IT WAS in 1961 that the Bolte Liberal government legalised off-course tote betting in Victoria with the introduction of the TAB.

The TAB was set up by the racing clubs under the chairmanship of then Victoria Racing Club chairman Sir Chester Manifold, who became known as the "father" of the TAB.

If Chester stirred in his grave when Jeff Kennett privatised the TAB in 1994, he would have done a full turn yesterday when the State Government announced its sweeping changes to the gaming and wagering laws in Victoria from 2012.

Effectively, the Victorian racing industry — which is now made up of the gallops, harness and greyhound codes — is back to square one, only this time, despite what the Government might say, it does not have control of its own destiny as it did in '61.

When the TAB started, there was cautious optimism, which soon turned into euphoria when it became obvious that off-course betting was the pot of gold that would provide the lifeblood for a languishing industry. Before long, the harness and greyhound codes — which initially were not involved — were brought in and have enjoyed unprecedented prosperity ever since.

The Kennett government was able to persuade the racing industry to relinquish its control over the TAB with a large cash injection and the continuing "sweetener" of a 25% share of the new Tabcorp's gaming machine profits, with a guarantee that the racing industry would never be worse off.

Now, the 25% — about $75 million a year, increasing at an annual rate of about 5% — will go after 2012 and the Brumby Government has decreed that the racing industry cannot tender for the new wagering licence.

The industry has to rely on assurances from Racing Minister Rob Hulls that the new arrangements will be "no less favourable" than they are today. We seem to have heard that somewhere before.

Go Bronco's trainer faces animal cruelty and driving charges after the critically dehydrated dog was found around midday on January 13 locked in a Holden Commodore station wagon at inner-city Glebe.

Police allege the dog, worth $10,000, was left overnight without water when his trainer abandoned the car following a collision with a bus and reported the vehicle had been stolen.

When found, the dog had a temperature of 43 degrees Celsius - well above the normal reading for a greyhound of around 38 degrees.

Go Bronco died three days later at the Annandale Animal Hospital.

Greyhound and Harness Racing Regulatory Authority stewards adjourned the inquiry until April 8 at the request of the 36-year-old trainer, from Merrylands West, in Sydney's west.

The trainer faces charges of failing to stop after an accident, negligent driving, public mischief and committing an act of cruelty on an animal.

Distressed … 14 hours in car. Photo: Jon Reid

THE trainer of Go Bronco, the $10,000 greyhound which died after being left in a car without water for 14 hours, has been charged in relation to the animal's death, after police allegedly discovered that he abandoned the vehicle after a traffic accident in the inner city.

Police said Terry Darragh ditched his Holden Commodore with Go Bronco caged in the back in Boyce Street, Glebe, after colliding with a bus about 10.20pm last Saturday. He is said to have then fled, leaving Go Bronco without food or water.

Police said Darragh falsely reported to Blacktown police at 8.30am the next morning that the Commodore had been stolen.

Go Bronco was not discovered until 11.30am suffering extreme dehydration, heat exhaustion and a temperature of 43 degrees.

The dog died at Annandale Animal Hospital on Wednesday night as a direct result of the extended exposure.

Late last night a police spokesman confirmed that Darragh had been charged with animal cruelty, negligent driving, failing to stop after an accident and making a false statement to police.

A source from the Wentworth Park dog track, where Go Bronco had raced earlier on Saturday evening, told the Herald that Darragh had been drunk.

It is understood that after leaving the track Darragh went to the Friend In Hand Hotel on Cowper Street, Glebe, and drank more.

Darragh told police and the Herald that he had stopped at the hotel for dinner and had then discovered his car had been stolen.

But one of the hotel's managers told the Herald yesterday the restaurant was closed at the time, and police will allege that Darragh's claims were false.

The events surrounding the greyhound's death are also the subject of an investigation by stewards at the Wentworth Park dog track.

About 11:30am on Sunday 13 January police were called to Boyce Street where they located a seriously ill greyhound in the rear of an abandoned Holden Commodore station wagon.

The dog named “Go Bronco” was attended to by police and taken to a local vet.

Go Bronco died about 5am on Wednesday as a result of organ failure due to heat exposure.

It is alleged that about 10:20pm on Saturday 12 January the vehicle owner and trainer of the greyhound was driving the vehicle when it was involved in a fail to stop collision with a bus in Glebe.

The man then allegedly parked the vehicle in Boyce Street and left the scene, leaving Go Bronco in the rear compartment without any water.

About 8:30am on Sunday the man allegedly attended Blacktown Police Station where he falsely reported the vehicle stolen.

As a result of information received from members of the public Leichhardt police made contact with a 36-year-old Merrylands West man.

He attended Glebe Police Station yesterday afternoon where he was arrested and questioned by investigators.

The 36-year-old was charged with public mischief, commit act of cruelty upon animal, negligent driving and failing to stop after an accident.

He has been bailed to appear at Balmain Local Court on 13 February.

