ABC live-baiting investigation draws blood
“This is the vision the greyhound racing doesn't want you to see.”
Powerful opening words backed up by a horrific image of a terrified live rabbit on the lure.
In the lead-up its screening on Monday night, ABC's investigative program Four Corners promised to expose “the gruesome underbelly of greyhound racing” in its latest episode, Making A Killing, following last week's co-ordinated raids by police and RSPCA on multiple training establishments across the country, which found illegal live baiting occurring on-site.
CEO of Greyhound Racing Victoria Adam Wallish called the story, which started with findings from Four Corners in conjunction with Animal Australia and Animal Liberation Queensland, “explosive, emotive and extremely damaging to the future of this sport in Australia.”
What was delivered is a serious wake-up call for regulators and a shocking look into the illegal practices of some trainers – one that can be used as a vehicle for change.
Queensland wrap-up:
Prominent greyhound breeder and trainer and president of the United Queensland Greyhound Association Deborah Arnold allowed her 70 greyhound puppies and racing dogs at her property ‘Dessa Downes' in Churchable to be filmed by Four Corners. “The kennels have to be RSPCA QLD-approved,” said Arnold. “It definitely meets the requirements.” When questioned on the practice of live-baiting, Arnold denied any knowledge of it: “If they do I don't know about it, and I don't really want to know about it.”
Undercover footage from Animal Liberation Queensland and Animals Australia earlier filmed a training track in Churchable, Queensland, across the road from Arnold's property. On film, it captures Arnold and her dog Dorak Des chasing a live pig on the lure while Arnold asks “what's the quickest been today” before being informed her dog is. Arnold is later asked by Four Corners what mantra is at the forefront of greyhound racing in 2015, to which she states, “animal welfare.”
Professor of animal behaviour and animal welfare science Paul McGreavy offered his comments on the matter of live-baiting coming from a decade of research into the breed, insisting there are breeds far more dangerous and that greyhounds are simply “chasing to catch, not to kill”. He emphasises the dogs “love racing, they love moving around that speed – they'll be getting off on this,” and that they “are so sedentary when they're not exposed to this stimuli.”
Animal Liberation Queensland investigator Hailey Cotton reveals the first tip-off regarding live-baiting in Churchable was passed to her: “Their words to me were ‘something really bad is going on there,' and they said ‘it smells like death'”.
Undercover cameras were placed in the property of prominent Queensland trainer Tom Noble, a celebrated, award-winning greyhound trainer with almost 50 years in the game. His break-in centre is the epicenter of greyhound training in Queensland, and the live baiting footage of Deborah Arnold's dog occurred on his track.
More than 40 owners, trainers and handlers are recorded on camera while live baiting occurs on Tom Noble's property. “These people are leading trainers, they're training their dogs with these methods,” said Cotton. “They're then going on to win races using these methods, so the whole integrity of greyhound racing is really brought into question here.”
Footage confirms four times a week, piglets and later possums are flung around Noble's track 26 times at high speed. The piglet is shown squealing with a man on the camera swearing at it, and one or two dogs are let loose to chase, grab and maul the possum while it's still alive. Some 56 minutes later, the lure stops and the possum is snapped in half, the corpse still attached by its spinal cord, with the men in the footage making light of the situation.
Discussion of dumping dead dogs is captured on film, leading the investigation to ask NSW greyhound trainer John Thompson about the issue. Animal Liberation Australia links him as the man in the footage telling others to smash a baby possum's head in so the live baiting of its mother can begin. “They ripped the baby from the mother, they tied the mother on the lure, and they then stick the baby's head in the sand to kill it while its mother is watching on, all the time laughing and joking on how amusing it is,” said Hailey Cotton.
Victoria wrap-up:
In mid-November 2014, Lyn White of Animals Australia simultaneously led an investigation at the Tooradin Trial Track in Victoria after a tip-off. Considered to be in the heart of greyhound racing territory in the state, the track is run by owner operator Stuart Mills, whose brother is Andrew Mills, former deputy chief steward for Greyhound Racing Victoria and now the regulator's chief racing grader for the entire state.
