Your say: public outrage continues as saga builds momentum
Earlier in the week we took a small sample of the public outrage we captured across social media and in direct emails sent to AustralianRacingGreyhound.com.
As the days passed, more trainers were suspended, more questions were asked of the industry's seemingly inept governing bodies and State Governments around the country responded to the saga.
One constant throughout the industry's darkest week remained – the public outrage.
Victorian Integrity Commissioner Sal Perna said it best when speaking to us exclusively this week:
“You could have governing issues, drug issues or race-fixing issues and the only people who would care would be those inside the industry, but the moment you have cruelty to animals it becomes a social issue and everyone is incensed. Rightly so, too.”
Here's what we gathered from our readers, people passionate about the industry and those horrified enough to never want to see a dog race again:
We've had a fantastic, passionate response on our Facebook page all week:
Finally, the (completely un-edited) emails have continued to come in big numbers.
From: andrew joseph
Subject: trainers
Please remove any stories that you have on this webset that glorifues in anyway the scumbags caught up in the live baiting scandal.
this site should not be promoting any positive news about scumbag lowlife oxygen theifs.
thank you
From: gavin Nunes
Subject: Baiting and Animal Care
It seems to me that degree of those complicit will b discovered to be extreme. My interest is in what becomes of the animals after they have surpassed their purpose. Not the poor piglets, possums and rabbits that suffer from the barbaric acts / behavior, but the greyhounds themselves. Is there legiation that governs this aspect?
From: Andrea Ives
Subject: Your industry is an absolute disgrace – I am campaigning to STOP YOU!!!
To whom it may concern – no more words needed than what is above.
You have been outed finally.
We will not give up making sure your disgusting use of animals to make money will be stopped.
How you can sleep at night is beyond me.
Regards,
Andrea Ives
From: connie
Subject: How will this hurt the industry?
I have just seen the four corners episode on the use of live bait. I was determine to stop the use of grey hounds for racing. Now I feel more convicted then ever that the practice is ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING!!!
You people should be ashamed of yourself and all of you should end up in JAIL!
YOU ARE ALL CRIMINALS!!!
From: Jodie
Subject: Suggested actions on live baiting participants
Repremand for participating in live baiting should not be limited to suspension or banning of trainers but should also be extended to the actual identified dogs by way of lifetime race banning, desexing and possibly even confiscation or surrender if the dog may be at risk of destruction due to its future inability to earn money.
Possibly in some circumstances, accountability should be extended to owners and syndicates as it is this group who should be questioning any training practices and methods involving their dogs.
This would send the message through the industry that you risk losing practically everything if you're engaged in live baiting practices.
From: Kathryn Ahern
Subject: Greyhound Racing :Disgusting Practice Should Be Banned
Dear Sirs,
I'm absolutely disgusted in the lack of care your industry shows for regulation and animal welfare.
I hope to see Greyhound racing banned in Australia.
From: Janice Martz
Subject: Live bate training
Since it appears that this practice was so wide spread over many, many years, it is curious that your organization never wrote about it until this scandal broke. Surely, you guys knew this was happening in the very industry in which you are experts. Everyone just kept the dirty little secret.
