GRNSW Deny Any Integrity Or Welfare Issues Ahead Of 7:30 Report Airing

Greyhound () today received confirmation from RSPCA NSW that there is no evidence to suggest acts of animal cruelty are occurring in the greyhound racing industry in NSW.

GRNSW made contact with RSPCA NSW after it was made aware that the ABC's 7.30 program was to air a story this evening on the greyhound racing industry dealing with allegations of animal cruelty.

All greyhound racing participants in NSW are bound by GRNSW's Code of Practice and the Greyhound Racing which outline standards, as well as strict management and care practices that are appropriate to the and behavioural needs of greyhounds.

GRNSW has a zero tolerance policy for participants who do not meet our animal welfare standards. Any trainer found ending the life of a greyhound in an inhumane manner or mistreating the greyhounds in their care in some other way is not welcome in our sport. They would not only be violating the rules of greyhound racing and our code of practice, but could also be committing a criminal offence under the NSW Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

GRNSW is committed to improving the welfare of greyhounds in NSW. Since assuming responsibility for animal welfare in 2009, GRNSW has set about numerous initiatives to ensure that the welfare of all animals is a primary consideration for all participants in the greyhound industry. This commitment will ramp up over the next 12 months, with $1.3 million to be invested on greyhound welfare in that period.

By encouraging smarter breeding practices, ensuring safer racing and providing greater re-homing opportunities, GRNSW is confident it will provide a better life for greyhounds after racing.

The 7.30 program is also expected to air allegations by former on-course veterinarian Dr about participants using banned substances on their greyhounds.

This is not the first time Dr Humphries has made allegations of this nature to the media, however, he continues to ignore GRNSW's requests asking him to provide evidence to support his allegations.

GRNSW has also repeatedly invited Dr Humphries to discuss his concerns with our Department, but he has never replied.

Maintaining the integrity of greyhound racing is at the heart of what GRNSW does, it is a core function of the organisation and integral to maintaining punter confidence in the sport and a level playing field for participants.

Over the last year GRNSW ramped up its drug detection activities taking 5,562 samples – a 47 per cent increase on the level of swabbing in the previous year. The increase in swabs carried out across all winning greyhounds and at random was made possible after GRNSW nearly doubled its swabbing budget for 2012/13 following an increase in positive swabs in the previous year.

The increase in the detection of coincides with GRNSW's enhanced approach to race day integrity operations.

This includes the establishment of a ‘control room' at GRNSW's head office in Rhodes, which receives live feeds of the race broadcast footage, surveillance footage from the kennel blocks and utilises video conferencing equipment to facilitate communication between the tracks and office in real time together with modern bet monitoring tools.

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Kat Ernst
Kat Ernst
10 years ago

Put me on the ABC….I will stand up for us haha

Sandra Warner
Sandra Warner
10 years ago

rspca inspectors havent got a brain

Jodie Manuel
Jodie Manuel
10 years ago

I heard the RSPCA raided a few properties yesterday

Kat Ernst
Kat Ernst
10 years ago

And I bet they found nothing wrong!

Jodie Manuel
Jodie Manuel
10 years ago

I know they didn’t on one of the properties but these properties are in our area they apparently hit them all at the same time

Geoff Rose
Geoff Rose
10 years ago

It makes me mad that a person like this vet that has made his income form greyhound racing can bag us because he did not get a job with GRNSW also why do the greyhound people still go to this grub he should be black band

Bradley Barnes
Bradley Barnes
10 years ago

Being a trainer and also working in animal welfare for years I can see their point I had trainer after trainer dumping dogs at awl nsw because they were too slow and these trainers attitudes were always disgusting just too slow brought them here so I don’t have to kill them is what they would say so you can’t blame the people working in welfare organisations for being angry when they have to pick up the pieces of the greyhound racing industry they are the ones holding these poor dogs legs while they are given the green dream after becoming… Read more »

Bradley Barnes
Bradley Barnes
10 years ago

More needs to be done by grnsw to stop any feral person breeding and they need to improve their adoption program greyhounds as pets.

