Greyhound killed after incident in trainers area at Gawler Greyhound Club, South Australia
One of the race starting boxes at the Gawler Greyhound Club. (Photograph: Matilda Duncan)
A greyhound was killed yesterday during an incident in the trainers area at a racing event held by Greyhound Racing South Australia, bringing the death toll at South Australian racetracks to 6 dogs this year.
The greyhound died at the Gawler Greyhound Club on March 3, after having his leg broken in an "incident in the catching area" and being euthanised by an on-course veterinarian, according to a race report written by officials working for Greyhound Racing South Australia.
The dog, who had been assigned a racing name of "Luchino Rocks", was trained by Paul Fagan, a resident of Calomba, South Australia, and owned by Domenico Grasso. Luchino Rocks had been made to race 3 times before his final race, earning his owner $920, and died at the age of 2 years and 5 months old.
Greyhound Racing South Australia has been contacted for comment and asked to explain what took place during the incident, but has not yet responded.
The "catching area" is the holding area at the end of the each dog race, where owners and trainers collect their dogs once they have ceased sprinting around the track.
Luchino Rocks had completed the race without any other collisions that may have caused his broken leg, according to the race report. No further details of the nature of the catching pen incident were listed in the report by Greyhound Racing South Australia.
Footage of the incident has not been released by Greyhound Racing South Australia.
Earlier this year, Greyhound Racing South Australia refused to explain another greyhound death that resulted from a "catching pen incident", after a dog had her leg broken in the trainers area during a race meet at the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club, and was subsequently euthanised.
*
Greyhound Racing South Australia veterinary surgeon, Dr. Christopher Doyle. (Source: Greyhound Racing South Australia)
The veterinary surgeon that oversaw the race at Gawler yesterday was Christopher Doyle, who held a position as a Director on the board of Greyhound Racing South Australia for 6 years, from 2011 to 2017, while continuing his work as a veterinarian for the organisation.
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.
Dr. Doyle holds his registration as a veterinarian in the state of South Australia, and has worked for Greyhound Racing South Australia for over a decade.
*
The offices of The Bunyip newspaper, in Gawler, South Australia. (Photograph: OZinOH via Flickr)
The Town of Gawler Council actively promotes greyhound racing in its local council area, and has in recent years financially supported Greyhound Racing South Australia through providing council funding for club facilities. The Gawler Council did not respond to a request for comment.
The race in which Luchino Rocks had his leg broken was sponsored by a local newspaper based in Gawler, The Bunyip, which regularly publishes coverage of the results of greyhound races at the Gawler Greyhound Club. The general manager of The Bunyip, Steve Nelson, has not yet responded to a request for comment.
163 injuries have been sustained by greyhounds at events in South Australia so far this year.