I don’t condone what has been exposed as going on in the greyhound Racing Industry but could I ask a couple of simple questions Is it okay for people to go out roo shooting sometimes mothers with joeys still in their pouch, what about the dogs the use for pigging how do you think they are trained to kill, people also breed mice and rats to feed their pet snakes? The list goes on. I don’t see anybody jumping up and down about any of these hobbies. Like I said I don’t agree with what has been going on but… Read more »
There are two (for this topic) sides, the folks with dogs, and the folks without. Now the folks without dogs spend way more than they can afford having a bet via form guides or lucky numbers whatever and mostly lose. Punters money runs the 3 codes, never forget that. Those with dogs, well they feel a bit luckier, being a winner and or backing a winner that happens to be their own.That is the dream…For most. The scum who have ruined this are greedy and want it all whatever the price. So unfair there is no argument, I feel really… Read more »
christine24 christine, we cannot be seen to be overlapping our dubious trainers with what takes place in other areas of ani,mal demolition. there are so many examples of that type of thing, but we have to tend our own, and fix the problems that exist in that area. we could ask also, how criminal is it for overseas countries to pack/distribute food for eating here in AUSTRALIA ,and poisioning us all. who is responsible for that? so many areas of disgrace, but hey, we are talking about human beings and making a dollar.. the dollar, it appears, has more power… Read more »
Guys – if those email identities are real, three of them are known Grey2K USA members, 2 located in USA (Boston MA to be precise) and 1 in United Kingdom. Why bother giving airtime to known advocacy group members not located in Australia and with a single purpose in mind, to bring about an end to the joy of running and competing that is indeed the sole purpose a greyhound has been bred for the past 4700 years. Didn’t take much for me to research the names in the emails calling for an end to racing to ascertain if they… Read more »
@greg christine24 Yes Greg I agree there is so many wrongs in anything, but I still think it’s unfair that everyone is being tarnished with the same brush, anything to do with gambling the trainers, coaches anyone will always try to do whatever they can to have that winning edge. Sad but true, makes it hard for the honest people. Some of the owners of these dogs had no idea what was going on and some don’t even know where their dogs are. It must be hard for them. The greyhound is a lovely animal.
When the dust settles and those exposed expunged, then we draw the line and bring in criminal sanctions for anyone involved in cruelty to animals this must include members of ALQ and the RSPCA.
The do gooders must be held to the same standards as the Greyhound Industry, every hound must be accounted for especially the ones destroyed at RSPCA centres Australia wide because they can’t be sold for a profit, it has been suggested up to 50000 per year are destroyed.
I don’t condone what has been exposed as going on in the greyhound Racing Industry but could I ask a couple of simple questions Is it okay for people to go out roo shooting sometimes mothers with joeys still in their pouch, what about the dogs the use for pigging how do you think they are trained to kill, people also breed mice and rats to feed their pet snakes? The list goes on. I don’t see anybody jumping up and down about any of these hobbies. Like I said I don’t agree with what has been going on but… Read more »
There are two (for this topic) sides, the folks with dogs, and the folks without. Now the folks without dogs spend way more than they can afford having a bet via form guides or lucky numbers whatever and mostly lose. Punters money runs the 3 codes, never forget that. Those with dogs, well they feel a bit luckier, being a winner and or backing a winner that happens to be their own.That is the dream…For most. The scum who have ruined this are greedy and want it all whatever the price. So unfair there is no argument, I feel really… Read more »
christine24 christine, we cannot be seen to be overlapping our dubious trainers with what takes place in other areas of ani,mal demolition. there are so many examples of that type of thing, but we have to tend our own, and fix the problems that exist in that area. we could ask also, how criminal is it for overseas countries to pack/distribute food for eating here in AUSTRALIA ,and poisioning us all. who is responsible for that? so many areas of disgrace, but hey, we are talking about human beings and making a dollar.. the dollar, it appears, has more power… Read more »
Guys – if those email identities are real, three of them are known Grey2K USA members, 2 located in USA (Boston MA to be precise) and 1 in United Kingdom. Why bother giving airtime to known advocacy group members not located in Australia and with a single purpose in mind, to bring about an end to the joy of running and competing that is indeed the sole purpose a greyhound has been bred for the past 4700 years. Didn’t take much for me to research the names in the emails calling for an end to racing to ascertain if they… Read more »
@greg christine24 Yes Greg I agree there is so many wrongs in anything, but I still think it’s unfair that everyone is being tarnished with the same brush, anything to do with gambling the trainers, coaches anyone will always try to do whatever they can to have that winning edge. Sad but true, makes it hard for the honest people. Some of the owners of these dogs had no idea what was going on and some don’t even know where their dogs are. It must be hard for them. The greyhound is a lovely animal.
When the dust settles and those exposed expunged, then we draw the line and bring in criminal sanctions for anyone involved in cruelty to animals this must include members of ALQ and the RSPCA.
The do gooders must be held to the same standards as the Greyhound Industry, every hound must be accounted for especially the ones destroyed at RSPCA centres Australia wide because they can’t be sold for a profit, it has been suggested up to 50000 per year are destroyed.