Lyn White reveals 17 people were captured live baiting the first time undercover footage was recorded. The first trainer identified is former steward of Greyhound Racing Victoria Paul Anderton, who arrives as Stuart Mills attaches a lure on a wooden plank with leather straps, before returning with a live rabbit and stretching it out tightly as he buckles it down flat. The rabbit is shown returning five minutes later, mauled but still alive and twitching in agony. “It tells me this is a practice that has been going for an acceptable level to trainers for years and years,” White said.
Anderton's dogs went on to win three races days after being captured on the footage in Tooradin. President of Cranbourne Racing Club Neville King is also filmed on camera live baiting two days before Christmas at Tooradin.
Trainer Dennis Dean and a young girl watch as live rabbits are leashed and thrown to the dogs to kill. CEO of Greyhound Australasia Scott Parker was questioned on his thoughts of live-baiting behaviour during the revelations of the footage and the discovery of children being brought to watch while it occurs: “I think that's ridiculous and abhorrent. I don't support that at all. I'm not aware of it, and never heard of it, live baiting is illegal as well as being wrong and against the rules of greyhound racing.”
Footage of dogs on the Tooradin track is shown, encouraged to savagely kill several rabbits, which are skinned or tied as they maul them.
Former steward at Greyhound Racing Victoria Amanda Hill says there was a problem inside GRV regarding regulators failing to pick up and follow on rumours of live-baiting in the state: “Lack of resources, lack of funds, lack of knowledge, or plainly, they don't want to accept that it's a possibility.” She believes some trainers are “doing it to try and get an edge. It's probably harder to get caught live baiting than what it is to using performance-enhancing drugs.”
Hill left GRV in 2004 and became the Chair of Stewards in Greyhound Racing Tasmania, where she was able to do better in stopping live baiting. In 2008, Hill caught a female trainer red-handed live baiting a possum. Possum carcasses were found all over the track, and it remains one of two cases in the past decade where a steward has followed through and successfully convicted a live baiter.
Hill identifies two-time Australian greyhound trainer of the year Darren McDonald as one of the figures caught on film three days before the 2014 Melbourne Cup, engaging in live baiting at Tooradin alongside handler Chris Connelly. He is shown on camera carrying a sack with a tiny pink piglet before placing it on the lure. The two men remove the muzzles on their dogs after two laps and the dogs maul the piglet, heard squealing as it dies off-camera. McDonald has since transferred all of his greyhounds to his wife's name.
New South Wales wrap-up:
McDonald's top sprinter Keybow is revealed by Four Corners to have been broken in across the border in NSW at Londonderry by Zeke Kadir.
Four Corners received a tip-off within the industry that Kadir was rumoured to be the best live baiter within the state, and that it occurred at his property as part of his training purposes. “He mentioned that he broke (in) Keybow, and he talked about how he gets live rabbits from a person he knows, and he gets about 30 a week,” a private investigator for Four Corners confirms.
Footage shows Zeke Kadir using the rabits tied to a hand-pushed lure, controlled by Kadir. They're dragged along the ground at speed pursued by dogs in training. On January 12, 2015, the footage captures Ian Morgan arriving at the venue for a private session, where a native possum is strung to the lure struggling to escape as two muzzled greyhounds attempt to bite the possum. Four minutes later, the muzzles come off and the cry is captured off-screen of the possum's demise. “I am fearful at how widespread this is, and the consequences for literally thousands of animals each year,” said Lyn White.
Morgan is later seen removing the dead possum from his greyhound, Cee Cee Quoted. Four days later, Four Corners catches him leaving his Western Sydney home bound for an afternoon race meet in Newcastle, where Cee Cee Quoted places third. John Cauchi, of Box Hill, was also caught practising live baiting by hand.
