Should greyhound racing be banned throughout Australia?

greyhound racing 

The NSW Government announced yesterday that it intends to ban greyhound racing, after shocking revelations of livebaiting and animal cruelty throughout the industry. The livebaiting scandal, brought to light by Four Corners in February last year, led to a Special Commission of Inquiry into the Greyhound Racing Industry of NSW. The findings of this inquiry were handed to the NSW State Government last week.

NSW Premier Mike Baird announced yesterday that the greyhound racing industry will be shut down as of 1 July 2017

If you think that sounds unfair, here’s just some of the reasons why the NSW State Government is banning this practice (taken from news.com.au):

  • About 17,500 greyhound pups are born in Australia each year, with NSW having the biggest number — 8000 in 2014
  • 7000 of the 17,500 pups born (40 per cent) will never race
  • Only 600 greyhounds are “rehomed” annually under Greyhounds As Pets programs
  • Confidential April 2015 Greyhounds Australasia report says the industry is “responsible for the unnecessary deaths of anywhere between 13,000 and 17,000 healthy greyhounds a year”
  • 74 per cent to 96 per cent of greyhounds are put down before the age of 42 months
  • The RSPCA has a euthanasia rate of 15.9 per cent
  • Australia has 3800 active greyhound breeders.

 

Timeline:

  • February 16 2015: Four Corners reveals the use of live piglets, possums and rabbits to train greyhounds across three states.
  • Early 2015: Following the report there is wide condemnation of trainers.
  • May 6 2015: Honourable Michael McHugh AC QC appointed to head up an inquiry into the NSW greyhound industry.
  • June 2 2015: Queensland abolishes all racing boards in response to the growing scandal.
  • Late 2015-early 2016: NSW and Queensland police charge several greyhound trainers with livebaiting.
  • June 16 2016: Commissioner McHugh hands down his report.
  • July 7 2016: NSW Premier Mike Baird announces industry shut down based on the report.
  • July 1 2017: NSW greyhound racing industry to be shut down.

 

What do you think of this decision? Do you think greyhound racing should be banned throughout Australia?

Read the full inquiry.

(amended by the author: removed the 'insidious' reference to greyhound racing)

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53 comments

This guy is currently looking after 50 discarded greyhounds. Hopefully all states will follow Mike Baird.

Image result for peter flan who  saved greyhounds  from being killed

 Peter Flann with one of the Greyhounds he has rescued at his kennells at Rouse Hill on December 10, 2015 in Sydney, Australia. The Greyhound racing industry dumps dogs that don't perform and Peter and his wife save them from being killed. He is now caring for up to 50 dogs. Photo: Jessica Hromas

I question his or anyone's ability to care for and be able to afford to feed and vet so many Animals -- God bless him if he does but what a lot of expense

More than 100 people visited Wentworth Park racetrack to look at greyhounds up for adoption.

The RSPCA estimates there are between 6000 and 10,000 greyhound race dogs in NSW and those animals will have to find a home between now and July 2017 when the ban takes effect.

A suggestion:

Let the industry continue for another five years, for those who want it to, with a certain closure then, and a levy from now on of $5,000 per dog to care for it after it's retired.

Don' t understand your comment, especially since you agreed with me on page 1 that this sort of racing should be banned right now. Your present suggestion makes no sense.

Reagan, my mind is flexible.

I have taken note of people's concerns about what happens to all the greyhounds if t he sport is killed immediately, and come up with an alternative approach.

I am looking at options here.

..... today's paper states ......."over 60,000 Greyhounds have been euthanised in less than a decade" -  and these are the figures that can be verified from Vet. clinics alone ........ makes you wonder how many greyhounds are simply taken into the bush and shot/killed by their "loving racing owners' to save the fee's that vet's charge?  Horrendous thought .......................

 

I have known a few greyhound owners who tried their luck racing them and them continued to have them as pets. Thats not a comment on the industry because I do not know the industry but first hand experience with small time owners.

It seems to me that the NSW govt is saying we cannot enforce regulations so we eliminate the industry. When it comes to regulation of the finance industry the federal govt we presently have says the regulations are tough enough yet scandals have gone on for years and are still ongoing.

Former Greyhound Racing NSW on-track vet Dr Greg Bryant has spoken out on the ABC's 7.30 program in support of the shock decision to ban the sport in the state, despite threats to his family from greyhound trainers.

"I was disgusted by what I witnessed. I saw some horrific injuries and I saw some of the worst aspects of human behaviour too," said Dr Bryant, who was an on-track vet in 2014 and 2015.

"When I left Greyhound Racing NSW, my view of the industry was that it was a very cruel and corrupt industry."

'The tail had been torn off': Greyhound racing insider lifts lid on animal cruelty

After reading the above article which exposes the cruel corrupt nature of the industry

next year's closure of the industry cannot come quickly enough ... I further think that the management of Greyhound Racing NSW should be charged for covering up this ongoing animal cruelty.... but guess money laundering pays well.


Former Greyhound Racing NSW on-track vet Dr Greg Bryant has spoken out on the ABC's 7.30 program in support of the shock decision to ban the sport in the state, despite threats to his family from greyhound trainers.

"I was disgusted by what I witnessed. I saw some horrific injuries and I saw some of the worst aspects of human behaviour too," said Dr Bryant, who was an on-track vet in 2014 and 2015.

"When I left Greyhound Racing NSW, my view of the industry was that it was a very cruel and corrupt industry."