GA comment: Note the trainer crashed into a bus, then ran off abandoning the dog "Go Bronco" to die. This says something about how much he cared about people, how much he cared about the law and how much he cared about the dog. It also makes one wonder, why did he run off, unless he had something to hide? In fact he never came forward voluntarily and was only caught after the police received information from members of the public. This case raises serious questions about the character of people involved in greyhound racing ... this man did not have a casual connection to the sport as evidenced by the supposed $10,000 worth of "Go Bronco".

Edward Medhurst pleaded guilty at a stewards inquiry to eight different breaches of the greyhound rules which say retired dogs must be put down by a registered vet.

An inquiry by stewards found Medhurst shot 11 of his dogs and then tried to claim they had been put down by a vet.

He also pleaded guilty to giving false and misleading evidence to another inquiry and creating false documents and then presenting them to that inquiry.

Medhurst has been disqualified for a total of eight years, including three because he shot the dogs, and two each for claiming they had been euthanised and creating false documents.

Medhurst has already lodged an appeal with the Chairman of Racing Stewards.

A greyhound trainer accused of being Victoria's "Travelling Man", a serial burglar, appeared in
court yesterday on 299 charges.

Neville John Martin, 62, is alleged to be responsible for a seven-year crime spree through regional
Victoria.

He yesterday reserved his plea to the charges, including multiple counts of burglary and theft.

Melbourne Magistrates Court heard Mr Martin is alleged to have committed dozens of burglaries on the
homes of elderly people in towns including Benalla, Wangaratta, Seymour, Euroa, Orbost, Bairnsdale,
Maffra, Leongatha and Korumburra, between 2000 and 2006.

Police say many of the burglaries took place in locations where Mr Martin, a registered greyhound
trainer, had raced his dogs.

Almost all the elderly victims were gardening on their properties at the time of the break-ins,
according to a statement by Sen-Constable Ben Kelly.

The thief stole cash, bank cards, mobile phones and jewellery.

Magistrate Julian Fitz-Gerald remanded Mr Martin, of Stratford, in custody to appear at the County
Court on December 19.

Some sad news in greyhound circles this week with the sudden death of solid sprinter Steeline the morning after he ran second at Wentworth Park.

Steeline ran a good second on Saturday July 14 but when trainer Sid Swain woke the next morning, he found his chaser dead.

Swain said Steeline wouldn't eat after the race but he was not overly concerned because his greyhound was a fussy eater.

The dog was only just resuming from a spell after he had burst blood vessels in his legs. Swain said the only thing he could pinpoint his sudden passing on was he must have developed more clots.

Steeline had 38 starts at Wentworth Park for five wins and 13 placings. His owners had reaped more than $34,000 in prize money from the dog's career.

Call to ban greyhound hurdle races www.theaustralian.news.com.au March 01, 2007

AN animal welfare group has called for dog hurdle-racing to be banned in
Tasmania after a greyhound smashed into a barrier and died on the track.

The dog slammed into the second hurdle at high speed during trials for the
Hobart Greyhound Racing Club on Tuesday night.

Witnesses at the Elwick racetrack in Hobart said its back was broken and
skull smashed.

"The death of this greyhound is a reminder of why greyhound hurdle racing
takes place in no other state in Australia, other than Tasmania," said
Against Animal Cruelty Tasmania (AACT) spokeswoman Emma Haswell.

Last August, a dog at the same track died when it careered into a rail,
raising concerns over a lack of a safety fence.

Ms Haswell said greyhounds converted to hurdle racing were generally
considered past their prime and have always been used to running on flat
tracks.

"These gentle and graceful dogs have never seen an uneven surface let alone
a jump," she said.

"On top of this, many have been trained using live baits such as possums and
rabbits.

"The dog's eye is on the lure and lure only. Hurdle racing is an accident
waiting to happen every time and the AACT wants it banned immediately.

The Tasmanian Greens, who described the latest death as "shocking" and
"avoidable", are calling for all dog races and trials to be suspended until
a safety rail is installed at the track.

A spokesman from TOTE Tasmania said it would hold its own investigation into
the incident.

Hobart Greyhound Racing Club chair Denise Fish said she was not considering
a ban on greyhound hurdle racing.

"The chief steward is holding an investigation which is normal procedure. We
are not considering a ban and will wait and see what comes out of the
inquiry," she said.

"This was a racing accident, nothing more than that. A dog has clipped a
hurdle and fell.

"It's just one of those unfortunate things. Like any other fall, you may or
may not hurt yourself. You never want to see an animal get hurt but it
happens."

GA comment: Note the complete lack of concern in Denise Fish's quote

"The death of this greyhound is a reminder of why greyhound hurdle
racing takes place in no other state in Australia, other than
Tasmania,"

said Against Animal Cruelty Tasmania (AACT) spokeswoman
Emma Haswell.

Mark Russell

February 11, 2007

THOUSANDS of greyhounds considered too slow or too old to race are being
shot dead and dumped by their owners, the RSPCA says. The association's
national president, Hugh Wirth, said the deaths of so many greyhounds was a
"scandal".

Breeding limits had to be imposed on the industry to stop the culling.
"There is no doubt one of the major problems in greyhound racing is
over-production," he told The Sunday Age.

