In a huge blow for the racing industry, New South Wales Premier Mike Baird announced plans to end greyhound racing in the state.
It comes after an ABC Four Corners report exposed widespread animal cruelty in the sport including live baiting. That investigation led to a Special Commission of Inquiry report into the industry and the findings were damning.
It found there have been mass killings of greyhounds, with at least 50,000 killed because they were considered too slow for racing.
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The practice of live baiting was also highlighted, which involves live animals such as rabbits used as lures for the dogs to chase in practice.
According to the findings, the greyhound industry is not capable of addressing the huge problems in the sport.
As a result, Premier Baird says his government has no choice but to end the sport from July 2017.
“Greyhound racing has been banned in many countries and many states of the US and is legal in only eight countries around the world. NSW will be the first state in Australia to ban it,” Mr Baird said.
“Over the coming months, we will consult with the industry to help minimise the pain as best we can for the innocent industry participants as we work towards an orderly industry shutdown.”
While the Premier said he did feel sympathy for the innocent trainers, he said his government could not stand by and allow the mistreatment of animals to continue.
There was mixed reaction to the news, with some cynical about the motives behind the decision.
Animal rights groups were delighted by the announcement, and there’s now a feeling that other states may be forced to follow suit.
The decision came as a major disappointment to the industry which will leave trainers and clubs across the state in limbo.
Late on Thursday, the ACT Government announced it would also end greyhound racing with ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr making a statement on his Facebook page.
“Having had an initial look at the NSW report, we agree with the decision of the NSW Government,” he said.
“There is no future for this industry in the ACT.”
“A significant number of trainers that race in Canberra are based in NSW. The Government cannot continue to support an industry that is turning a blind eye to the sort of behaviour and cruelty uncovered by the Special Commission of Inquiry.” Mr Barr said.
Read NSW Premier Mike Baird’s full announcement below.
In response to widespread illegal and unconscionable activity, including the slaughtering of tens of thousands of dogs, I can today announce that NSW is putting an end to greyhound racing.
More than a year ago, we established a Special Commission of Inquiry into the greyhound industry after very disturbing reports emerged of cruelty to animals and other illegal activities.
We have now received the report of the Commission, conducted by former High Court Judge Michael McHugh, and the findings are damning. A link to the whole report is below, but some of the findings include:
• The mass killing of greyhounds. The report found, “In NSW in the last 12 years… somewhere between 48,891 and 68,448 dogs were killed because they were considered too slow to pay their way or were unsuitable for racing.” In the industry, they call this “wastage”. It’s not wastage: it is the unnecessary slaughtering of tens of thousands of healthy dogs.
• The widespread practice of “live baiting”. This is where live animals, like rabbits, are used as bait to be chased by dogs in training sessions. The report found that, even though this is already illegal and carries heavy penalties, “a trainer, who admitted to engaging in live baiting, testified that about 10-20% of trainers engaged in live baiting.”
• The systemic deception of the public concerning the numbers of deaths and injuries of dogs. It is estimated that 180 greyhounds per year sustain catastrophic injuries during races such as skull fractures or broken backs that result in their immediate death. But the commission found that “Greyhound Racing NSW had adopted a policy of deliberately misreporting the extent of injuries suffered by greyhounds at racetracks.”
• The industry is not capable, in the short or medium term, of reforming. The report found that “it appears unlikely that the issue of the large scale killing of healthy greyhounds by the industry can be addressed successfully in the future.” In fact, the report found that, “such is the culture of the industry and some of its leaders that it is no longer, if it ever was, entitled to the trust of the community.”
One of the issues we have had to wrestle with is the positive impact of the greyhound racing industry. There are over 1000 direct jobs in the industry and nearly 6000 registered owners of greyhounds. Dog racing can be an important part of the social fabric of regional towns. And, of course, having a punt on the dogs over a few beers is good fun for many people.
So, as Mr McHugh asked, do such benefits of the dog racing industry outweigh the shortcomings?
Based on this report, the Government believes they do not.
Greyhound racing has been banned in many countries and many states of the US and is legal in only eight countries around the world. NSW will be the first state in Australia to ban it.
