In December 2024, the New Zealand Government announced its intention to close the greyhound racing industry by 31 July 2026. It followed two industry-led reviews of the greyhound racing industry in 2013 and 2017, and a government commissioned review in 2021 that led to a three-year reform program aimed at improving welfare standards, monitored by its regulator, the Racing Integrity Board. The closure decision came despite acknowledged progress in animal welfare since the independent review, which had placed the industry “on notice” due to concerns around data integrity, transparency, and greyhound welfare. The closure was primarily attributed to race injury rates, which the Government deemed insufficiently improved to justify the industry's continued social licence, and believed that welfare outcomes would not improve enough under a new regulatory system. A Ministerial Advisory Committee was established to oversee the shutdown and guide legislative changes, including an emergency Act making it a criminal offence to euthanise greyhounds without valid medical or behavioural justification. Greyhound Racing NZ (GRNZ), believes the process leading to the decision was considerably flawed and is challenging the decision through the courts, seeking an injunction and judicial review, while continuing to cooperate with the closure process. This paper explores the reform program, the rationale behind the Government’s decision, GRNZ’s strategic response, and the broader implications for racing codes and animal-use sports. It examines what lessons can be drawn from the NZ experience - particularly regarding regulatory expectations, public trust, and the limits of welfare reform under pressure. Are there warning signs that other racing organisations should heed? Could similar scrutiny or political intervention be on the horizon elsewhere? The ban delivers an insight into the intersection of welfare science, public perception, and policy - and poses critical questions about the future of racing and animal-use sports globally.