Aftermath:
Four Corners notes requests for interviews with the regulators in all three states caught live-baiting were declined, deferring comment to CEO of Greyhounds Australasia Scott Parker. “I don't suspect this is a systemic problem at all,” Parker said. “It's illegal, abhorrent, and totally rejected by the industry.”
When asked about how three tracks have been confirmed to have had live baiting occurring on site that have not been detected by regulators, Parker surmises “our controlling bodies do a great job, but it's a big industry and a lot of these facilities are a long, long way away from Sydney and Melbourne and Brisbane – and that's why compliance officers are employed to get out there.”
In Queensland, RSPCA caught the live-baiters at Tom Noble's establishment during their follow-up raids and saved a live piglet tied in a sack moments away from being bound and baited. Tom Noble was on-site, as well as his staff James Draws and Tony McCabe. They denied any wrong-doing despite being caught on film. RSPCA eventually found a second piglet hidden inside a shed on the property, wounded from a previous live-baiting session.
At Tooradin, Stuart Mills was watched closely, but no animals were caught on-site. Four Corners visited him the next day of the raids, and he's clearly shaken as he maintains his denials about live-baiting.
Zeke Kadir's property was visited, but he refused to answer Four Corners' reporters on live baiting.
Four Corners' investigations are now a criminal matter, with state charges imminent.
Post program:
In Victoria, GRV chair Peter Caillard has welcomed a $6 million government investment for investigative resources for GRV to help detect and prevent practises such as live-baiting from occurring in the future. In addition, GRV have also announced that dead animals will no longer be allowed to assist in the training of greyhounds. “The use of live animals is already outlawed. GRV will also outlaw the use of dead animals in greyhound training whether on private premises or registered training premises,” Mr Caillard said in a press release. Caillard has also agreed to cancel the Greyhound Industry Awards night, which was to be held this Friday night, after instruction from MP Martin Pakula. The Darren McDonald-trained Sweet It Is was the frontrunner to take out the highest honour, 2014 Victorian Greyhound of the Year.
In New South Wales, GRNSW have announced that a taskforce has been established to investigate the extent of the live-baiting practices in the state. The taskforce will be led by former High Court justice and eminent legal practitioner, the Hon. Michael McHugh AC, QC. The taskforce will look into the training methods used in NSW and will arrange for trial tracks and training facilities to be monitored. It is also set to examine whether GRNSW and relevant agencies such as the RSPCA NSW have the necessary powers to correctly investigate animal cruelty allegations. “We need to stamp out live baiting once and for all. Not only is it illegal but it is sickening and we are disgusted with what we have witnessed on air,” GRNSW CEO Brent Hogan said in a press release. “GRNSW welcomes Michael McHugh's acceptance to head this taskforce and is committed to working closely with him and the taskforce as quickly as we can. The taskforce will help ensure that live baiting and other acts of animal cruelty identified in NSW are eradicated as quickly as possible.”
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Absolutely Greg
Are you involved in any sport ?
They had a warrant Dale.
Just like you can get a warrant to tap phone lines.
What sort of world would we live in without media Nicholas. Give yourself an uppercut.
Of course Dale is upset that his earning a livelihood through this “sport” is going to be made more difficult.
Dale, just an FYI, when you call someone a “fool” perhaps use correct grammar.
Otherwise it demonstrates that “You’RE” actually the fool.
Natalie you should probably just stop reading these posts. Perhaps try bashing your head against a brick wall instead? The resulting brain injury will still leave you with a higher IQ than 95% of the people you’re arguing with on here.
You are just another uneducated moron or possibly bogan Ben! How do you catch people breaking the law Benny? Using your analogy you just ask them their permission to film them breaking the law. Why was ICAC so successful BEN?
Ben don’t keep up harping about invasion of privacy. You aren’t even a bush lawyer. If it’s in the public interest and corruption and illegal activity amongst leading greyhound trainers is occurring well this is completely legitimate to bring this into the public arena. Don’t be a dickhead!