Bradley Barnes
Bradley Barnes
10 years ago

The people making these documentary s are interviewing people working in animal welfare and they done see the nice side of greyhound racing all they see is the bad and they are all awake to how shit the grnsw adoption program is and how many dogs the coordinator is putting down with out giving them a chance I know allot of trainers who have also had bad experiences with this program and the woman running it . Greyhound blinks at a small dog or cat and gets put to sleep that’s just not good enough

Jodie Manuel
Jodie Manuel
10 years ago

I agree with you GRNSW should have more people employed checking dogs welfare and living conditions and improve their adoption program as we have got beautiful animals under our care and I know in my kennels they get everything they need and more and my love for them is unconditional

Bradley Barnes
Bradley Barnes
10 years ago

All they need is one good person running the program Jodie Manuel not someone who came to the program from animal welfare that has no idea about greyhounds or their behaviour.

Alan Smith
Alan Smith
10 years ago

Improving the adoption program is easier said than done … there are countless other dogs available for people.

Joe McFadyen
Joe McFadyen
10 years ago

Anyone that still goes to him needs to take a really really long hard look at themselves and what they stand for.

Casey Dargusch
Casey Dargusch
10 years ago

these people make me so mad. they really have no idea. there are bad eggs in every sport. I think all governing bodies need to be a bit more proactive in weeding them out. I know there are some people in qld who just shouldn’t have dogs but nothing seems to be done. I think GRNSW should take this further and demand proof if not take action against the abc

Link Moncrieff
Link Moncrieff
10 years ago

You say it’s easier said than done I disagree. The industry has to provide whatever resources it takes to provide the next pathway for these dogs. Improving the adoption program is largely a matter of funding and with that injection the marketing angle could play a major part in breaking down the preconceived negative stigma attached to greyhounds on a whole. We know they are amazing gentle animals who make the most incredible pets and the sole objective should be to make the masses aware of this no matter the cost. You may say its a naive viewpoint but the… Read more »

Matt Murphy
Matt Murphy
10 years ago

Has the story been on yet ?

Alan Smith
Alan Smith
10 years ago

Agree to a point. But there are only so many available homes and greyhounds have to compete with many other breeds and other animals. Simple logistics issue.

Alan Smith
Alan Smith
10 years ago

The story was typical abc biased crap

Fry Zee
Fry Zee
10 years ago

Yeh, as I posted on the 730 page, there are bad eggs in every sport/industry etc. All I want is for the cheats in our sport to be removed. We spend too much money to be swindled by well connected trainers. Good of the sport over good of the individual. But, as Paul Keating says, he’d back self-interest everytime. GRNSW should look at expanding the sport by reinvesting into country tracks and prizemoney . . . consolidation into City tracks is bad for the small trainers and owners

Nathan Jon Goodridge
Nathan Jon Goodridge
10 years ago

Did I hear it right what was said during the story? I think the reporter said ” every winner gets swabbed” please correct me if I’m wrong. I’m not being a smart arse here

RaceMedia
RaceMedia
10 years ago

@AaronCross That is ridiculous sensationalist rubbish Aaron. Every greyhound is tracked from birth and if they must be euthanised it must be done by a qualified vet and a certified by same. 

RaceMedia
RaceMedia
10 years ago

@AaronCross That is ridiculous sensationalist rubbish Aaron. Every greyhound is tracked from birth and if they must be euthanised it must be done by a qualified vet and a certified by same. It might have happened back in the 60’s but an awful lot happened back then that doesn’t happen now.

Patricia Ellen Barnes
Patricia Ellen Barnes
10 years ago

why don’t you go pick on the gallops and harness racing find out what happens to the poor horses oh no I forgot its pick on the poor greyhound industry again theres a lot of things we could all talk about

KevinPitstock
KevinPitstock
10 years ago

@Nathan Jon Goodridge I thought I heard that Nathan. It’s blatantly wrong.

