When Mike Baird made a decision to close down the entire $350 million Greyhound racing industry in New South Wales it seemed a knee jerk reaction to a small number of glaring cruelties. Standing head and shoulders above the rest was the practice of " live baiting " to improve the killer instinct in Greyhounds and make their pursuit of the hare more powerful.
Many old time trainers believe that this is essential to breed a prize winning dog. It is usually conducted on secret bush tracks where a live rabbit, chicken or other small animal is attached to the lure. The dog in training is allowed to " catch " the lure and tear this animal to pieces to generate a " blood lust " that applies to its attitude to future lures.
The other industry practice that horrified the Premier was the number of Greyhound puppies that met an early death because they were just " too slow " to win races. Over half of all Greyhound puppies born each year never race and only a small percent actually achieve fame as race winners. There is some evidence that callous owners and trainers have engaged in the mass put down of unwanted dogs in cruel circumstances. There are claims that some mass graves have been discovered.
It seems that the Greyhound racing industry is so fragmented that the government is convinced that a degree of control is impossible, hence the heavy handed approach to simply legislate it out of existence. That is not an approach supported by the other states and it seems that this orphan ban will only apply in New South Wales.
It seems that many parliamentarians are having second thoughts. This seems to be one of those pieces of legislation that comes under the heading of " be careful what you wish for " ! The legislation does not ban the Greyhound breed of dogs in this state. It merely makes it a criminal offence to engage them in racing. There is a very real threat that Greyhounds will continue to be bred and trained here - and raced in other states.
It is also drawing a very long bow to declare that this is an industry that is impossible to control. It is quite clear that many owners love and cherish their dogs and are appalled at the small number of trainers who stick to methods that give the entire industry a bad name. The very threat of legislating it out of existence should be enough to raise the stakes sufficiently to have the industry enact draconian controls to satisfy the government.
There has to be give and take on both sides. The horse racing industry also relies on fast horses to win races - and not all yearlings become champions. Many rats face an unpleasant death in medical laboratories. Sometimes chicken farms are ravaged by a disease and all the hens need to be slaughtered to stop the outbreak. Sometimes death is a necessity. Surely the best legislation is to ensure that it is delivered as humanely as possible.
The government might be wise to listen to the industry and hold back on that death sentence. It is the insiders within who know precisely who is breaking the law when it comes to live baiting and if the industry is to be saved it will be the combined actions of the men and women who are the industry that will put in place the measures that are effective - rather than the police.
Like the Sword of Damocles that threat of extinction hanging over the industry is more likely to achieve compliance than the threat of prosecution by the police. This is make or break for the industry and the incentive exists to turf out the troublemakers and make dog racing a squeaky clean industry.
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