"If you don't find a winning greyhound there's nothing much you can do with
such a racing dog. It's considered a poor performer and so it's euthanased."

Greyhounds usually have a racing career lasting up to about the age of five.
When many of the dogs' careers end, so do their lives, say animal rights'
activists, who claim that up to 20,000 dogs a year are killed in Australia.

But Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) says most owners are fully aware of
their obligations to their dogs. Chief executive John Stephens said any
owner caught killing and disposing of a greyhound risked being prosecuted
and banned. The vast majority of the state's 10,000 greyhound owners loved
their dogs.

"These owners … probably treat their greyhounds better than their kids at
times," Mr Stephens said. If an owner decided to put a dog down, they had to
do it responsibly, using a vet.

Emma Haswell, of Against Animal Cruelty Tasmania, described the industry as
"very dirty; they get away with murder".

Ms Haswell said more than 25,000 greyhounds were bred in Australia each
year, but only 13,000 were registered. The rest were killed by the cheapest
means possible, including the use of a captive bolt gun, while another 8000
dogs at the end of their racing careers suffered the same fate.

Dogs not put down by a vet were beaten to death, drowned, shot or buried
alive with their ears cut off, she said. Australia also exported the dogs to
countries such as China, Vietnam and Korea, where they sometimes ended up as
dog meat.

Dr Wirth said while a vast number of greyhounds were being killed, he did
not know if the 20,000 figure claimed by animal activists was accurate.

Animal welfare groups, including Animal Liberation Victoria, say it is time
for all greyhounds to be identified with a microchip to prevent owners
getting away with killing and dumping them in remote areas.

In August last year, 70 starving greyhounds were found abandoned without
food or water on four properties in Melbourne's outer west and western
Victoria. Some dogs were so emaciated they had to be put down. Their owner
has yet to be found.

Dog owners have to indicate to GRV what happens to their greyhounds when
they are retired.

"How animals are looked after is a vital concern to GRV, but the ultimate
responsibility lies with people who buy them," Mr Stephens said. A breeding
taskforce had been set up to try to cut the number of dogs being bred.

Greyhounds Australasia chief executive Craig Taberner said it was hard to
pinpoint how many dogs were being killed each year, but he denied owners
were cruelly disposing of their dogs and dumping them.

"There's no beating, there's none of that," he said. "We have a policy where
owners have to be responsible for what they're doing."

Mr Taberner said there were too many unfair, unproven claims being levelled
at the industry.

"People talk about the terrible things that owners do to greyhounds, but
nothing has been substantiated."

The greyhound adoption program has found homes for more than 2000 unwanted
racing dogs since being set up in 1996, and many find them fantastic pets.

The Links Greyhound Adoption Program can be contacted on 5799 2909, or email
gap@grv.org.au

Police shocked by skinned dog From www.news.com.au May 19, 2005

Darwin police station officer in charge Danny Bacon said police were
calling for any information, following the horrific find yesterday.

A man made the discovery 5m from a main road at Berrimah in Darwin's
east.

The dog's head was wrapped in a garbage bag, but no attempt had been
made to conceal the rest of the animal, which had had the skin removed.

Police believe the dead dog was a greyhound.

"While we haven't determined exactly what's happened at this point in
time, we're certainly looking for public assistance," Senior Sergeant
Bacon said.

GA appeal: anyone that has info about this horrific murder to contact us at

greyhoundactionaustralasia@hotmail.com

GA comment: Anyone who knows anything about PETA will know that
they have more in common with campaign groups like Greenpeace than
supposed "terrorists" such as ALF and ELF.

Warren Truss is blatently using the current fear over gloabl terrorism to
smear a completely non-violent and humane campaign.

March 2, 2005 - 5:54PM

The federal government has flagged new laws to deal with violence by
animal rights protesters, with a minister linking one group with
terrorist-related activities.

Agriculture Minister Warren Truss attacked the powerful American group
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which is conducting
a global campaign against the Australian wool industry.

Mr Truss said a US Senate committee had heard evidence that PETA had
provided "aid and comfort" to two groups considered to be domestic
terrorist threats by the FBI - the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) and the
Animal Liberation Front (ALF).

"According to the FBI, the two groups have been responsible for more
than 600 crimes since 1996, causing more than $43 million in damage," Mr
Truss said in an address to the Victorian Rural Press Club in Melbourne.

"The ALF even brags on its website that the two groups committed '100
illegal direct actions' - like blowing up four-wheel-drives, destroying
the brakes on seafood delivery trucks, and planting firebombs in
restaurants - in 2002 alone."

The British government had a bill before the House of Lords to create
new offences and penalties to deal with extremist animal rights-related
violence and intimidation, and Mr Truss said he would consider similar
action.

"I have asked for some advice as to the details of this bill so that I
can consider whether this type of legislation has relevance in the
Australian context," Mr Truss said.

"But governments can't legislate against freedom of speech no matter how
ill informed.

"The risk to agriculture is that when the claims of groups like PETA are
publicised through the media, they start winning mainstream acceptance."

Comment on Mr Truss' statement is being sought from PETA, which is based
in the American state of Virginia.

