Australian greyhound racing live baiting scandal

On 16 February 2015, the Australian television current affairs program Four Corners revealed the use of live piglets, possums and rabbits to train racing greyhounds in three states.^[1] The revelation led to suspensions, inquiries and widespread condemnation of the practice.

Background

Greyhound racing involves a number of dogs chasing a mechanical lure over a fixed distance. It is a legalised form of gambling in many jurisdictions. Some greyhound trainers believe that greyhounds will chase better, and hence have a greater chance of winning the race, if they have chased and caught a live animal during training. The live bait animal is either attached to the mechanical lure, dragged in front of the greyhound, or thrown to it. The greyhound will often maim or kill the bait animal, resulting in savage and painful death.

Controversy

The greyhound industry and the law provide harsh penalties for the use of live baits in training.^[2][3] Nevertheless, accusations of live baiting in the Australian greyhound industry have arisen from time to time.^[4]

On 16 February 2015, Four Corners exposed live baiting on training tracks in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. The program included graphic surveillance footage, filmed by pro-animal activists, that showed various small animals being tied to mechanical lures where they were chased, caught and savaged by greyhounds for up to 30 minutes. Some animals had babies taken from them and brutally killed. The program also included interviews with many leading greyhound trainers and administrators who denied the practice of live baiting; some of them were subsequently shown to be involved in the live baiting.^[5]

The program content drew immediate and widespread criticism from animal protection groups^[6][7] and the wider community.^[8]

Senator Barnaby Joyce criticised activists who apparently trespassed to record video of live baiting by trainers.^[9]

Reactions

Queensland

• 13 trainers are under investigation; 6 have been suspended
• Macro Meats withdrew its sponsorship of the sport
• Jonathan Brown resigned as an ambassador
• One trainer was removed from the Racing Queensland Hall of Fame^[10]
• The racing industry integrity officer was stood down^[11]

New South Wales

• Five registered participants were immediately stood down^[12]
• The Greyhound Racing NSW board was dismissed^[13]
• Chief Executive Officer Brent Hogan also stood aside
• Former High Court of Australia judge Michael McHugh was appointed to lead a review of the industry^[14]

Victoria

• The Victorian Government announced two separate investigations^[15]
• 15 trainers have been suspended pending an investigation, including former administrators and a Trainer of the Year^[16]
• The chairman of Greyhound Racing Victoria resigned^[17]

South Australia

• Greyhound Racing SA immediately announced that anyone found to be engaging in the practice would be banished from the sport and prosecuted where possible.^[18] The chief executive said that he had no evidence that live baiting was happening in South Australia but “we take little comfort from that because our monitoring processes aren’t dissimilar from the eastern seaboard... We shouldn’t be satisfied that our monitoring is working – I think we need to accept that, quite clearly”.^[19] The relevant state government ministers, RSPCA, police and Greyhound Racing SA met to consider a response, including possible changes to legislation to facilitate investigation and be tougher to prevent live baiting.^[20]

Tasmania

• The state government indicated a parliamentary inquiry would be held into the sport. In addition the states Chief Veterinarian and Director of Racing launched a joint inquiry.^[21]

References