7 August 2016

RSPCA welcomes historic ban on greyhound racing

| Michael Reid
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greyhounds

The RSPCA has hailed the ACT government’s decision to ban greyhound racing as an historic milestone for animal welfare.

At 4pm the Barr government released a statement declaring its intention to end the practice after NSW Premier Mike Baird had earlier announced the NSW government would ban racing from 1 July 2017.

The Special Commission of Inquiry into the Greyhound Racing Industry in NSW uncovered damning truths about the mistreatment of animals and the complete disregard for their welfare.

Michael McHugh’s 800-page report detailed “widespread cruelty” in the industry.

His investigations found that between 48,000 and 68,000 greyhounds were killed in the past 12 years because they were deemed uncompetitive.

Gentle giants

RSPCA ACT chief executive Tammy Ven Dange said: “This is an important milestone for animal welfare today, particularly for greyhounds.

“RSPCA ACT has been calling on the ACT government to end funding and to ban greyhound racing since last year. We are very pleased to see them make this historical decision that is a win for these gentle giants everywhere.”

RSPCA ACT has invited all greyhounds and their humans to attend a celebration at the Weston shelter at 12pm on Friday.

Barr, in New Zealand on a trade mission, said it had become untenable for the government to continue allowing and financially supporting greyhound racing.

“The findings of from the Special Commission of Inquiry into the NSW greyhound racing industry are damning,” he said.

He said his government would consider the findings of the report before announcing a process to ban the sport in Canberra, probably by the time NSW imposes its ban in July next year.

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TinyTank said :

I don’t know a single personally who supports greyhound racing. That being said, many of the people I know well have experience in rehousing them and other abused animals so that would make a difference.

I would wager that at least 90% of the dogs they re-house are abused domestic pets.

If your argument is in any way valid, then those people would have the banning of domestic pets far higher on their list of priorities than the banning of dog racing.

Also, ” I don’t know a single personally who supports greyhound racing” would pretty much have to be a pre-requisite for attempting to persecute this group – they are “other” in the jargon of sociology.

Isn’t it remarkable how the opponents of greyhound racing are usually females named Claire or Chloe? Just saying…

Not sure about that. I don’t know a single personally who supports greyhound racing. That being said, many of the people I know well have experience in rehousing them and other abused animals so that would make a difference.

Isn’t it remarkable how the opponents of greyhound racing are usually females named Claire or Chloe? Just saying…

Heh – you just reminded me of somebody who once told me in response to my “how was your weekend?” with, “oh not good – my cousin visited from Sydney, we went for a ride, she took a fall and broke her hip”.
I asked, “is she a vegetarian?”
Of course she was.

Isn’t it remarkable how the opponents of greyhound racing are usually females named Claire or Chloe? Just saying…

JimCharles said :

Just remember we are one of only 8 countries that allow dog racing.

Is this from the McHugh report into the greyhound industry? Or is it factual?

bd84 said :

When slavery was ended, were slave holders compensated for losing their slaves?

Equating animals with people. Get help.

Holden Caulfield said :

How many dogs are handed in to the RSPCA to be destroyed annually, and how many are destroyed by the greyhound racing industry?

Will the greyhound owners be able to hand their dogs to the RSPCA or will they have to make their own arrangement?

But, more importantly, who cares?
So what if they kill a lot of puppies?
Millions of animals are killed every hour of the day. It’s normal. The over-emotionalising over dead puppies is what is *ab*normal.

ChrisinTurner5:00 pm 15 Jul 16

Just remember we are one of only 8 countries that allow dog racing.

How many dogs are handed in to the RSPCA to be destroyed annually, and how many are destroyed by the greyhound racing industry?

Will the greyhound owners be able to hand their dogs to the RSPCA or will they have to make their own arrangement?

So we cannot dispose of unwanted or defective puppies but it is quite legal to dispose of unwanted or defective human beings. Strange values.

Maya123 said :

Can we get rid of poker machine while we’re at it?

No poker machines only hurt poor people, not dogs, so forget about it.

bd84 said :

dungfungus said :

wildturkeycanoe said :

I have only one question :

WHY IS IT BEING ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TILL JULY ’17?

If it’s wrong it’s wrong – & this is wrong.

To those who say “But it wasn’t me. I didn’t do it. Why should I be closed down?” I say did you speak out? Did you report this behaviour? Did you do anything to actively stop it? A resounding “NO”. That’s why.

I have the opposite question, why is it being closed down in such a short time frame? One year is nowhere near enough time for industry participants to adjust.

People have invested decades of their life in the industry and invested tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars of their own money. They’ve broken no rules and won’t countenance others doing the same, yet the government has basically reduced their legal investment to zero at the stroke of a pen.

How will those people be compensated? How will the government ensure that most of the current greyhounds are not euthanised?

As for the idea that some industry participants should be responsible for stopping other people committing crimes, you really didn’t think that through did you? Just hypothetically use your own argument in a hundred other professions including your own and see if it stacks up.

When slavery was ended, were slave holders compensated for losing their slaves? These people have been profiting off the cruelty and suffering of animals for far too long, they don’t deserve a single red cent of compensation.

So you think farming is also equivalent to slavery? In fact according to your logic above, owning any animals is slavery. Well done, your hyperbole is on point.

And no, the vast majority of people involved are not involved in any form of animal cruelty or suffering, so your point is moot. Or do you believe that if other people commit crimes in your industry, it also makes you culpable? Have an honest look at what your saying.

dungfungus said :

wildturkeycanoe said :

I have only one question :

WHY IS IT BEING ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TILL JULY ’17?

If it’s wrong it’s wrong – & this is wrong.

To those who say “But it wasn’t me. I didn’t do it. Why should I be closed down?” I say did you speak out? Did you report this behaviour? Did you do anything to actively stop it? A resounding “NO”. That’s why.

