Commission announced the pilot study in March 2020, with the objective of enabling ongoing assessment and monitoring of the current Race Day Hydration and Hot Weather Policy.

Chief Commissioner, Alan Brown AM, said the data showed that drinking water prior to racing did not appear to impact on a greyhound’s performance.

“There were a number of factors that contributed to how much water a greyhound drank prior to racing, such as how far they travelled to get to the track, but overall it was determined that having access to water prior to racing was not detrimental to the race result,” Chief Commissioner Brown said.

“At this stage we will not be making amendments to the Race Day Hydration and Hot Weather Policy, however we have determined that there is more work to be done in this space.”

Seventy greyhounds and 45 trainers participated in the study, which was led by GWIC Veterinarian, Dr Kasia Hunter.

“Observations did show that water intake prior to racing was generally quite low, with 65.2% of greyhounds drinking an average of 29ml before racing,” Commissioner Brown said.

“And as expected, water intake post-race was much higher with 92.2% of greyhounds drinking an average of 234ml of water.”

During the trial, nine greyhounds spilt their water bowls however this did not result in any injuries to the greyhounds.

“The results of the pilot study have certainly provided some insight into race day water consumption and allowed the Commission to consider implementing measures around water bowl placement and water amounts,” Commissioner Brown said.

“There is also consideration for conducting the study on a larger scale to understand more broadly the behaviours of greyhounds in relation to water intake during kennelling, with particular focus on travel and climate factors.”

For a summary of the report or to view the report in full, including statistical analysis, visit the Commission’s website.

Contact: media@gwic.nsw.gov.au | 0448 193 270