We cannot even judge the true extent of the problem here in New Zealand since Greyhound Racing New Zealand have stopped publicly releasing the numbers of [short term investment] dogs that die after high risk racing incidents. With 10,000 former racers deemed to be “missing”, numerous trackside deaths, and a welfare panel touted as “independent” featuring people with close links to the gambling industry it is all but over for greyhound racing. Industry leaders have been revealed as abusive thugs and your advertising investment now requires scrutiny. The footage gained by TV3 (NZ) showing dogs being hoarded, underfed, overbred and… Read more »
Look around. What you are experiencing is the beginning of the end. The demise of your sick entertainment is upon you. Greatest days for greyhounds, ever.
DesLees Sorry Des, they are fact! Your own industry admitted to it!
Brent Hogan admitted years ago that 3000 greyhounds get killed in NSW alone https://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-09/greyhound-racing-euthanasia-rates-slammed/4362442?nw=0.
Why dont you do some research and look up the amount of registered greyhound litters each year in Australia. Do some calculations (average greyhound litter of 6), tally it up, there should be at least 140,000 retired greyhounds in Australia (under the age of 10 and older than 4). Thats only counting the ones that the industry know of. )
Tell me why I am a mis-informed dreamer?
Loz,you just like pretending you have some journalistic ability…You don’t! so keep your ill informed and angry comments to yourself. Just another Greyhound bogan.
Loz
Articulate and construct a sentence in English so we can understand what on earth your rants actually are supposed to convey. Just another idiot who posts before they think. You you ever educated?
Blooding greyhounds is part of their training … no greyhound ends up racing without being blooded with live kills. My family was on the periphery of the industry breeding pups for 30 years. All those within the industry and those regulating it who have close links to the industry know live baiting is part of a normal greyhounds training. Also any pups too slow were killed so most of each litter and more often a whole litter would be killed as they were too slow to race. Greyhounds are a gentle dog until they are taught to kill.… Read more »
At this point does it matter whether or not the recording devices were place legially or illegally – the level of cruelty does not change.
And everything Hitler did was legal. So the law above everything then, including morality?
No amount of rhetoric before or after this post will save carnal damage being made to the Greyhound industry. They have been exposed. When there is a violation of human or animal rights the offender rarely escapes. The Greyhound industry has nowhere to hide. Let nature take its course. After the cleanup hopefully a humanitarian culture will emerge to remove the bloodstains. Only then will Greyhound racing prosper once more. We need honest, resilient people who are in no way influenced by $$$ to lead the cleanup. End of story.
@AaronC_GPLNZ you say greatest days for greyhounds ever but just think about all the greys that will suffer if the sport is shut down how many will die 100,000, 200,000, 300,000 god only knows but in the end will you be the one opening up your home to take in 1000s of greys who will be facing the needle I don’t think so
Ben, what have you got to hide. ?
If this is true, good on you. Nice to know.
Ppl have tried and tried going to the authorities time and time again and nothing had been done, so they finally took it upon themselves to finally get evidence and that was the only way to go about it, for there are too many personal in the hierarchy of greyhound racing that bully lower personal, trainers and dog owners.
Craig, the RSPCA buts down these dogs because of all the shit humans out there that don’t give a damn about these dogs that end up in their care and the other reason is that there are not enough kind humans to take all these dogs and give them a home. How many of these dogs have you given a home to.?
Dale I’m being to think you might be a psychopath.
@insidermeh Blooding does not make greyhounds into nasty dogs, they are still very gentle animals, they just need to have the chase of small animals trained out of them and that actually does not take that long to do.
Insidermeh You are talking such a lot of nonsense. If you knew of this then you are as much if not more to blame than those carrying out the atrocities and you should receive the full weight of the law for not reporting it
Recluse 60 You are very right, him and his whole family have a lot to answer for.
Maybe animal libs can have word to royals they hunt with foxes for entertainment it’s been going on for ages
DawnLee1 I hope there are a lot more trainers like you. Thank you.
And the reason for this is that there are so many people out there that should never be allowed to own animals and there are not enough people willing to adopt .
