Two more greyhounds killed in South Australia at Greyhound Racing South Australia events
Photograph: Matilda Duncan
Two more greyhounds have been killed at races held by Greyhound Racing South Australia in the last two weeks, bringing the death toll to 5 dogs in South Australia in the first 62 days of the year.
One of the dogs was a greyhound assigned the racing name of "Scoreboard", trained by Scott Feltus, a resident of Lewiston. Scoreboard died during a race at Gawler on Friday, February 21, at just over 2 years of age. Her death was the second this year at the races held at Gawler Greyhound Racing Club, after another greyhound was killed there in January.
Another greyhound, who had been assigned the racing name of "Snakebite Corner", and trained by Colin Rana, was killed yesterday, after a race at Greyhound Racing South Australia's flagship racetrack at Angle Park on March 2. After being made to race 6 times in her lifetime, she died at the age of 1 year and 11 months.
Both dogs were euthanised by an on-course veterinarian after colliding with other dogs at the first turn in the racetrack, before falling and breaking their legs as a result.
A third dog broke his leg during another race at Gawler last week, on February 28, after colliding with other dogs while sprinting around a racetrack turn. Rather than being euthanised, the dog, who had been assigned the name of "Spring Sniper", was given a suspension from racing for 180 days.
The on-course veterinary surgeon overseeing the three races at Angle Park and Gawler at which dogs broke their legs was Dr. Michelle Hague, who also works at the Adelaide Plains Veterinary Clinic, located in Two Wells, South Australia.
The rules of greyhound racing, as stipulated by the Australian regulator, Greyhounds Australasia, state that any veterinary surgeons appointed by greyhound racing organisations—including Greyhound Racing South Australia—may have their “powers and duties specified” by the racing organisations that appoint them.
One of the starting boxes at the Gawler greyhound racetrack in South Australia. (Photograph: Matilda Duncan)
Dennis Anderson, national president of The Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds—a group of people who work together to educate the public about the cruelties within greyhound racing—says that the death of Scoreboard at the Gawler racetrack occurred in a manner typical of the greyhound racing industry.
“Scoreboard died a typical greyhound death after coming into contact with other dogs at the turn. This is one of the main reasons racing dogs suffer injuries and death. At turns they often ‘bunch’ when trying to follow the lure,” said Mr Anderson.
Industry-funded research done by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in 2017 recommended straight tracks and fewer dogs running in any given race in order to reduce injuries and deaths.
Mr Anderson also said that the euthanasia of greyhounds is unnecessary, as in most cases the injuries can be treated.
“It costs around $4,000 to treat the typical fractured leg that greyhounds suffer when racing, and the greyhounds have often earned many times that amount. So to kill them just doesn’t make sense and shows that profit has precedence over animal welfare,” said Mr Anderson.
"The racing industry says it doesn't want to euthanise dogs. If that's true, then the vet would amputate the fractured leg. Greyhounds adapt readily to three legs, but such dogs don't belong in this heartless industry's business model."
The entrance to Greyhound Racing South Australia’s Angle Park racetrack. (Photograph: Matilda Duncan)
The recent races in which the three dogs broke their legs were sponsored by two businesses associated with Greyhound Racing South Australia: Nixon's Function Centre, the function centre and bistro that overlooks the Gawler Greyhound Club racetrack, and McQueen's Tavern, a gaming and dining venue located at the Angle Park racetrack.
In response to the deaths of three other greyhounds earlier this year—all three were euthanised by on-course veterinarians after breaking their legs during races—the Chief Executive Officer of Greyhound Racing South Australia, Matthew Corby, stated that the injuries in question were "serious enough that the most humane option in the opinion of the on-course veterinarian was humane euthanasia.”
“The Board and Management of GRSA is genuinely committed to ensuring that greyhound racing in South Australia is undertaken with regard for the highest standards of safety and welfare,” he said in a written statement.
During the New South Wales Special Commission of Inquiry into the Greyhound Racing Industry in 2016, an internal memo between Greyhound Racing South Australia and Australia's federal regulator, Greyhound Racing Australasia, was leaked. The memo was signed by Corby—who also holds a position on the board of the federal regulator—and stated that the Australian greyhound racing industry "is responsible for the unnecessary deaths of between 13,000 and 17,000 healthy greyhounds each year" and that "the culture of the industry is defined by animal deaths being acceptable and necessary and where profits come before welfare."
Corby's position as the Chief Executive Officer of Greyhound Racing South Australia has not altered since the release of the memo.
The Chief Executive Officer of Greyhound Racing South Australia, Matthew Corby (L). (Facebook: Greyhound Racing South Australia)
South Australia's current Marshall Government recently committed millions of taxpayer funds to underwriting the state's greyhound and horse racing industries, despite having minimal oversight of the welfare of animals made to participate in those industries.
Just one year ago, in February 2019, the Marshall Government opened a brand new greyhound racetrack in Murray Bridge. During the official opening, which was attended by South Australia’s Minister for Racing, Corey Wingard, a greyhound died at the racetrack.
Planning for the new Murray Bridge racetrack was taking place throughout 2016, according to a newsletter from Greyhound Racing South Australia, despite that being the same year that the results of the New South Wales Special Commission of Inquiry into the Greyhound Racing Industry were released, which found evidence of the mass killing of greyhounds, live baiting, and deception of the public regarding greyhound injuries and deaths in the racing industry.
Several politicians have claimed in Parliament that South Australia's greyhound racing industry is "clean" and unaffected by the problems that were found in New South Wales, yet have refused to support an independent inquiry into the industry, and Greyhound Racing South Australia has in previous years blocked multiple attempts by South Australian Greens MP Tammy Franks MLC to obtain accurate statistics on animal welfare from the organisation under freedom of information law.
The Marshall Government followed up with a $24 million funding package for South Australia's horse and greyhound racing organisations in June 2019.
According to official race reports released by Greyhound Racing South Australia, as of March 3,163 injuries have been sustained this year by greyhounds racing at events in South Australia.
Greyhound Racing South Australia has not yet responded to a previous request for comment regarding the rate at which injuries to dogs have been occurring at their races this year.
South Australia’s Minster for Racing, Corey Wingard, did not respond to a request for comment.