One day before the NSW government announced $41 million dollar funding to reform the NSW greyhound racing industry, NSW racers euthanised their 25th dog at TAB tracks this year.
Crown Gold, fractured her offside hock and was “humanely euthanised” after failing to finish the race. She was just three years old.
Two days before, the SMH reported that “Greyhounds NSW has been aware of race-fixing cartels for years”.
Last week, the Coonamble Racing track was prevented from holding further race meetings until their track had been assessed after it was revealed they had the highest number of injuries in 2016 – 11 per 1000 starts.
Two weeks ago, documents released by GRNSW revealed the unacceptable euthanasia of healthy dogs. One trainer euthanised SIX healthy dogs within THREE weeks of obtaining them. No action was taken because he had not committed a crime and he was no longer a registered trainer.
Last month, a leading NSW trainer who pled guilty to presenting greyhounds to race with EPO in their systems four times, had her sentence reduced from 12 years to effectively just over 3 years.
More than TWENTY trainers have breached the NSW race day hydration policy since 20 February 2017. One trainer has been reported FIVE times but is still being allowed to race dogs.
So far in 2017, inquiries have been held into positive swabs for drugs including caffeine and its metabolites, cobalt, arsenic, salbutamol, amphetamines, benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine and others. Note: These are positive swabs from 2016 now being sentenced.
In 2016, the risk of a dog dying from racing in NSW was 3.7%.
According to GRNSW Quarterly Greyhound Racing Injury Reports, 204 dogs died or were euthanised for their injuries at the track or later, away from it, out of approximately 5500 greyhounds that raced.
The NSW Racing Minister, Paul Toole, issued a media release claiming greyhound racing will be held to the “highest possible standards of animal welfare”, but while there’s money for an independent Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission and CCTV cameras at all public and some private tracks, there’s no mention of money for the actual rescue and rehoming of racing greyhounds.
NSW volunteer run charities have been running at maximum capacity, paying for, rehabilitating and rehoming dogs discarded by the industry for years, but it seems they will not see a cent of this funding.
After pleading for a second chance with guarantees which included a breeding cap, the NSW greyhound racing industry “backed away” from them the moment Mike Baird announced the backflip.
You cannot reform people who think they are doing nothing wrong.
They have not been humbled by the shocking number of greyhounds killed for their ‘sport’ and they are not grateful for another chance that will cost the NSW taxpayer $41 million.
The greyhound racing industry has no problem discarding dogs who are non-chasers, too slow or injured. They dismiss the death and injury statistics and take to social media to ridicule those who want to protect greyhounds.
According to one greyhound trainer, “They get a very good life until they are deemed unable to go to the next level, when they are humanly put down. That’s the way it is”.
The evidence shows that the vast majority of racing dogs, who are deeply social animals are confined in solitary spaces – for the duration of their racing life. As clearly documented in the Commission of Inquiry report, they are not given the necessary socialisation to prepare them for life after racing as companion animals, and they are CERTAINLY NOT loved, nor do they “get a very good life” as proclaimed by the racing industry participants.
The screen shots included here, which are just a small sample of what we (the CPG) have downloaded, are evidence that racing greyhounds are treated as commodities for gambling revenue and discarded when they are no longer profitable.
Nothing has changed in this industry despite inquiries in several different states promising reforms. Beliefs and attitudes that are deeply culturally ingrained, are extremely resistant to change. While premiers wait for change, thousands more dogs will suffer and be killed annually by a ruthless industry whose time is up and must be shut down.
Join us around the nation on April 9th to strengthen our call to SHUT IT DOWN!
PLEASE TAKE ACTION:
If you are in NSW, please contact the Premier and your local member and let them know you don’t want public money used to prop up the greyhound racing industry.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian
https://www.nsw.gov.au/contact-us/contact-the-premier/
NSW parliament contact list
https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/members/Pages/all-members.aspx
Sources
Stewards Report
Bathurst 27 March 2017
https://www.thedogs.com.au/uploads/pdfs/238766.pdf
Race Replay
https://youtu.be/xgl9U9F2Vss
GRV Form
https://fasttrack.grv.org.au/Dog/Form/723790191
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-28/nsw-government-gives-$40-million-to-greyhound-industry/8393482?pfmredir=sm
http://www.thegreyhoundrecorder.com.au/water-policy-reaches-boiling-point/
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-23/coonamble-greyhound-club-racing-ban/8380990
http://www.grnsw.com.au/stewards/inquiriesappeals
GRNSW Quarterly Greyhound Racing Injury Reports for 1/1/2016 to 31/3/2016, 1/4/2016 to 30/6/2016 and 1/7/2016 to 30/9/201
http://www.grnsw.com.au/uploads/FirstQuarter%20%20Greyhound%20Racing%20Injury%20Report(1).pdf
http://www.grnsw.com.au/uploads/2ndQuarter2016_GreyhoundRacingInjuryReport_FINAL.pdf
http://www.grnsw.com.au/uploads/3rdQuarter2016_GreyhoundRacingInjuryReport_final(1).pdf
http://www.grnsw.com.au/uploads/4thQuarter2016_Greyhound_Racing_Injury_Report_final.pdf