PETA began its campaign last year against mulesing, where farmers cut
skin folds away from sheep's backsides to give them lifetime protection
from blowfly strike.

The industry has agreed to phase out the practice by 2010 while research
continues into alternatives, but activists claim other methods are
available now.

PETA's campaign has had some success.

American retailer Abercrombie and Fitch agreed in October to boycott
Australian wool and several other companies have joined the campaign in
a limited capacity.

Italian clothing giant Benetton, however, has resisted and agreed to
continue buying merino yarn.

Mr Truss's comments came as the industry's peak research and development
body, Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), prepared to go the Federal Court
in a bid to use Australia's Trade Practices Act to stop PETA's campaign.

AWI will test a section of the Act that deals with exports.

The action names PETA's president and founder Ingrid Newkirk, whose
lawyers will ask for AWI's application to be struck out when the case
goes to court in Sydney on March 11.

THOUSANDS of dogs are being stolen from back yards every
year in a Queensland dog-napping trade described as a "hidden
epidemic".

Criminals, some in organised gangs, then use the dogs for
breeding, fighting and hunting.

Some are sold locally and overseas for up to $25,000.

In many instances, tranquillisers are used to sedate the dogs,
mostly pedigree breeds.

Some thieves have been so determined to get to their prey that
they have tunnelled under kennel fences.

A Sunday Mail investigation into the dog trade has found:

. Sought-after dogs such as english setters are being snatched
for breeding. With forged papers, they can command more than
$2000 and become show dogs.

. Trained guard dogs such as german shepherds are being sent
to Asia where they can command more than $25,000.

. Pit bulls and mastiffs are being stolen for illegal dog fights
or to hunt feral pigs on northwest Queensland properties.

The RSPCA acknowledges a trade in stolen dogs exists and
says it's impossible to know how many dogs had disappeared
in sinister circumstances.

Spokesman Michael Beatty said the animal welfare organisation
was on target to receive a record 10,000 phone calls this year
from distraught Queenslanders whose dogs are missing.

"Undoubtedly many of those would be stolen," he said.

Leading trainer Scott Donald said thousands of dogs were
stolen each year.

Mr Donald, who runs a guard-dog training school on the Gold
Coast, said up to 50 dogs a year were being stolen from him
and his clients.

"If you've got four dogs that are trained, and someone takes them
down to Sydney, there's a quick $2000," said Mr Donald, who
has hired security staff to watch over his dogs.

Mr Donald said police were investigating the theft of a valuable
trained german shepherd from his Brisbane property about 18
months ago. "This dog was worth $25,000. I put him out in the
yard, which was secured, to give him a run," he said.

"These people dug a 1m-deep hole under the wire fence."

Mr Donald said dog-stealing was highly organised, with
criminals obtaining sedatives from veterinarians which they fed
to guard dogs in compounds.

The trade stretches to the state's west, where animal control
officer Reg Sollitt said an increasing number of animals had
disappeared in the past three months, probably for pig-hunting.

"It's mainly the pig dogs - bull terriers and bull mastiff cross
- and they use them for hunting pigs," Mr Sollitt said.

"You see 30 dogs go through on a truck. You wouldn't know if
they owned them or not."

Primary Industries Minister Henry Palaszczuk said dog thieves
could be charged with theft or cruelty.

The penalty for cruelty could be a $75,000 fine or two years in jail.

EMMA Haswell chanced upon a leaflet at a dog show in London 18 months ago about the fate of greyhounds and was horrified.

She had taken her young daughter to the show because they both loved dogs but she knew nothing about greyhounds and had little interest in them.
She discovered that thousands of greyhounds are destroyed every year and up to 5000 are exported to South-East Asia, some for the live dogmeat trade.

Yet, as she was also to discover, they make wonderful, gentle pets. "The leaflet changed my whole life," she said with her greyhound Gracie curled up
lovingly beside her in her 1840s Midlands cottage.

Radicalised by what she read, the former Longford veterinarian assistant rang Greyhound Action UK to join and was soon co-ordinator for North London,
where she and her family were living. Since then they have returned to Australia and she is now co-ordinator of Greyhound Action Australia, a voluntary
job she devotes a great deal of time, energy and passion to. It is one that has transformed her from an animal lover into a frontline animal activist.

"Greyhound racing is banned in South Africa and in six states in the United States," she said. ``Greyhound Action wants an end to racing in
Australia and an end to the live export of dogs.''

Haswell, 36, grew up in Launceston and is now based in Melbourne, although she spends as much time as she can at her farm, which has been
in her mother's family since 1823, bringing with her on the ferry a carload of pets -- three dogs including Gracie, a cat called Ziggy and six chooks.
Two are ex-battery hens and four are broilers destined for fast food until rescued by Animal Liberation Victoria.

There's also a pullet that has taken Gracie under her wing. Haswell said the sight of the pullet asleep on Gracie's chest in her front garden in
Melbourne does more for the greyhound cause than anything she can say.

"People think of greyhounds as biters because they have to wear muzzles in so many places, although this is changing," she said. ``It's only
because they've been trained to give chase and might chase cats. But they're quickly retrained -- Gracie is scared of Ziggy.''

