Greyhound ban: People forced to sell everything they own, destroying their lives, says trainer Bill Bright

MIKE Baird’s crusade to ban greyhounds is destroying the lives of ordinary people and has forced them to sell everything they own, says this trainer.

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PREMIER Mike Baird’s crusade to ban the greyhounds is destroying the lives of ordinary people and has forced people to sell everything they own.

Greyhound trainer Bill Bright, 65, from Neath near Cessnock is being forced to off-load his prized dogs and is now saddled with 3.5ha property that nobody wants to buy.

Trainer Bill Bright with retired racing dog and best mate, 10-year-old Dartanyan. Picture: Peter Lorimer.

“My employment opportunities after this are zero now,” Mr Bright said.

“My wife and I purpose built this property to rear and spell greyhounds and now we cannot do anything with it because nobody will want to buy it and its value will have dropped because they will just tear down the greyhound facilities we have built.”

Bill and his wife bought the land to rear and spell greyhounds but no one wants to buy the property with greyhound facilities due to the ban. Picture: Peter Lorimer.

For Mr Bright the greyhounds gave him and many of his friends purpose.

“Mike Baird has not thought about the impact this decision will have on people, I know people who are depressed because of what has happened,” he said.

“A friend of mine said he can’t concentrate, can’t think of anything else and can’t sit still for a long period of time. It has had a big impact on them mentally, it has been huge.

“I mean there are people who have had greyhounds their whole lives and they are in their 70s now.”

Neath trainer and breeder Bill Bright, right, with his family who are all heavily involved in the greyhound racing industry. Picture: Peter Lorimer.

The impact has been so great on the Bright family that Bill’s brother-in-law, Mark Watt, was placed under suicide watch at Maitland Private Hospital.

“Greyhound racing gives me a lot of joy and makes me want to get up every day. I have just had everything taken away from me,” Mr Watts told The Daily Telegraph.

“My whole life has now been taken away from me, Mike Baird has taken everything and it is the last straw.”

Between Mr Bright and Mr Watts the family helped train, spell and rear about a dozen greyhounds.