The euthanisation of 309 greyhounds this year is too high, and Greyhound Racing New Zealand (GRNZ) is planning to "lift efforts to reduce that number".

Reducing euthanisation, increasing greyhound re-homing numbers and track safety are among 20 recommendations from the industry's second external review of animal welfare in the sport.

In a review commissioned by the New Zealand Racing Board, former High Court Justice Rodney Hansen, QC, said while the greyhound racing industry shows good progress in some areas, work still needs to be done.

Racing Minister Winston Peters labelled the findings disturbing and deeply disappointing.

"When the welfare of greyhounds should be paramount, the Hansen report has revealed rates of dog euthanasia, the number of 'unaccounted' for dogs and low numbers of rehomed greyhounds which are simply unacceptable," he said.

"It is not tolerable having some owners giving the rest a bad name."

The report identifies that there are several gaps in GRNZ's knowledge of where dogs are located through their life cycle.

GRNZ plan on tackling this issue with new population management software that it is ready to roll out progressively from 2018.

"This will enable us to model the impact of breeding and importation, and then actively work with owners and trainers to ensure overpopulation is avoided," says GRNZ in response to the report.

The new software will, for the first time, enable the industry to bring down rates of euthanasia and reduce pressure on re-homing of non-racing and retired dogs.

GRNZ also accepted euthanasia rates were too high and plans to reduce the number.

Meka Whaitiri, the associate agriculture minister responsible for animal welfare, has backed the report's recommendations

She's asked the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee to regularly update her on progress within the industry.

"...I expect to see significant movement over the coming year," she said.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand Veterinary Association want to see GRNZ move swiftly on the recommendations made in the report.

"We're disappointed with the lack of progress in areas that were highlighted in past reports on greyhound welfare," says the association's chief executive officer Mark Ward.

"With New Zealand being one of the few places in the world where greyhound racing is permitted, GRNZ must urgently improve greyhound welfare in order to retain their social license to operate."

Green Party animal welfare spokesman Gareth Hughes said New Zealand was one of just eight countries worldwide with a commercial greyhound racing industry, and the "damning report" questioned if that number should become seven instead.

GREYHOUND FACTS FOR 2016/17
* Greyhounds imported into NZ - 279
* Bred in NZ - 675
* Total registered for racing - 3225
* Died naturally - 40
* Retired for breeding - 46
* Euthanised - 309
* Found new homes - 414
(Source: Greyhound Racing NZ)

- NZ Newswire