Gracie takes no notice of the farm animals. In the paddock in front of the stone cottage are a racehorse saved from the knackers, donkeys and
geese, and sheep further afield.

It is an idyllic pastoral scene but as Gracie basked in the sun, Haswell talked about the dark side of the greyhound racing industry. She said up
to 25,000 greyhounds are bred in Australia each year, about 13,000 of which are registered. The rest are destroyed by the cheapest means.

A greyhound's life span is 10 to 12 years but their racing life is mostly between two and four years. Some are used for breeding, some are
exported, some are used in scientific experiments, which Greyhound Action also wants stopped, and only a few hundred find homes -- 50 in
Tasmania -- through the Greyhound Adoption Program.

Haswell said that when they can no longer run for their lives, the vast majority are destroyed, often with their ears cut off to remove
identifying tattoos. The discovery of a greyhound buried alive near Hobart last month, she said, is not uncommon. The dog was found in a
dumping ground off the Lyell Highway between Granton and New Norfolk. Its ears had been hacked off and it had been left to die under several
large rocks and a sheet of tin.

Greyhounds Australasia Ltd chief executive Geoff O'Connor, however, said the whole industry was incensed and horrified by the incident.

"We understand the perpetrator was someone outside the industry [and] that the bitch had been given away for cross-breeding purposes," he said.

O'Connor is adamant that the industry has a well-regulated racing code. While Greyhounds Australasia is an industry facilitator, not a regulatory body,
it has asked members to provide details about the fate of registered dogs when they stop racing.

"We're conscious of welfare issues and entered an agreement three months ago with the Australian Greyhound Veterinarian Association, which
has 91 members across the nation, to ensure dogs are humanely put down," he said.

But Haswell said there was no real accountability within the industry. Apart from those dogs put down, thousands more that are past their best
or that have not proved fast enough are exported to the fledgling racing industries of China, Macau and Vietnam. Conditions, she said, are
appalling. Others go to Korea, where they are prized for meat.

"They're tortured to cause an adrenalin rush just before they're killed, as an aphrodisiac to improve virility," she said. ``It's a
barbaric trade.''

O'Connor, who has been in the job for nine months, conceded there are are concerns about this trade.

"We've introduced a greyhound passport this year," he said. ``Under our rules, if an owner wants to export a registered dog, we want to know
the reason -- for racing, breeding or as a pet.

"But we can't stop the export of dogs. It's a Federal Government responsibility through the Companions Act. The greyhound industry is
doing what it can but the whole issue of the export of dogs, not just greyhounds, needs to be looked at."

DOG FACTS:

AUSTRALIANS bet $28 million a week on greyhound racing.

An estimated 100,000 Australians regularly bet on greyhounds.

There are 30,000 registered owners, trainers and breeders in Australia.

The industry employs thousands of people -- directly and indirectly.
(Information from Greyhounds Australasia Ltd)

Greyhounds are the oldest pure bred dog in the world, dating to the pharoahs of Egypt.

They are the only breed mentioned in the Bible. In Biblical times, they were known in Egypt, Greece and the Middle East.

The Romans introduced them to Britain. Captain Cook brought two with him on his expedition to Australia in 1770.

To contact the Greyhound Adoption Program, ring 6253 5771.

The brutal live burial of a greyhound near Hobart has prompted a campaign to ban greyhound racing in Australia.

Animal activists Greyhound Action claim the incident highlights the dark side of a sport that breeds and discards up to 15,000 dogs a year in this country.

The Tasmanian RSPCA is investigating the case. The greyhound was heard whimpering in bushland two weeks ago. It was found buried under a sheet of tin

and rock with its ear cut off to remove registration tattoos. It was later put to sleep.

Other greyhound remains were found at the bushland dumping ground.

Tasmanian RSPCA's chief animal welfare officer Graeme Lewis said yesterday he was confident the dog's owner could be traced through DNA testing and

tattoos found on the dog's remaining ear.

"Greyhound racing has had a bad name - deserved or otherwise - for some time and this sort of thing doesn't help," he said yesterday.

Greyhound Action Australia coordinator Emma Haswell said the killing highlighted an unspoken practice in the industry.

She said there were people who loved greyhounds but many greyhounds were destroyed by foul means.

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Ms Haswell, a former vet, first became aware of international campaigns against the Australian industry while living in the UK last year.

Many dogs that weren't killed when their racing careers were over faced being used for experimentation in Australian universities or were exported to Asian

countries where some ended up on dinner plates, she said.

But the racing industry's peak body, Greyhounds Australasia, yesterday vigorously denied the accusations of barbarity and said the industry was appalled

by the Hobart incident.

Greyhounds Australasia chief executive Geoff O'Connor said claims of laboratory experiments and abuse after exportation to Asia lacked evidence.

While the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service did not keep figures on the number of greyhounds sent to Asia, Mr O'Connor said his organisation had

instituted a passport system to make dog exporters more accountable.

Retired Australian dogs are exported to the fledgling greyhound racing industries of China, Macau and Vietnam but animal activists claim there is no

accountability for their welfare once their two-year racing careers are over.