Over the coming months, we will consult with the industry to help minimise the pain as best we can for the innocent industry participants as we work towards an orderly industry shutdown. We will develop a strategy to work with the RSPCA to manage the welfare of existing greyhounds. And the transition arrangement for Greyhound Racing NSW assets (like greyhound racing tracks) will ensure they are used for open public space, alternative sports facilities or other community use.
I feel much empathy for innocent trainers and those who will lose their job or hobby as a result of this. And I understand the disappointment of people who enjoy having a punt on the dogs. But we simply cannot and will not stand-by and allow the widespread and systemic mistreatment of animals.
Jack deo
Guest
Why not get rid of poker machines there destroy lives or why not get rid of smokes there kill. Nsw need to buy more land for development politicians look after them self it's only a good idea when there make money for them selfs.Does this mean the innocent people will get compensated after all there taken billions of dollars in tax and never really reinvested.
Fred Barton
Guest
I am elated that Minister Baird finally recognized what many of us have known for years and that is the exploitation of living creatures for profit leads only to heartless cruelty, needless suffering and death for those animals trapped in this barbaric gulag. I am a Board member of Grey2KUSA Worldwide, an organization that fights to save these marvelous creatures all over the globe (you can lean more about us here: http://www.grey2kusa.org/index.php) I have fostered and adopted rescued racing greyhounds since 1995. I cannot imagine abandoning any of them when they become injured, old or sick and yet this is routinely what happens to them at operating tracks. Imagine the danger they face when the track closes. They need a guardian angel more than ever at times like this and I hope Minister Baird realizes that his continued protection of these soon to be homeless dogs is even more important than his decision to liberate them. Fred Barton Board Member Grey2K USA Worldwide
jack deo
Guest
New rules in NSW if you do the crime your whole family will be punished.
jack deo
Guest
RSPCA said there very happy about the result about greyhound racing. But hold on july next year is the RSPCA going to give these dogs home or will there kill them after all there said it is cruelty to animals why contradict yourself practice what you preach.
rock
Guest
Sigh... Again you don't answer the question I asked but rather twist words.
rock
Guest
"I think you’re trivialising it a bit too. It’s not about watching a dog chase a toy, it’s what happens when the cameras aren’t rolling that’s the problem. Fact is the results are the same as if they made the dogs fight." Trivializing it, you are kidding are you not. You talk about sports where the main aim is for another animal to die, do tell how racings main aim is to kill the animal involved? No one denies there is a minority who does the wrong thing and the horse racing industry has to keep improving themselves, but your comparisons to sports which are purely there for death are completely irrational. "If it makes you feel better the tide’s turning in food and fashion as well. When we look back at this in 50 years you won’t be judged kindly by sticking up for racing." Is the tide turning though? I'd love to see the statistics of the growing trend of veganism, my bet is it'd still be fairly minuscule. And I'd also bet that 50 years in the future I'll be attending the race courses I attend nowadays.
Matthew Tomczyk
Roar Pro
You can phrase the stats in anyway you like. But a 0.05% death rate in a sport is unacceptable. Imagine if there was a similar atrition rate in rugby league (50,000 registered adults). We wouldn't even be discussing it. I think you're trivialising it a bit too. It's not about watching a dog chase a toy, it's what happens when the cameras aren't rolling that's the problem. Fact is the results are the same as if they made the dogs fight. I see the idea that there's a hypocrisy in allowing animals to be used as food and clothing and not sport. You just have to accept that that's the way the cookie crumbles. If it makes you feel better the tide's turning in food and fashion as well. When we look back at this in 50 years you won't be judged kindly by sticking up for racing.
Matthew Tomczyk
Roar Pro
End homophobia in greyhound racing now!
Christo the Daddyo
Guest
Sigh... So because you can't completely eliminate all animal cruelty, you think the answer is to do nothing. You seriously think that's a valid argument?!?!? And I'm still waiting for an answer to my very simple question...
