Greyhound racing is again in the spotlight as the number of dogs euthanised is revealed.

Animal rights activists have called for an end to greyhound racing after the revelation 353 dogs were euthanised this year.

Greyhound Racing New Zealand, which runs the sport, said it has tried to keep the number of dogs being euthanised to "an absolute minimum". It has published the number of deaths as part of implementing the recommendations of the Hansen Report, a review into the welfare of greyhounds undertaken by retired High Court judge Rodney Hansen last year. Hansen found that 1447 dogs had been euthanised in just four years and thought the figure would be much higher because trainers were often not reporting the deaths.

It's understood the 353 deaths in the past year occurred because of dogs being unable to be rehomed, as well as racetrack injuries and illness, though a detailed breakdown was not provided.

Animal rights body SAFE said the deaths were "totally unacceptable" and called for end to "greyhound racing cruelty".

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SAFE head of campaigns Marianne Macdonald said the report was a damning indictment of the industry.

"The report states that they have tried everything they can but they still put hundreds of dogs down. This has been the problem all along, and after many years of reforms they still can't get their breeding down to a level that stops them from killing unwanted greyhounds," she said in a statement.

"New Zealand is a country of animal lovers, yet we operate an industry that kills almost a dog a day for entertainment and gambling profits. This is a black stain on New Zealand's reputation."

DOMINICO ZAPATA/STUFF Racing Minister Winston Peters found the Hansen Report revelations on greyhound welfare disturbing.

Macdonald called upon the Government to take action to protect dogs. "The industry is literally betting on these dog's lives. This cruelty has been banned in the Australian Capital Territory and Florida, USA," she said.

When the Hansen report was published a year ago, Racing Minister Winston Peters said its findings were disturbing and deeply disappointing.

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

The Hansen report was commissioned by the New Zealand Racing Board and looked at welfare progress over the four years since the last significant report, known as the WHK review, back in 2013.

He said there was a lack of reliable data on the outcome of greyhounds who never make it to the race track and those who are retired from racing.

While 1447 greyhounds had been euthanised between the 2013/14 and 2016/17 seasons, there were also 1271 dogs unaccounted for.

In its annual report released this week, GRNZ said it had since accounted for 80 per cent of those 1271 dogs. "Many of these greyhounds were still on properties and were microchip scanned during the census. Many also were registered as puppies but had not started racing at the time the Hansen Report was collated." It said it was still following up on the remaining 20 per cent.

As part of implementing the Hansen Report recommendations, GRNZ said it had increased rehoming opportunities and programmes for all greyhounds, investing heavily into its rehoming partners. It had found 517 suitable homes for greyhounds, a 25 per cent increase on last year. It had also tightened its processes around euthanisation forms and deregistration of greyhounds.

"Through all our efforts, we have strived to keep the number of greyhounds euthanised to an absolute minimum. The work we've begun this year in response to the Hansen Report and on our own initiative to manage euthanasia, extend racing careers and improve safety on the track while increasing rehoming opportunities, will begin to yield positive results in the seasons to come," it said in its annual report.

GRNZ has been contacted for comment.