New details of horrific cruelty emerge as premier backs greyhound racing

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

A former racing greyhound, Carey, was at Sydney Airport waiting to be flown to the United States for a new life as a support dog. The dog appeared to confuse its travelling box with its race starter’s box as, when it opened, the dog ran at full velocity into a fence. It broke its neck.

Carey is one of two dogs that died in transit to live with a traumatised American veteran as part of a Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) export program. Another, Jazzie, appears to have died of gulping air due to extreme stress; it had wounds from trying to tear at its own belly.

An explosive exit report written by GRNSW’s former chief veterinarian Alex Brittan contains a litany of allegations about animal welfare violations and substandard practices, from dogs with mouths of rotting teeth to the discovery of unreported burnt and frozen carcasses at a vet’s surgery.

Hours after this masthead published the contents of the report on Tuesday, GRNSW announced its chief executive, Robert Macaulay, had resigned. On Wednesday, Premier Chris Minns said the allegations would be investigated but threw his support behind dog racing.

In the 54-page document, Brittan also raised questions about the quality and capacity of some trackside vets and their willingness to euthanise rather than treat injured animals. He said he was also aware of cases in which dogs were in extreme distress at racing tracks.

‘[There have been] deep claw marks gouged all over the inside of metal cages, and recent pools of blood from toenails that had been ripped off from clawing at the cage door.’

GRNSW’s former chief veterinarian Alex Brittan

“[There have been] deep claw marks gouged all over the inside of metal cages, and recent pools of blood from toenails that had been ripped off from clawing at the cage door,” Brittan wrote. “Put simply, there needs to be an arse kicking.

“The level of animal distress is appalling and can neither be condoned nor excused. That an industry that generates $3.8 billion spend per annum can have cages and facilities that are so rotten and rusted is utterly appalling.”

Brittan left Greyhound Racing NSW at the end of last year but sent his former employer the handover document for his successor on June 14. The Herald unsuccessfully sought comment from Brittan. Racing Minister David Harris was not given a copy for another four days, and referred it to integrity and enforcement bodies.

Brittan’s report – which sent shockwaves through the industry – also alleged rehoming rates were inflated, dogs that raced at an unhealthy intensity were suffering from a massive rise in injuries and some practices, such as just two days of rest between races, were barbaric.

NSW Racing Minister David Harris (left) and Premier Chris Minns answer questions about the greyhound racing industry on Wednesday.Credit: Kate Geraghty

Echoing a former High Court judge, who in 2016 found dog racing had welfare, integrity and governance issues that could not be remedied, Brittan said the industry was not only unsustainable, but a “morass of exploitation and suffering”.

On Wednesday, Minns said he took the report seriously and was finalising an inquiry. “And I know that it’s the minister [who] is assessing the criticisms ... they’ll be fully investigated.”

Asked why he had ruled out shutting down greyhound racing before an inquiry into the allegations could make any findings, Minns said: “You deserve a direct answer and we’re not going to shut it down.”

Animal Justice MP Emma Hurst said Minns’ response made a mockery of any investigation. “The premier has essentially said no matter how much cruelty takes place … the industry has a green light and won’t be shut down,” she said.

Brittan’s report singled out particular vets, working both at races and privately, saying two were responsible for half the euthanised dogs in the NSW industry. He said one track vet did not know “biceps from quadriceps”.

He alleged there was one case in which a search by a former police officer, who “tagged and bagged” evidence, found greyhound bodies in freezers and skeletal remains in a fire pit at a vet’s premises, but none of the deaths had been reported by owners.

His report told the story of the so-called Wagga Six, or the seizure of 10 dogs by GRNSW and the Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission (GWIC). Six were placed with a vet; three of those were rehomed and three were forgotten for seven months, running up a giant pet bill, he alleged.

Brittan criticised the US export program, known as G’Day USA, saying the cages for the dogs might be standard but were not suitable for greyhounds’ tall, narrow bodies. “A greyhound should be able to lie comfortably with the ability to have its legs straight,” he said.

He also said NSW had no jurisdiction over the dogs when they arrived in the US.

An internal response to the document by the GWIC, tabled in parliament on Tuesday and labelled as a chief executive officer brief, recommended an investigation into 24 serious allegations made by Brittan.

“The claims and allegations reported by Dr Alex Brittan could present potential weaknesses in the commission’s functioning as regulator of the greyhound racing industry,” it said. “It is crucial for GWIC to take these allegations seriously and [respond] promptly and transparently to maintain public confidence.”

Another GWIC document, an assessment of the allegations, said the commission would review the investigation into the carcasses found at the vet, that the Wagga matter was not a GWIC or GRNSW issue, and that GWIC shared Brittan’s concerns about a particular vet.

It also said an audit last year suggested improvements to the US rehoming program, including formalising reports about deaths and injuries, even though GWIC has no formal jurisdiction, but said the US program was essential to meeting the demand for rehomed pets.

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