Two greyhounds have died at The Q, the racing complex west of Brisbane dubbed Australia's deadliest track, prompting renewed calls for its permanent closure. Dainty Dottie was euthanised on Friday after breaking a leg, two days after You Tell Her was fatally injured on the same track, bringing the death toll to at least 40 since trial races began in March last year, according to the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds.
The group's president, Amy MacMahon, said The Q must be closed immediately. "The latest shocking death at The Q is another reminder of what a disaster this taxpayer-funded folly has become," she said. "Two dogs killed in three days. At least 40 dogs killed since the first trials. There are no limits to the amount of carnage and cruelty that the complex is inflicting on greyhounds."
According to the coalition's tracking, stewards reports show 1492 greyhounds have been injured at the three-track complex. The $90 million hub at Purga, south of Ipswich, opened last year. An independent report last year found faulty track designs contributed to deaths at the facility, yet racing has continued. Racing at The Q was suspended after the first deaths, and internal Racing Queensland documents obtained through Right to Information legislation revealed there were secret plans to move greyhounds back to inner-city Albion Park if deaths continued.
MacMahon also said quarterly injury reports for January to June 2026 remained hidden, and called on Racing Queensland and the state government to reveal the data. "Promoted as the world's safest and most advanced racing complex, The Q is just a graveyard for these beautiful and innocent dogs," she said. "Almost exactly a year ago an investigation into The Q revealed a litany of serious issues. Nothing has changed. We can't give The Q any more chances while it keeps killing dogs."
Racing Minister Tim Mander, asked about animal safety, race suspension thresholds and track design improvements, said: "While The Q was commissioned, designed and built under the former Labor government, the Crisafulli government is making sure that all steps are taken to ensure animal welfare standards are upheld." The Q was a Labor initiative, though the LNP government oversaw its opening and has had oversight during every dog death at the venue.
Labor MP Jennifer Howard, whose electorate includes the Purga track, has pushed her party to take a greyhound ban to the next election, a position Labor leadership has dismissed. Meanwhile, Greyhound Racing NSW has proposed a $70 million, three-track complex at Richmond, west of Sydney, to replace Wentworth Park. "The deaths of Dainty Dottie and all the other greyhounds are a warning to NSW of what to expect," MacMahon said. "All greyhound tracks kill and maim, and cause gambling harm to communities. A 'mega-complex' only results in extreme death and suffering."
New Zealand banned greyhound racing in August, with Tasmania making moves to follow suit.