Greyhound Action claims many find their way into the illegal dogmeat trade.

The lucky few become pets, but most racing greyhounds are routinely destroyed.

Lorna Edwards reports.

When a whimpering, dying greyhound was found buried alive in wasteland outside Hobart late last month, it ignited a storm of outrage. The dog had been

left to die under a sheet of tin in a bush dumping ground. One of its ears had been brutally hacked off to hinder identification and the remains of other

greyhounds were found nearby. The greyhound racing fraternity pronounced its disgust, claiming the incident was a "one-off" committed by a rogue element

"outside greyhound racing".

The Tasmanian RSPCA vowed to trace and prosecute the owner, but animal rights campaigners accuse greyhound racing of being the real killer. They claim

the incident is common in an unethical industry that routinely disposes of a massive number of dogs bred each year and have called for Australia to ban the

sport. Greyhound racing is banned in six states of America and in South Africa.

The industry estimates that 15,000 greyhounds are bred in Australia each year (activists claim the true figure is 25,000) to feed a sport that generates

$25million a week, through 95 clubs holding more than 4000 meetings each year. Australia's greyhound racing industry is the third-largest in the world behind

the US and Ireland.

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For greyhounds, it's a life of harsh realities. By 18 months old, many are deemed too slow to race and are discarded. Those that are successful eventually

succumb to injury or are washed up by the age of four.

No records are kept on the fate of the dogs, but animal rights campaigners claim that 20,000 are slaughtered every year. The racing industry says they are

humanely euthanased, kept by their owners or adopted as pets. While they acknowledge that vast numbers are put down, they feel unfairly vilified while the

more glamorous sport of horse racing escapes the rap.

"They target the greyhound racing industry but the horse racing industry has issues," says an exasperated Geoff O'Connor, the chief executive of Greyhounds

Australasia. "Anything to do with dogs becomes emotive. Where do you think the horses end up?"

O'Connor is accustomed to being bombarded by angry emails from animal rights campaigners. He thinks the sport has been unfairly maligned with unsubstantiated

claims and brought into disrepute by rare acts of cruelty such as the Hobart incident.

"Nearly everyone involved in greyhound racing loves their dogs and often treat them better than they treat themselves," he says. "The Australasian greyhound

industry is probably the best-run, the best-regulated and more in touch with animal welfare issues than any other greyhound industry or nation in the world."

Away from the lure, greyhounds are gentle pets. Pictured is Horace the greyhound with Darcee and Quinn, top. Bottom, Melanie Luscombe,

who works with the Greyhound Adoption program, with Ray.

Pictures:Simon Schluter

But industry figures are less comfortable talking about the growing number of dogs sent to Asia.

The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service does not keep figures on greyhound exports but racing industry insiders believe hundreds

are sent to Asia annually.

The export trade has caused London-based animal rights group, Greyhound Action International, to set its sights on Australia. The group's

international co-ordinator, Raven Haze, told The Age that dogs sent to Asia are hung by their jaws and beaten to tenderise their meat and later

skinned alive and roasted with blow torches. She has led protests against the industry at Australia House in London. "The Australian public are

largely unaware of the cruelty inflicted on greyhounds as I am sure if they knew the true facts about greyhound racing they would not support it,"

she says.

Former veterinary nurse Emma Haswell, from Brunswick, is now bringing the fight to these shores on behalf of Greyhound Action. "There has been

no accountability ever in greyhound racing for the death rate or the cruelty," she says.

But Greyhounds Australasia insists there is no evidence that Australianbred greyhounds end up in Asian dog food markets. However, in July this

year the organisation moved to institute a passport system for dog exports. Compliance is compulsory but the body has no regulatory control.

Veterinarian John Newell, from Belmont in NSW, helped establish greyhound racing in Vietnam and Macau and is infuriated by calls to ban exports.

Newell says protesters have the wrong picture. Retired racing dogs exported to those countries get a longer life expectancy, often better care than in

Australia with strict controls on their welfare, he says. "In Vietnam, we have a lovely compound close to the coast which has the afternoon sea breeze

and dams for swimming and they are well looked after," he says. But while he says Vietnam and Macau are beyond reproach, he can't vouch for the

fate of dogs in Korea or other Asian countries. "I can take you into District Six in Saigon and walk down the dog restaurant street but certainly no

greyhounds ever end up there, unlike some other countries in Asia that I'd be more suspicious of," he says.

Greyhound Action is also concerned that greyhounds are ending up as research specimens in Australian universities. The group says it has testimony

and photographs from several former veterinary students from across the country traumatised by the treatment of the dogs.

Jan Wilson, the chairman of both Greyhounds Australasia and Greyhound Racing Victoria, says that she is not aware of any experimentation. "If that is

the case, that is an entirely private arrangement between a vet or a number of vets and the university." She says greyhounds are used at the University

of Melbourne as blood donors for other breeds in its dog blood bank. "They are kept in the most wonderful of conditions," she says.

A University of Melbourne spokeswoman confirmed that greyhounds help stock its dog blood bank. Greyhound cadavers are used for teaching anatomy

to veterinary students and there is "very limited use in human medical research".