'The tail had been torn off': Greyhound racing insider lifts lid on animal cruelty

After reading the above article which exposes the cruel corrupt nature of the industry

next year's closure of the industry cannot come quickly enough ... I further think that the management of Greyhound Racing NSW should be charged for covering up this ongoing animal cruelty.... but guess money laundering pays well.


NSW Police is investigating this brutal killing of about 100 greyhounds in the Hunter Valley.

You can be sure it was brutal Abby, as these scum would NOT bother to pay to have it done the right way

Abby, Bit of a surprise to read Malcolm Turnbulls remarks on Greyhound racing Any comment So?

Malcolm Turnbull criticised the NSW Liberal government at a private dinner in Perth for shutting down the greyhound industry, suggesting the shock move was an “over-reaction”. 

As the industry in NSW reels from Premier Mike Baird’s decision to end the sport, The Australian can reveal the Prime Minister expressed concern about the move, legislated this week through the Greyhound Racing Prohibition bill.

MPs who attended a dinner with Mr Turnbull at the Chophouse steak restaurant early this month have told The Australian the Prime Minister expressed the view that closing down the industry in response to animal-welfare concerns was not a proportionate response.

He is understood to have told MPs he believed outrage over treatment of rabbits used in live baiting — a key ­reason for the industry losing political support — was surprising, given that rabbits were a feral pest and were regularly shot and poisoned.

It is understood Mr Turnbull expressed his “surprise” and “concern” at Mr Baird’s decision to ban the sport in response to ­issues raised during a commission of inquiry into the NSW greyhound racing industry.

“He was critical of the decision and the message was, ‘If we are shutting down an industry on the basis of what happens to rabbits, well, we are not very nice to rabbits in this country; they are a pest’,” one MP said.

“It was Malcolm Turnbull the farmer talking.”

Another MP made clear that Mr Turnbull was not indicating support for live baiting, but confirmed he had criticised how the state government had handled the issue.

The special commission of inquiry claimed it had found evidence of systemic animal cruelty, including mass greyhound killings and live baiting. The report, which drew on material which has been heavily contested, said the state’s industry had “fundamental animal welfare issues, integrity and governance failings that cannot be remedied”.

Under the new legislation, anyone caught organising a race faces a one-year jail sentence and a maximum $11,000 fine.

The proposed laws did not win uniform support from within the NSW government, with state Nationals MPs Katrina Hodgkinson, Chris Gulaptis and Kevin Humphries choosing to side with Labor to oppose the controversial bill.

Another MP at the dinner, which took place on the eve of the WA Liberal conference on August 5, said there were few federal parliamentarians who supported the Baird government’s decision, and they were pleased that Mr Turnbull “got it”.

Mr Baird said in July that “as a humane and responsible government” he had no choice but to shut down the industry.

I love watching the LNP these days.

So united.

LOL.

Having had family that were breeders I can tell you most of them are not animal lovers, the tiniest flaw and the animal is destroyed ar birth, no vet in attendance, no drugs involved just a heal pressed down on the head of the animal.

The Greyhound industry has had decades to clean up its'collective act and did nothing, anyone who thinks that those not involved in cruelty did not know it was going on lives in fantasy land.  Hopefully this will make owners in other states get their act together, if not we can only hope that they will be closed down next.

I am a strong believer that unless you are a registered breeder you should not be able to own an intact animal and domestic animals such as cats or dogs should only be sold through registered breeders not shop fronts.

IN THE FIRST PART OF THIS COMMENT i MENTIONED THAT MY FAMILY WERE BREEDERS IT MAY HAVE APPEARED TO INDICATE THAT THEY BRED GREYHOUNDS, i WISH TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THEY BRED CATS, NOT DOGS.

 

 

I am not an expert on the subject, but I would still like to make a couple of comments.   Firstly, it is my understanding that there would not be a problem if all breeders & trainers obeyed the rules.  Ergo, it does not seem appropriate to destroy an industry because there are a few lawbreakers.  We have approximately 1.6 million dairy cows in Australia.  They produce milk for 4 years & then approx., 400,000 are slaughtered.  Shouldn't we close down the Dairy Industry that slaughters 400,000 cows EVERY YEAR??

Milk is good for people. Gambling isn't.

I take it Barak, that you would approve if we eat the dog meat?

I'm not too fussed about the idea of eating dog meat. I've travelled a fair bit, and it wouldn't surprise me if I already have.

But greyhounds aren't exactly beef cattle. Not much meat there.

innes, the differance between the cattle industry and the greyhound industry is that the cattle are not mistreated as part of their training and they certainly are not taught by ripping other animals apart.  I agree most greyhound trainers did not participate in cruelty, but they knew about it and did nothing to stop it.  This makes it impossible for me to believe that any form of self regulation could work.  I would not justify cruelty by saying yes but at the end of the day the carcass is put to good use.  Just as I am sure that this is not your intention.

Again looking at the cattle industry, look at the outrage over the way cattle are treated in Indoneasia, we just don't like to see animals mistreated.

Turnbull's attitude disgusts me -- he is speaking as a Farmer -- and I must say most farmers do not have much heart at all --- YES Rabbits are a pest here -- but I do not agree that ANYTHING -- should be not treated in a humane way and live baiting is appalling -- and it has been going on for MANY decades as I can remember greyhound people said to be doing it in the 50s.

The way we treat all Animals is no better than how Hitler behaved and there is NO excuse. 

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