‘Live baiting’ within greyhound racing circles has been well known and widespread. Animal Liberation Queensland and Animals Australia revealed the true extent of the practice through tireless investigations. The results were groundbreaking and the repercussions have been unprecedented.
Rumours of ‘live baiting’ have persisted for decades. However, in the absence of hard evidence, authorities were powerless to stop greyhound trainers from routinely tying animals to lures to be chased and mauled as ‘live bait’. Animal Liberation Qld and Animals Australia sought to expose the truth by undertaking some of the most challenging cruelty investigations undertaken in Australia. Since then, raids have been conducted, inquiries launched, trainers suspended, charges laid – and more.
As an Animal Liberation Queensland supporter, here’s how you’ve helped achieve justice for the victims of greyhound racing:
Over 150,000 Australians have and given a voice to the victims of greyhound racing by signing petitions, contacting MPs and sharing a united message – cruelty in the name of ‘sport’ is entirely unacceptable.
Our evidence was used by the RSPCA in QLD, NSW and VIC to obtain search warrants and conduct raids on the properties. As a result, formal investigations are continuing and prosecutions are pending. A dedicated taskforce Queenland Police and RSPCA taskforce has been established to investigate cruelty QLD. They continue to uncover evidence of cruelty including the discovery of mass greyhound graves.
Fourteen Queensland trainers have received life bans so far — they can never own or race a greyhound again. Two have been charged with multiple counts of serious animal cruelty and will face court in early 2016. The first jail sentences were handed down in NSW and another 15 people have been charged in Victoria by the RSPCA for 125 criminal offences.
More than 60 trainers across three states have been suspended so far, pending further investigations. Among them is one of Australia’s most successful trainers, a former steward, a former industry integrity manager and one of the most prolific pre-trainers of greyhounds in the country.
The industry is under unprecedented scrutiny at a government level with inquiries launched in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania. The Queensland Comission of Inquiry found that the industry body, Racing Queensland, failed in its welfare obligations to greyhounds and other animals. It recommended an end to industry self-regulation and resulted in the sacking of the racing boards in QLD. The State Government also announced that construction of the greyhound track in Logan was on hold soon after the Four Corners expose. NSW has seen damning admissions of widespread cruelty during their inquiry, which has powers similar to a Royal Comission.
The message has been sent loud and clear that self-regulation has failed. The Board of Greyhound Racing NSW were forced by the Minister to resign and its CEO was stood down, the all-codes Qld Racing Boards were sacked, as were its CEO, and the entire board of Greyhound Racing Victoria has also resigned, with its Chairman saying ‘I can no longer be satisfied that live baiting was restricted to the small band of immoral criminals’.
After Four Corners aired the results of our investigations, sponsors were inundated by public calls to distance themselves from greyhound racing. And they did. Companies such as Schweppes, Lion Nathan, Hyundai and Autobarn all withdrew support or asked franchisees to withdraw support.
Practices that should have long been deemed unacceptable are finally being addressed by industry bodies. With ‘live’ baiting already illegal, three states have now taken these bans a step further — to outlaw the use of dead animals on mechanical lures during training. This immediately addresses another serious concern — how those animals (mainly rabbits) were being captured, confined and killed in the first place.
Questionable greyhound racing practices are attracting unprecedented media coverage not only in Australia but internationally. Hundreds of articles have followed the Four Corners exposé. Leading commentators from news to sport to current affairs are questioning how these atrocities were covered up for so long and are calling for an end to greyhound racing.
As long as greyhounds race, they will be confined, injured and many will be killed – it must be banned. Hundreds of thousands of Brisbane commuters were reminded of this in October 2015 when we launched our billboard at Central Station. Now, thanks to the generosity of Voiceless and our supporters, we’ll be launching a massive 6 month campaign in February 2016. Greyhound cruelty will be unmissable!
You’ve signed petitions, emailed and called your MPs and in February 2016, you (and your pooches) joined massive nationwide rallies calling for an greyhound racing cruelty once and for all!
We won’t stop until greyhound racing is banned – we know you’re with us.
Here’s how you can help victims of greyhound racing cruelty:
- If you haven’t already, tell your MP that greyhound racing must end
- Help us continue to expose the extreme cruelty of greyhound racing and achieve justice for all of its victims by making a donation
- Consider adopting or fostering a greyhound