Another university that has been under fire from activists is West Australia's Murdoch University. A spokesman said that greyhounds are not employed

for research but cadavers are used for teaching. The university also houses a small number of greyhounds as dog blood donors.

Debbie Morris from Animal Activism Queensland is a passionate advocate for greyhounds. She insists any research is unacceptable and claims dogs are

kept in inhumane conditions at universities. She blames the industry for discarding the dogs and the RSPCA for failing to monitor them. "You wouldn't have

greyhound racing and horse racing if the RSPCA actually followed their own rules because their own rules actually contradict all of these industries."

The RSPCA admits it is uncomfortable with the large number of racing greyhounds that are destroyed. National president Dr Hugh Wirth says the organisation

has similar concerns about the horse racing industry and has just commissioned a report into the fate of ex-racehorses. "The big difficulty for the RSPCA is

that we really have got no knowledge as to what happens to all those ex-racehorses and there is no authority in Australia that can explain what happens to them,

" he says. "We do know what happens to failed greyhounds - most of them are killed but an increasing number are rehomed as pet dogs by the greyhound

adoption scheme. But it can only touch a few hundred of those discarded every year.

"Our position is simply that we absolutely deplore the overproduction of animals for any purpose whatsoever. We do, however, insist that if animals are to be

destroyed, they must be destroyed humanely."

But the RSPCA is less worried about greyhounds at universities. "We are quite aware that there are a number of research institutes, particularly in Melbourne, that use greyhounds and because of the laws related to research, we are satisfied that research is conducted properly, that the research is essential and the animals are not ill-treated in any way," Dr Wirth says.

The RSPCA says there is no reason to ban the sport as other racing codes - and pet owners for that matter - are equally guilty.

"We put down 10,000 cats a year in Melbourne alone and somewhere in the order of 6000 dogs," Dr Wirth says. "If you take that business to its logical

conclusion, you should ban horse racing, greyhound racing and pet ownership on the basis that people will not stop excessively breeding animals."

Despite the criticism, there is no dispute that the industry is trying to improve the lot of retired greyhounds - and its image. Jan Wilson points to Greyhound

Racing Victoria's greyhound adoption program, similar to those in other states. The organisation last year bought a $500,000 property at Seymour for retraining

retired racing dogs as pets. The program has found homes for 1240 dogs since 1996, and this year's Royal Melbourne Show yielded 1000 inquiries from people

interested in adoption. "Anyone who has got greyhounds will tell you that they do very well with small children because away from the lure they are the gentlest

and most loving of animals," Wilson says.

However, the success of the industry's adoption program may be a double-edged sword, concedes Geoff O'Connor. "The Victorian greyhound adoption program

has been so successful it has created an awareness of the greyhound outside of the racing industry and anyone who has them as a pet knows they are just

fantastic," he says. "But with that comes an awareness that people are starting to question what happens to them after they finish racing."

I am writing regarding the brutal killing of the greyhound reported last week. Like many others I am sickened but sadly it comes as no surprise.

Tens of thousands of greyhounds are disposed of by the greyhound industry each year in Australia. Some 25,000 are bred here annually.

Post racing many are used in laboratories and universities while many others are exported to countries such as Korea and Vietnam for racing
with no provisions made for their welfare after racing. These are countries that are notorious for their illegal trade in dogmeat for human
consumption and this is the fate of the greyhound in Asia.

Shame on the greyhound industry and society for allowing a sport to continue for so many years with no accountability for the countless
thousands of gentle dogs that are exploited in the name of sport.

Its time to call for a ban on the export of greyhounds and the cruel industry of greyhound racing that we call sport.

Emma Haswell.
Greyhound Action Australia.

RUNNING FOR THEIR LIVES

GAA Press release

AACT and Greyhound Action Australia condemn the inherent cruelty of greyhound racing

The report last week of the brutal killing of a greyhound is a reminder of the countless thousands of dogs that are destroyed in Australia every year
by the greyhound racing industry in the name of sport.

Greyhounds finish racing between two and four years of age, however their average life expectance is 12 years. The options for these dogs are
extremely limited - most are destroyed, many are used for laboratory research in Universities around Australia and a few will have their lives
extended for breeding purposes. Only a very small handful will be retrained as house pets.

AACT spokesperson on the greyhound industry, Emma Haswell points out that:

“Most people don’t realise that over 1000 greyhounds each year have the misfortune of being exported to Asia - countries such as Korea, Vietnam,
China and Macau - where there are no provisions made for them when they finish racing. These are countries notorious for their barbaric trade in dog
meat for human consumption. This is the fate of the greyhound in Asia.”

The Australia and New Zealand Greyhound Association (ANZGA), admits they have no idea, and keep no records as to what happens to these dogs,
or any Australian greyhounds for that matter.

“There are over 25,000 greyhounds born in Australia every year. In Tasmania, there are about 400 bred each year. In its years of operation the
Greyhound Adoption Programme (GAP) in Tasmania has found homes for some 50 dogs through the adoption programme. There is no record of
what has happened to the thousands of other dogs.” States Ms Haswell

Ms Haswell, is also the coordinator of Greyhound Action Australia (GAA). AACT and the GAA are calling for a total ban on the export of greyhounds
to Asia and an end to greyhound racing in Australia.

