Inquiry lifts lid on NSW greyhound deaths THE boss of greyhound racing in NSW says animal welfare in the industry should improve, revealing about 3000 unwanted dogs are euthanised each year. NSW Greyhound Racing chief executive Brent Hogan on Friday fronted a parliamentary committee looking into claims greyhounds are given performance-enhancing drugs and are killed in their thousands every year. The inquiry, at Penrith in western Sydney, was also charged with examining the financial relationship between Greyhound Racing NSW and the TAB. Giving evidence, Mr Hogan conceded about 3000 dogs were euthanised each year in NSW. Some dogs left the state, while others found homes as pets. A submission to the inquiry from a group called Greyhound Rescue says the drowning of unwanted greyhound puppies is common. The group says it rarely receives pups, and few are surrendered to pounds. Pressed by Mr Kaye, Mr Hogan said 52 greyhounds were adopted as pets in 2012 through a NSW Greyhound Racing initiative. He rejected the claim doping was widespread. "We have zero tolerance for participants who do not meet our animal welfare standards," he said. In its submission, Greyhound Rescue says the euthanasia rate is "horrifying." "Veterinary nurses are horrified by the high euthanasia rate of their clinics," the group's submission states. It says dogs that arrive at pounds are often in very poor health, and need emergency surgery. A dog had been blinded in one eye after its trainer hit it in the eye with a belt buckle, and females were often in poor health due to overbreeding, it says. The Animal Welfare League has urged the government to set up two independent committees to monitor welfare standards. It called for less litters bred each year to help reduce euthanasia rates. Earlier on Friday, the inquiry was told many NSW greyhound tracks under financial pressures could be forced to close within a decade. Mr Hogan called on the government to help the industry get a bigger slice of TAB wagering revenue split between three racing codes. He said the greyhound industry was effectively subsidising harness and thoroughbred racing by about $15 million a year. The inquiry will resume in February.