Greyhound racing’s dark secret: Four Corners reveals live piglets, rabbits and native wildlife used to ‘blood’ dogs for track
AS calls grow for the greyhound industry to be shut down, one industry worker has made an impassioned radio plea in support of the sport she loves.
NSW
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AMID Independent MP Andrew Wilkie’s calls for an immediate suspension of all greyhound racing in the light of the live baiting scandal, one woman took to the radio to make an impassioned plea to keep the sport alive.
The woman, identified only as Simone from Victoria, called Triple J’s Hack show this afternoon and fought back tears as she asked the public not to believe all trainers act like those shown in last night’s ABC Four Corners program. The program uncovered a host of top industry names engaging in ‘blooding’ dogs — training them to chase live prey to improve performance.
“I’m proud to say I’m involved in the greyhound racing industry,” she said. “I’m not ashamed because I know I have a clear conscience about our practices with our dogs.”
Simone said she was perhaps too trusting of others in greyhound racing and said she couldn’t bear to watch the show.
“If the industry is shut down today or tomorrow what are we going to do with these dogs? How am I going to be able to feed them,” she asked.
“This is our livelihood, my family’s livelihood. I have an absolute clear conscience and I don’t think (suspension or banning) is going to solve the problem.”
She also asked the public not to “tar us all with the same brush” and hoped the industry could root out its bad apples.
Earlier in the day, NSW greyhound trainer John Thompson joined the growing list of industry players suspended from the sport following a damning investigation into “illegal and barbaric” life-baiting practices.
Thomson, based in northern NSW, was allegedly caught on hidden camera footage aired on Four Corners, telling another participant how to kill a baby possum while its mother was being strung up to be used as live bait on a training track.
Greyhound Racing NSW immediately banned him after the program went to air last night.
RSPCA CEO Steve Coleman said inspectors from his organisation were currently meeting with Greyhound Racing NSW to view additional hidden camera footage which could implicate further key figures in the industry.
“Hopefully they can help us identify some of the characters in the footage which didn’t make it to air last night,” he said.
“They’ll spend the next few hours sifting through that, trying to work out who’s who so we can continue (expanding the investigation).”
Meanwhile, Independent MP Andrew Wilkie has called for an immediate suspension of all greyhound racing in Australia, suggesting there were likely “thousands” of racing greyhounds that had been trained illegally “to get an unfair edge”.
“This calls into question the entire greyhound industry which must be shut down immediately so the dogs and trainers can be identified and disqualified and the industry cleaned up,” he said.
“Self-regulation has clearly failed and governments must take over the regulation of the greyhound industry if the public is to have any confidence in its integrity and animal-welfare standards.
“Many people quite rightly find the whole notion of greyhound racing abhorrent, not least because 18,000 dogs are destroyed annually just because they can’t run fast enough. Frankly I think the so-called sport should be banned outright.”
Animal welfare group Animals Australia backed Mr Wilkie’s call to ban the sport.
“The regulators have shown themselves to be inept, numerous dogs have been trained by horrific performance enhancing methods and leading trainers have been shown engaging in these illegal practices,” chief investigator Lyn White said.
Greyhound Racing NSW has cancelled its annual awards night this Friday following the scandal.
Greyhound Racing Victoria also cancelled its annual awards ceremony, in which trainer Darren McDonald, allegedly caught on hidden camera baiting his dogs with live animals, had three dogs nominated for Greyhound of the Year.
GRNSW announced that a taskforce headed by former High Court justice Michael McHugh would investigate live baiting in the industry.
Mr Hogan has called for greater powers to stamp out animal cruelty in the industry.
The allegations of animal cruelty come as the NSW government oversees a scheduled five-year statutory review of the Greyhound Racing Act 2009.
In light of the report, the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing has extended the time for submissions for a further two weeks, until March 2.
NSW opposition leader Luke Foley has called for an urgent, independent investigation to root out the “bad apples” in the industry, and urged life bans.
NSW Greens MP John Kaye is urging GRNSW to be broken up for failing to detect live baiting.
Four Corners, which launched the investigation with Animals Australia and Animal Liberation QLD, showed disturbing footage of live piglets, native possums and rabbits squealing as they were attached to lures dogs chase around the track dozens of times before being mauled.
The technique is believed to encourage the dogs to run faster when chasing mechanical lures in races and has been outlawed in Australia for decades.
The program alleged that McDonald, a two-time former greyhound trainer of the year who has won more than $4 million in prizemoney, worked with a man in Londonderry NSW. The man, the program alleged, is rumoured to be the best live trainer in the state and has used rabbits to blood dogs.
‘‘So I’m sure there’ll be people outside and within the racing industry who will be questioning whether his winning advantage has been gained through illegal and quite horrific live baiting training practices,” Animals Australia chief investigator Lyn White said in the program.
CEO of Greyhounds Australasia Scott Parker said using live animals to blood dogs was “abhorrent,” while Greyhounds NSW strongly condemned the actions shown in the program, launching a joint taskforce to investigate training methods and facilities.
GRNSW chief Brent Hogan said he and the vast majority of the greyhound racing industry were disgusted with the images shown and said his organisation worked closely with the RSPCA, who raided properties in all three states.
“Live baiting is a cruel, abhorrent and archaic practice and anyone found engaging in this act needs to be punished to the full extent of the law,” Mr Hogan said.
“Its illegal under the greyhound racing rules as well as the Prevention of Cruelty To Animals Act, with anyone found guilty of the offence facing up to five years in jail and a $22,000 fine under the Act.”
The state body also confirmed it had stood down five people, some of whom were shown on the program.
This morning Gaming and Racing Minister Troy Grant issued a statement saying he was ``appalled by the absolutely abhorrent and distressing footage’’ shown in the Four Corners report.
“Animal welfare is an issue the NSW Government takes very seriously,” he said.
“The RSPCA NSW and Greyhound Racing are investigating the claims and I expect those agencies to take decisive action to stamp out illegal live baiting practices.
“Live baiting is completely illegal in Australia, and anyone found to be involved in the practice will be dealt with by the appropriate authorities.
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