10/28/2026
Animal Welfare vs Animal Rights in an excellent nutshell: It’s about ALL animals. Don’t be fooled into believing they will spare your animal hobby or industry.
First the greyhounds. What comes next?
The Liberal Government plans to end greyhound racing in Tasmania by 2029. The Greens have been demanding a ban for years.
But anyone who thinks this debate begins and ends with greyhounds should read the Greens' own policies.
They already want commercial horse racing ended, rodeos banned and factory farming phased out.
That raises a much bigger question.
At what point does protecting animals from cruelty become an argument against using animals for human purposes altogether?
Follow that argument to its logical extreme.
Stage 1. Animal racing. Greyhounds today. The Greens' national policy already calls for an end to commercial horse racing.
Stage 2. Working and performance animals. Rodeos are already targeted. Where should the line be drawn for agricultural shows, equestrian sport, working dogs and police dogs?
Stage 3. Livestock farming. Factory farming is already in their sights. Could the same ethical argument eventually extend to ordinary meat, dairy, egg and wool production?
Stage 4. Zoos and aquariums. If captivity is the objection, where does that leave wildlife exhibits and conservation facilities?
Stage 5. Pet ownership. Take the animal-rights argument to its absolute extreme. If humans have no right to own animals, what happens to the family dog or cat?
Animal welfare is about how animals are treated. An absolute animal-rights philosophy raises the separate question of whether humans should use animals at all.
The Greens' policies already extend beyond greyhound racing. Those proposals deserve scrutiny on their individual merits, including their consequences for animals, industries and communities.
Animal cruelty should have consequences. Welfare standards should be enforced. Whether an entire industry must be prohibited is a different question.
If regulation can prevent cruelty, why should prohibition be the only answer?