@insidermeh ummm, do you understand that live baiting is illegal? so, it follow your statement, if you need money, you just go and steal it off someone else because that’s what you want to do. Likely someone old and weak right?
@insidermeh Wow, I hope the cops don’t read your comments – writing about doing illegal stuff yourself isn’t very smart!
Setting your camera up to watch someone stripping off isn’t the same as people torturing animals illegally – get a life and stop being ridiculous.
Michael19 As if animal rights activists haven’t campaigned against for hunting for decades. Do some research.
Good! Every registered kennel should be investigated regularly! Whether it’s a public or private trainer! What chance have us honest blokes got when you have people getting away with that? The TAB should put on a team in every state that investigates and goes into every kennel that is registered and ensure this doesn’t happen. What sort of people are they? It’s disgusting and unfair to the honest trainers, rearers, breeders and owners. They should be stripped of there prize money for the past 12 months and be forced to back pay or face jail time. I would never train… Read more »
All I’m gunna say is this “right or wrong all that footage showing the baiting was taken via illegally placed recording devices” which means inadmissible….
the media are nothing but a pack of @#£%&
This is just putting all greyhound trainers in the same boat we are not the same I love my dogs and thats the difference
The buck stops at the top . Millions of dollars are spent on the administration of the sport and the law makers and keepers have been proven as not capable . The regulatory authorities in every state should be sacked.
This brings us to the question .. How many trainers use these methods ? Is it a case of if u don’t live bait ur dogs can’t and won’t compete ?
Suck shit mate, if your involved in this you can eat a bag of dicks too
I don’t live bait my dogs and my dog run a quick time to win last week.
Everyone is saying the authority’s should have caught this, they were caught with hidden cameras, how could Grv grnsw etc do that, they can do kennel inspections track inspections etc, I don’t know what the law is but I’m not sure how you go about trespassing and putting a hidden camera on a persons property, I’ve heard they had a court order ? But that was not mentioned on the show
fuckin wogs
U either have a quick dog or a average /slow dog. U can’t make it go quicker! What we saw on 4 corners is for the benefit of the trainers mind and not in the best interest for the dog! They are CHASERS and not necessarily killers.
peter, you are spot on there. it does start at the very top. GREYHOUNDS AUSTRALIA right down to the bottom of the chain. two days ago, GRV notified every member to get on social media and devote positive vibes of WHAT A GOOD JOB THEY ARE DOING. no show for comments during that show, and today, more propoganda suggesting everything good they have done for the industry….leaving the owners/trainers to fend for themselves. left us for dead, again, and that is why many walked out on the game BECAUSE THOSE IN POSITIONS REFUSED TO LISTEN TO THE PLEAS OF CHEATING… Read more »
The best thing that ever happened to greyhound racing was the finish-on lure with a piece of fur or rag on it but then someone bitched about it and they took it away. The dogs need to catch the lure at the end of a race. Greyhounds will chase anything but they need to catch what they chase. This makes for a cleaner sport and keens up a racer.
I wonder if four corners will target pig chasing, abattoirs slitting animals throats or fisherman using live bait to catch fish….Isn’t that animal cruelty aswell??? Most of people in the greyhound industry are better then what they are been portrayed as!!! Hope they don’t try to tar people with the same brush!!!
Your wrong. It is in the best interest for the dog. There blood hounds. That’s in there blood. It’s what they do. That’s why they chase. Chase to kill. And as for saying you either have a quick or slow dog your full of shit. That’s why you train them. Otherwise we would pull them from a litter and throw them straight in a box. Don’t comment on bullshit you don’t know anything about. Yes live baiting is cruel and the sport should be on a level playing field. Maybe the association needs to make compulsory random search and checks.
So they got done for this but don’t tell me there is a trainer out there that has never done it that is bull shit
Compulsory random search and checks of trainers will slow it down or ease your minds. You can’t stop it all together. Just like we can’t stop a robbery or murder taking place. I’m not against live baiting. It’s what the dogs do. It just makes the playing field unfair. In a way you can say it’s doping