Alex Brittan, the former head vet of Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW), has brought severe allegations of animal mistreatment and reporting breaches against the New South Wales greyhound racing industry in a damning report.
The chief executive officer of the peak body resigned after reading Brittan’s report, which prompted the state government to launch an investigation and even threatened to remove the board from office.
Profits in Australia’s greyhound racing business, the most significant commercial greyhound racing sector in the world, have been on the rise recently, thanks to internet betting. A stalemate has ensued between individuals demanding the sport’s shutdown and the state premier, who has stated his intention not to do so.
Concerns about the sport’s procedures first surfaced when Alex Brittan, chief veterinarian at GRNSW, sent a “handover” letter to his successor. The 54-page dossier alleges that the company’s leadership ordered employees to see animal welfare organizations “as the enemy” and that they collaborated with veterinarians who were unaccepting of modern medicine and often put dogs down without a good reason.
Contrary to the company’s version, Brittan recounts seeing “cases of extreme distress” when competing canines ripped off their toenails while “clawing” at the doors of their cages, leaving pools of blood surrounding them. Additionally, he said that there was a disturbing absence of supervision in a firm program that was designed to send retired greyhounds to the United States.
Premier Chris Minns of New South Wales has said that a complete prohibition on greyhound racing in the state will not be implemented. Instead, the government will ensure that the sector is honest and takes animal welfare very seriously.
Numerous catastrophes have befallen the greyhound racing business in recent years. In 2016, an investigation revealed widespread brutality to animals and mass euthanizing.
Supporters of the idea that an outside agency, not the industry’s regulator, should be in charge of the present probe contend that the greyhound racing sector still hasn’t cleaned up after eight years. With the exception of a handful of places, betting on greyhounds is illegal, contributing to the worldwide drop in dog-racing popularity.
Supporters contend that the practice’s persistence in Australia is due more to gaming earnings than to public enthusiasm. A number of state legislatures have received petitions urging them to join the Australian Capital Territory in banning greyhound racing.