“South Africa and six states in the US have already banned the sport due to the suffering and death it causes. We would like to see Tasmania become
the first state in Australia to have the compassion and foresight to do the same” concluded Ms Haswell.

For further information please contact Emma Haswell on 0408 552 862

Mayor wants change to greyhound ID methods

By CHARLES WATERHOUSE 28sep04

THE mayor of the municipality where a mutilated greyhound was left for
dead in a bush dumping ground last week has called for microchipping of
the breed.

Derwent Valley Council mayor Nick Cracknell said the council would like
to see the greyhound racing industry move away from ear tattooing to
microchipping.

The dumped greyhound was found buried alive and with an ear cut off to
prevent identification.

RSPCA Tasmania chief animal welfare officer Graeme Lewis said Cr
Cracknell was "exactly right" in making his call for microchipping.

However, Tasmanian Greyhound Racing Council chairman Max Walker said
microchips could be removed.

And he said in his 32 years in the greyhound industry he had not been
aware of any similar incidents of cruelty.

Mr Walker said microchipping greyhounds had been discussed by the
Tasmanian Greyhound Racing Council after Launceston City Council offered
cheaper registration fees for microchipped dogs.

Cr Cracknell said scanning a microchip would be a quicker and simpler
procedure for identification than having to decipher tattoos.

He said the greyhound racing authority could keep a record of each
microchipped greyhound and its whereabouts.

Mr Lewis said the person responsible for the dumped dog's suffering
faced a maximum penalty of a $10,000 fine and/or 18 months in jail under
Tasmania's Animal Welfare Act 1993.

The American-European Greyhound Alliance, Inc.
www.ameurogreyhoundalliance.org
webmaster@ameurogreyhoundalliance.org
Greyhound Planet store
www.cafepress.com/greyhoundplanet

By KANE YOUNG
September 24, 2004

THE RSPCA is hunting a cruel killer after a greyhound was found
mutilated and left for dead near Hobart yesterday.

The dog was found by a young man early yesterday after he heard
whimpering coming from a popular dumping area off the Lyell Highway
between Granton and New Norfolk.

The dog's ears had been hacked off to hinder identification and it had
been buried alive under several large rocks and a sheet of tin.

The dog was an older female with a black body, white chest, white fur
under its chin and two white "socks" on its back feet.

RSPCA Tasmania chief animal welfare officer Graeme Lewis said the RSPCA
was determined to catch the culprit, who faces a maximum penalty of a
$10,000 fine and/or 18 months in jail under Tasmania's Animal Welfare
Act 1993.

Inspector Lewis said the dog had obviously outlived its "usefulness" for
greyhound racing or breeding and those responsible for its death knew
the tattoos on its ears would help trace the owner.

"This poor creature was left to suffer for a long time," he said.

"When the young man discovered her, she was suffering immensely and near
death.

"Her rescuer then put the dog out of her misery. He is extremely
distressed and traumatised by what he found."

Insp Lewis fears the perpetrator may also be responsible for the death
of at least one other greyhound.

"We found evidence of another dog being dumped in the same spot and
found the remains of another greyhound's vertebrae, head and a jaw," he
said.

"We are very anxious for information that will help lead to the person
or people responsible, before they can cause any more suffering."

Mike Stiles, the chairman of stewards for greyhounds for Racing Services
Tasmania, said DNA testing would hopefully identify the dog and
therefore its owner.

Mr Stiles said he had not heard of an incident like this in his five
years as chairman of stewards, as most older greyhounds found loving
homes once their careers were over.

"It's certainly something we would frown upon -- I wouldn't think people
would treat their pets like that," he said.

"This is not the right way to get rid of them. That's why we have the
Greyhound Adoption Program to try to find new homes for them.

"We would certainly like to find out who did it and trust that the
maximum penalties would be enforced."

Anyone with any information is urged to contact the RSPCA immediately on
1300 139 947.

A Broken Hill greyhound trainer, cleared of animal cruelty charges by a
magistrate, has been banned from holding a training licence for 10 years
by the Greyhound Racing Authority.

Paul John Burgess, 53, pleaded not guilty in the Broken Hill Local Court
to four charges, laid after police and RSPCA officers raided his home in
November last year and seized the dogs.

A magistrate refused to allow as evidence a videotape shot by a
neighbour through a hole in the fence.

But the Greyhound Racing Authority did use the video in its inquiry, and
Burgess pleaded guilty to striking, kicking, and throwing the greyhounds
between October and November.

He is appealing against the ban.

Running for their lives

By Fiona Curruthers- June 2003

The big fawn dog runs last again at Sydney's Wentworth Park greyhound racing track. The pack flies past the finishing post into the catching pen,

and eight graceful bodies skid to a tangled halt, still barking mournfully as the motorised rabbit whirrs out of view. "That's a China dog you've got!"

trainers tease the fawn dog's handler.

Down at