An inquiry into the controversial greyhound industry began today in Sydney.
The commission will be required to look into major issues in the industry – which is said to be in crisis – including welfare standards, live-baiting, and whether the industry has the potential to achieve sustainability (and if not, it will not be able to continue).
So far, the opening remarks about the industry aren’t good at all. Stephen Rushton SC read from Greyhound Australasia‘s internal documents, and discovered that a huge number of young dogs were being killed each year:
“This industry is responsible for the unnecessary deaths of anywhere between 13,000 and 17,000 healthy greyhounds a year,” one GA report stated.
Mr Rushton called the figures “a terrible indictment on the industry”.
SEVENTEEN THOUSAND LITTLE PUPPERS 
He also mentioned that while the industry claims that many greyhounds are rehomed and kept by trainers, the numbers of these dogs are ‘statistically insignificant’ in comparison to those which are killed.
In terms of live-baiting issue, Rushton was deeply unimpressed:
“Why would an industry which is prepared to use small, vulnerable, helpless animals to blood its young greyhounds in pursuit of money care at all whether it bred too many animals? Why would it care if the animals which were surplus to industry needs be destroyed? And conversely, would an industry which kills thousands of young greyhounds every year without really batting an eyelid, care one jot about using live baits to train their dogs, be they rabbits, possums, piglets, kittens or chickens? Examination of this issue will necessarily raise the question of whether a greyhound industry can be sustained without the mass slaughter of young animals.”“Over-breeding and the industry’s cavalier and committed attitude to it raise fairly and squarely the question of whether the greyhound industry can or … should exist at all.“
According to the ABC, the greyhound racing industry has now been put on notice that its existence depends on ‘whether it can restore public faith that it’s able to ensure the safety and welfare of the dogs’.
via ABC.
Image: Vince Caligiuri via Getty Images.
