Rev Treasure suffered a fractured humerus at Shepparton's home turn on June 22, while Jabberwocky suffered the same injury on June 18 and they were later euthanised by an industry vet.
At that same meeting, another greyhound, Detectable, also suffered a leg fracture (hock).
The loss of two greyhounds at Shepparton prompted Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell to join animal rights groups in expressing her concerns, with 14 animals having died on the track in Victoria's greyhound racing industry this year.
“Less than 24 hours ago, I shared the news of Jabberwocky, the 13th on-track death in Victoria's greyhound racing industry,“ Purcell wrote.
“Just four days later, Rev Treasure was killed at Shepparton on the same track, in the exact same section, and from the same type of injury.”
The politician took to social media to show a clip of the footage of the incident which led to the death of Rev Treasure.
In response, GRV chief executive officer Stuart Laing, speaking on behalf of Shepparton Greyhound Racing Club, insisted that safety performance has “improved”, highlighting a statistical decline in race fatality rates.
"Greyhound racing in Victoria operates at scale, with around 110,000 starters each year, and safety performance has improved over time,“ he said.
“Over the past four years, the race fatality rate has declined 10 per cent, from 0.44 to 0.40 per 1000 starters.
"That trajectory reflects a sustained focus on evidence, review and continuous improvement.“
The Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds (CPG) also branded the Victorian race tracks where the sport is staged as “lethal”.
The latter organisation also branded the scenes widely shared on social media showing the incident as “disturbing” as they brought attention to the number of fatalities of greyhounds that have raced in Victoria in recent times.
“More disturbing scenes on Victoria's lethal racetracks. Two greyhounds suffer and die at Shepparton's home turn,” the statement from CPG read.
“The state is by far Australia’s deadliest for greyhound racing.”
Meanwhile, Bendigo Animal Welfare & Community Services also commented on the news of the deaths of the two greyhounds at Shepparton this month.
“While on-track deaths in Victoria may currently be lower than at the same point last year, greyhounds continue to die from race-related injuries away from the track,” a statement read.
“The toll continues to grow, with dozens of greyhounds already lost this year as a direct result of racing.
“How many more dogs must be injured and killed before meaningful action is taken?”
Following these incidents, GRV confirmed that steward reviews indicate both greyhounds were involved in significant in‑race interference – one following a collision with other runners, and the other after being severely checked.
They explained that these factors that can arise within the dynamics of a race and are assessed alongside all other available evidence.
“Any loss of a greyhound is taken seriously, and we recognise the concern these incidents raised," Laing said.
"Our responsibility is to understand exactly what occurred and to apply those learnings to continually improve safety across the sport. Each incident is subject to detailed review, including veterinary assessment, race vision and steward reports.
“We will continue to examine every incident closely and act on what we learn to further reduce risk and improve safety outcomes.”
9°C