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Mark Grima: Cruel greyhound trainer banned, fined for vet fail

‘Throat torn open’: A Devon Meadows dog racer let one of his hounds suffer in pain because he didn’t want to pay vet fees.

Greyhound trainer Mark Grima failed to get vet treatment for one of his injured dogs.
Greyhound trainer Mark Grima failed to get vet treatment for one of his injured dogs.

A veteran greyhound trainer failed to get vet help after one of his animals had been badly bitten by another dog, a court has heard.

Mark Andrew Grima didn’t want to take the wounded dog, named Raw Luxury, to the vets because it was a Friday and he didn’t get paid until the following Thursday.

Instead the 51-year-old tried to treat the hurt animal with a bandage and antibiotics he had laying around.

Luckily for him — and the dog who which likely have died — a Greyhound Racing Victoria inspector turned up out of the blue and had her removed for emergency medical care.

Grima pleaded guilty to a RSPCA charge of failing to provide treatment to an injured animal at the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

The court heard on September 13, 2019, Raw Luxury suffered a large wound to her neck after being attacked by one of 13 other greyhounds Grima had at his Devon Meadows property.

Grima gave the dog basic care but should have known the gaping 10cm by 16cm wound would require immediate specialist assistance.

Six days later the dog’s wound was infected and skin was dying, leaving a large hole in her neck.

On September 19 a GRV inspector attended for a random inspection and discovered the hurt dog and ordered she be given immediate care.

Grima told the inspector he didn’t have the money and didn’t have a driving licence so couldn’t transport Raw Luxury to the vet.

The racing body fined Grima $1500 and suspended his training licence for two years.

In court Grima’s defence lawyer Adrienna Kisvarda said he had been training dogs since he was aged in his 20s, and genuinely believed he could treat Raw Luxury for her injuries.

She said his premises had been inspected multiple times in the past with no problems, and his other dogs were not mistreated in any way.

She said Grima still owns three retired greyhounds and was a loving animal owner with no history of cruelty of any kind.

She said he wasn’t training dogs anymore, was living with his mother at Blind Bight and employed as a NDIS causal worker.

Magistrate Andrew Halse said it was unbelievable someone of Grima’s experience would not have known how serious the wound was.

“It is clear that it had had its throat torn open by the other dog,” Mr Halse said.

“The pain and distress this poor animal went through because you did not want to expend the money is totally unacceptable behaviour.

“It is so lucky that inspectors came at the time they did.”

Grima was convicted and fined $4000, and banned from owning dogs for 10 years.

A condition was included that he can keep the three greyhounds he has now as long as he allows them to be regularly checked by a professional vet.

Raw Luxury fully recovered from her injuries, and was taken interstate to be cared for.

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/south-east/mark-grima-cruel-greyhound-trainer-banned-fined-for-vet-fail/news-story/bf336cb50584f53cd0728d4ab8655187