I have the opposite question, why is it being closed down in such a short time frame? One year is nowhere near enough time for industry participants to adjust.

People have invested decades of their life in the industry and invested tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars of their own money. They’ve broken no rules and won’t countenance others doing the same, yet the government has basically reduced their legal investment to zero at the stroke of a pen.

How will those people be compensated? How will the government ensure that most of the current greyhounds are not euthanised?

As for the idea that some industry participants should be responsible for stopping other people committing crimes, you really didn’t think that through did you? Just hypothetically use your own argument in a hundred other professions including your own and see if it stacks up.

When slavery was ended, were slave holders compensated for losing their slaves? These people have been profiting off the cruelty and suffering of animals for far too long, they don’t deserve a single red cent of compensation.

Can we get rid of poker machine while we’re at it?

wildturkeycanoe4:39 pm 08 Jul 16

Why not horse racing too? They have just as miserable a life, stuck in stables till they are enslaved in bondage, sat on and forced to run as fasr as they can under threat of a whip. Drugs are added to their food to build up muscle I’m sure, most likely some legal steroids.
With the Green’s desire to abolish pets in the home by banning breeding, how many species are going to become extinct? It isn’t like we have wild greyhounds, chickens, horses that aren’t brumbies and what of cows and sheep. Ending animal husbandry will end entire species. But at the same time the WWF tries to save monkeys and pandas which provide no benefit to man. I bet the Greens didn’t think about that.

Mordd / Chris Richards said :

dungfungus said :

I have nothing to do with greyhound racing and have never been; but I wonder why no one bans the chicken industry that kills millions of male chicks every year (and not for food, they are just killed and ground up and used for chicken feed), or the milk industry that kills thousands of male calves (some of these are used for human food) or the fishing industry that kills millions of fish for pet food.

Animal cruelty of course might justify banning the industry; the fact that many dogs are killed because they are uncompetitive is no different to many other industries. Other than, of course, dogs are cuter

Barr the fact that at least there is some tangible benefit in the use of animal in the pursuit of food production.

Greyhound racing has been found wanting so many times in the past (live baiting, destruction of healthy dogs) all in the name of entertainment and of course the religion of gambling.

Well done Mike Baird (and the ACT for following) on ending the pan lickers.

The wording is “dish lickers’, not pan.

And yet the rspca allow a small number of abattoirs in Australia, that have been granted permission from the relevant State or Territory food authority, to conduct religious slaughter without prior stunning of the beast – for either Halal or Kosher (Jewish slaughter) purposes.

However we don’t seem to have any abattoirs in this joint, so phew, the local rspca dodges that one.

dungfungus said :

I have nothing to do with greyhound racing and have never been; but I wonder why no one bans the chicken industry that kills millions of male chicks every year (and not for food, they are just killed and ground up and used for chicken feed), or the milk industry that kills thousands of male calves (some of these are used for human food) or the fishing industry that kills millions of fish for pet food.

Animal cruelty of course might justify banning the industry; the fact that many dogs are killed because they are uncompetitive is no different to many other industries. Other than, of course, dogs are cuter

Shhhh, logical arguments have no place here. Greyhounds are much cuter, that’s is all you need to have said.

wildturkeycanoe said :

I have only one question :

WHY IS IT BEING ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TILL JULY ’17?

If it’s wrong it’s wrong – & this is wrong.

To those who say “But it wasn’t me. I didn’t do it. Why should I be closed down?” I say did you speak out? Did you report this behaviour? Did you do anything to actively stop it? A resounding “NO”. That’s why.

I have the opposite question, why is it being closed down in such a short time frame? One year is nowhere near enough time for industry participants to adjust.

People have invested decades of their life in the industry and invested tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars of their own money. They’ve broken no rules and won’t countenance others doing the same, yet the government has basically reduced their legal investment to zero at the stroke of a pen.

How will those people be compensated? How will the government ensure that most of the current greyhounds are not euthanised?

As for the idea that some industry participants should be responsible for stopping other people committing crimes, you really didn’t think that through did you? Just hypothetically use your own argument in a hundred other professions including your own and see if it stacks up.

dungfungus said :

I have nothing to do with greyhound racing and have never been; but I wonder why no one bans the chicken industry that kills millions of male chicks every year (and not for food, they are just killed and ground up and used for chicken feed), or the milk industry that kills thousands of male calves (some of these are used for human food) or the fishing industry that kills millions of fish for pet food.

Animal cruelty of course might justify banning the industry; the fact that many dogs are killed because they are uncompetitive is no different to many other industries. Other than, of course, dogs are cuter

Barr the fact that at least there is some tangible benefit in the use of animal in the pursuit of food production.

Greyhound racing has been found wanting so many times in the past (live baiting, destruction of healthy dogs) all in the name of entertainment and of course the religion of gambling.

Well done Mike Baird (and the ACT for following) on ending the pan lickers.

I have only one question :

WHY IS IT BEING ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TILL JULY ’17?

If it’s wrong it’s wrong – & this is wrong.

To those who say “But it wasn’t me. I didn’t do it. Why should I be closed down?” I say did you speak out? Did you report this behaviour? Did you do anything to actively stop it? A resounding “NO”. That’s why.

I have nothing to do with greyhound racing and have never been; but I wonder why no one bans the chicken industry that kills millions of male chicks every year (and not for food, they are just killed and ground up and used for chicken feed), or the milk industry that kills thousands of male calves (some of these are used for human food) or the fishing industry that kills millions of fish for pet food.

Animal cruelty of course might justify banning the industry; the fact that many dogs are killed because they are uncompetitive is no different to many other industries. Other than, of course, dogs are cuter

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