KevinPitstock
KevinPitstock
10 years ago

@AaronCross That is ridiculous sensationalist rubbish Aaron. Every greyhound is tracked from birth and if they must be euthanised it must be done by a qualified vet and a certified by same. It might have happened back in the 60’s but an awful lot happened back then that doesn’t happen now.

I would say the “rescue” lady claiming greyhounds are bludgeoned or drowned will have a lot of explaining to do. If she has facts, why hasn’t she reported them?

AaronCross
AaronCross
10 years ago

I really find you people despisable. You never cease to amaze me.

AaronCross
AaronCross
10 years ago

@Bradley Mandy Gyna Barnes Showing what you define as “good” does not undo the bad. I hear the Czar of Syria has a good sense of humor. Does that undo his gassing of innocent people?

Didn’t think so..

AaronCross
AaronCross
10 years ago

@Katherine Ernst Because you can kill 100 greyhounds and its not illegal

AaronCross
AaronCross
10 years ago

@Alan Smith I disagree. I found it to be accurate and honest. “shrug”

AaronCross
AaronCross
10 years ago

@Patricia Ellen Barnes What are your concerns with Gallops and Harness?

KatherineErnst
KatherineErnst
10 years ago

KevinPitstock Every winner at Wentworth Park is swabbed

KevinPitstock
KevinPitstock
10 years ago

KatherineErnst KevinPitstock Ahh Thanks Kat – I missed heard it. I though they were claiming every winner in every NSW race was swabbed.

cressy
cressy
10 years ago

ABC: “Allegations of widespread doping, animal cruelty and collusion in Australia’s multi-billion-dollar greyhound racing industry have been uncovered by a 7.30 investigation.”

Obviously based on the sourness of certain disgruntled racing fringe dwellers, prepared not to let facts spoil a good story. Whatever the real significance and depth of the story it comes back to a lack of control by those in charge. Perhaps the constant demands for more prize money has been at the expense of regulatory supervision with steward number depleted to prop up these demands. Bring back the red ball.

Sosankalli
Sosankalli
10 years ago

KevinPitstock KatherineErnst They clearly claimed every NSW winner was swabbed, at least in the “major” tracks. This from the published Transcript:

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: Two years ago GreyhoundRacing NSW set up a control centre to keep watch on every major track in thestate. Officials scrutinise race and surveillance footage, analyse bettingtrends and monitor drug swabbing. All winners are tested.

RACING OFFICIAL: Every winner, we do a swab.

KatherineErnst
KatherineErnst
10 years ago

Sosankalli KevinPitstock KatherineErnst 
Yeah I think they were implying that every winner was swabbed but that is incorrect.

nell daicos
nell daicos
10 years ago

@AaronCross  should keep fighting in your own country update –  18 April 2013 Greyhound community turns out enmasse to Parliament Yesterday the Greyhound racing community presented to MPs from the Government and Adminstration Select Committee on the sector Review. The Committee had invited GRNZ to speak after claims made by Aaron Cross (calling himself the Greyhound Protection League) in support of his single-person petition to Parliament calling for a Government Review of the sector. We gave a full rebuttal of the inaccurate information Aaron Cross had presented to MPs, and an empassioned account of the way the community cares for… Read more »

JaneneBranc
JaneneBranc
10 years ago

Can you please tell me the outcome of the Dog #6, Spooky Milo (Michael Penning) after its fall in Race 7 WPG 4/10/13.

AaronC_NZ
AaronC_NZ
8 years ago

@nell daicos You should hear what actually happened. The select committee tore the industry to pieces! It was amazing to watch. Its still unfolding, and the panicked industry has spent millions trying to look good. PS, the petition evidence had in excess of 1500 names on it, but then you wouldn’t expect GRNZ to be honest, surely?

AaronC_NZ
AaronC_NZ
8 years ago

KevinPitstock I find that quite laughable. Activists can deduce from existing public information that there are tens of thousands of greyhounds unaccounted for, and yet the industry with ALL the information can’t actually say where they are? Sounds legit lol