rock
Guest
Most certainly there are deaths on tracks each year, of each starter the percentage of fatal incidents is less the 0.05% - as someone who doesn't let emotion get in the way of looking at things logically - I'd love for it to be NIL but that is an acceptable statistic in a whole lot of industries (I can go to a building site in Singapore and have a 1.9% dying on the worksite!) "You’re keen to draw parallels to other industries like pets and food, but if you’re gonna make them you’re gonna have to consider the flipside. All of the arguments in favour of dog racing can be made in favour of legalizing cock-fighting, bull-fighting, badger-baiting, seal-clubbing and fox-hunting. If we allow greyhound racing, why don’t we allow the others?" Really, they're the comparisons you want to draw upon - I have no issue looking at a flip side, but when your flip side is to draw comparisons on racing an animal to be in front after a specified distance against things where the main objective is for an animal to be killed, your using an illogical argument. "As to the horsemeat stuff, as I said in my opening post, there’s a vast difference in attitudes when it comes to using animals for necessities like food and clothing, and recreation (like sport, entertainment and gambling). The non-necessary ones seem to attract the most attention because they’re seen as exploiting animal suffering for mere human entertainment. I don’t think that’s unreasonable." Oh sweet, so I can go get myself a nice fur coat to keep myself warm because it's a necessity for an animal to die to keep me nice and snug - but heaven forbid I watch a horse who is genetically made to run do exactly that and run. Is the sport perfect, no it's not and nobody is claiming it is, there are issues with it and they need to and will be continually improved - however, unfortunately no industry is perfect. But just because people have idealistic views they can't look at an industry objectively and see the number of benefits it does actually provide, they'd rather run on emotion and disregard a valid opposing view because it doesn't suit the narrative.
rock
Guest
Great reply, it's straw man argument cause you say so. As I said, because the comparison doesn't suit your narrative you have to try and disregard it to make yourself feel better, so you call it a straw man argument but can't actually look at it logicallly. If you take the view all animal lives matter, then the fact is that the euthanizing of hundreds of thousands of discarded pets each year, simply cause they're not wanted, most certainly has a comparison to an industry you want banned.
Dean
Guest
There are lots of great people in the greyhound industry and this knee-jerk reaction has taken away their livelihood to appease a group of animal activists who won't be appeased until we are all vegans.
Dean
Guest
And there's the true colours of the animal activists. Wouldn't have mattered if the report said the issues could be resolved, the vocal minority will force their views down the throat of a diverse minority.
Dean
Guest
Twisted logic you've used there that animals for fashion is fine, but not for entertainment? We'll let blokes punch each other in the head, but racing dogs which naturally chase is wrong? We could send all the dogs to china for the dog slaughtering festival so they can be used for food if that suits your agenda?
Dean
Guest
The answer is that as long as humans eat meat and the food chain still exists, we don't care how many horses are slaughtered. Keep the number down, but 10-20,000 is the number of chickens killed in a day at most processing plants. These dogs won't be saved, they'll never be born. There's an ethical question as to whether life as a greyhound is better than no life at all. The end game the animal activists are heading towards is no animals at all, except the zoo maybe.
Christo the Daddyo
Guest
No, it's a straw man argument because it's a straw man argument. Pretty simple. Have you come up with an acceptable number of animals to be slaughtered because they can't run fast enough yet?
Farqueue
Guest
Well no people are dying or being crippled in greyhound racing....so obviously horse racing is much worse....dogs getting put down is sad but millions of cows are being killed to supply our big Macs .chickens for KFC..pigs for our pork roasts and they are intelligent animals. Just a ridiculous ruling.
Matthew Tomczyk
Roar Pro
rock, Feel free to disagree with it, and I don't want to quote it either. But there's no number available from the State racing boards. The 100+ equine track deaths per year on the other hand is a guaranteed verifiable fact. As to the horsemeat stuff, as I said in my opening post, there's a vast difference in attitudes when it comes to using animals for necessities like food and clothing, and recreation (like sport, entertainment and gambling). The non-necessary ones seem to attract the most attention because they're seen as exploiting animal suffering for mere human entertainment. I don't think that's unreasonable. You're keen to draw parallels to other industries like pets and food, but if you're gonna make them you're gonna have to consider the flipside. All of the arguments in favour of dog racing can be made in favour of legalising cock-fighting, bull-fighting, badger-baiting, seal-clubbing and fox-hunting. If we allow greyhound racing, why don't we allow the others?
Mike Huber
Roar Pro
Not really - if Australia had a referendum on the issue the overwhelming consensus would be to ban it !
rock
Guest
Oh ok, so it's a straw man argument because you don't agree with it and it doesn't suit your view - well done.