Vince Tullio: Greyhound trainers unfairly labelled ‘inhumane’

Greyhound trainer Vince Tullio
Victoria owner-breeder (left) has hit back at claims his industry peers knowingly send retired greyhounds in bulk numbers to China, where they are allegedly raced illegally. (Picture: GRV)

Vince Tullio used to get angry at the amount of anti-greyhound sentiment he would read in the .

Now, the Victorian owner-breeder just laughs it off.

If he didn't, he would go crazy.

That was how he chose to respond to an article in The Guardian, which last week quoted Northern Victoria MP Georgie Purcell saying all greyhounds needed to be tracked to stop them from being exported illegally.

Every greyhound – even puppies never registered to race – should be registered, she said.

Currently, it is not against the law to export ex-racing greyhounds overseas.

Under Greyhounds Australasia , anyone exporting a greyhound must obtain a and certified pedigree, and declare whether the dog is being exported for racing, breeding or as a pet.

The Guardian article was titled: ‘Victorian MP to call for compulsory system to track illegally exported greyhounds'.

It mentioned that in 2017, owners were fined for exporting 166 dogs to live under cruel conditions overseas – including being raced against cheetahs in China.

But Tullio is sick of his industry peers being tarred as criminals, or inhumane in their treatment of their greyhounds, who they spend thousands of dollars on in order for them to live happily and in comfort.

“You sort of get immune to it (negative publicity). And do you know what? It's not just our industry – it happens in the horse and harness industries,” he told Australian Racing Greyhound.

“It happens in meat factories and every industry – there's always someone out there.

“We just try to do our best.

“Put it this way – it's not against the law to send a dog to China. The Australian Government allows you to send dogs to China.

“If it's wrong, why do they let you ? That's how I look at it.”

Champion Victorian greyhound trainer Robert Britton weighed in on the debate, saying it was racist to assume that all greyhounds legally exported to China were set to live in conditions under their new Chinese owners.

“I read a (recent) story about how they (anti-racing activists) want to close down all exports of greyhounds going overseas because three greyhounds were found in China with an Australian connection,” he said.

“If you read the article you'd say it's horrific. But they don't say anything about where they are.

“My tip is there could be every chance they could be living with a millionaire.

“In other words, it's completely racist. It's basically saying that if they go to China they're going to be treated terribly.

“That's a racist statement. To say that because they're Chinese they're going to treat them terribly is just wrong.

“And again, it's through intimidation from the antis. We don't need that to happen in as well.”

READ: Britton, Latham hit back at fears over greyhound adoption in US

Tullio said it was hard enough being a greyhound owner-breeder without having to worry about outside noise made by those who want to see the industry shut down.

“There are always antis – no matter what industry it is. There's always someone who's going to be against something,” he said.

“At the end of the day, you'll always have people with other agendas.

“We just have to deal with it the best way we can.”

Tullio himself was put under the microscope when an article appeared in online publication True Crime News Weekly on March 22 last year.

The article was headlined: ‘GREYHOUNDS GONE FOR GREED! Champion dogs ending up in China for breeding against Australian racing industry rules'.

Former racing greyhound 's welfare was closely analysed, the piece saying it was sent directly from Melbourne to China as a “companion animal” on June 1 in 2021, five weeks after it was under Tullio's care.

Tullio was asked by True Crime News Weekly how the dog ended up in China, despite not being his owner at that stage, and said the last he knew was Canya Cruise lived in Sydney under a new owner.

The prominent owner-breeder said industry trainers were being unfairly targeted by anti-greyhound activists who accuse them of knowingly sending their retired chasers overseas.

“As soon as they go to a third party, they're entitled to do whatever they want with their dogs,” he said.

“And the dogs who do go overseas are retired dogs. If you read within the rules, dogs who are retired are exempt if they go overseas.

“It's within the rules, so why do they sit there and say ‘they're not allowed to go overseas?'

“Once they're retired, you can't stop that. And that's why the government hasn't stopped it because they're like ‘who the hell are we to tell people they can't send their dogs to the USA, or wherever it might be?'

“Until the government puts a ban on it, they (anti-greyhound activists) will always try to lobby for a ban on exports.”

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Vivien Kitchen
Vivien Kitchen
1 year ago

I am sick and tired of opening up my e-mails to see yet again the bloody activists are at it again after these beautiful people who do adore their Greyhounds and the care, they are given is second to none. I see first-hand the love and care these people give their Greyhounds and when their racing days are over, most get the owners to sign their dogs over to them and they put them through the G.A.P. program (Greyhounds As Pets) to ensure these beautiful creatures find their forever homes. I know in some areas there is a waiting list… Read more »