COMMENT: Barbaric acts of live baiting disgrace industry

IT was excruciating watching the ABC’s Four Corners TV program on live baiting in the greyhound industry on Monday night.

IT was excruciating watching the ABC's Four Corners TV program on live baiting in the greyhound industry on Monday night.

At times it was gut wrenching to watch as live animals such a pigs, rabbits and possums were used to 'train' greyhounds to chase the bait.

Worse still, secret camera footage exposed certain trainers taking joy in performing acts of animal cruelty that I won't go into now.

In a real 'gotcha' moment Four Corners interviewed many of the trainers on camera, who all denied the practice of 'live baiting' was going on.

Even more sickening, was these barbaric practices were performed in front of young child in at least one instance.

A couple of local trainers have been implicated in this scandal which has far reaching implications for greyhound racing right across Australia, but Queensland, NSW and Victoria, in particular.

Over 20 trainers have been suspended and you would imagine it is all going to unravel with the RSPCA and police now investigating.

It has much wider implications for the governments of these three states, which help prop up the greyhound racing industry with direct investments in infrastructure.

The greyhound industry will be reeling from these revelations and its own system for investigating these matters has been found severely wanting.

It's nothing short of a disgrace.