Live Baiting, Greyhounds: The Legal Response to Four Corners Starts

Wednesday 25 March 2015 @ 1.02 p.m. | Corporate & Regulatory | Crime | Trade & Commerce

Following the ABC's recent Four Corners program exposing the extent and the cruelty of what is known as "live baiting" in the Greyhound Racing industry it appears that at least one political party in one jurisdiction feels its laws on the matter need to be tightened. The jurisdiction is South Australia where legislation entitled the Animal Welfare (Greyhound Training) Amendment Bill 2015 (the Bill) was introduced into the Legislative Council on 25 February 2015, by the opposition spokesperson on environmental matters Ms Michelle Lensink, who, in doing so indicated that information given to her revealed live baiting was continuing to occur in South Australia and, as such, the law needed to be improved.

Details of the South Australian Bill

It is reported that the legislation presented to the South Australian Parliament seeks to strengthen the regulation of greyhound racing by trying to stamp out any live baiting in the training of dogs and provides for the registration of "bullrings" (as the term is used in the greyhound industry for an area set up for the purpose of greyhound training).

Ms Lensink is reported as saying that the Bill was required to provide:

". . . tougher industry licensing and controls . . . The greyhound training bill will require bullrings to be licensed, introduce penalties for operating an unlicensed bullring and make it easier to prosecute anyone caught using live bait to train dogs, . . "

Tougher measures proposed by the opposition Bill include that:

". . . anyone found operating an unlicensed bullring for greyhound training to face jail for up to a year and the prospect of a $10,000 fine".

Further, anyone found taking part in live coursing could face a penalty of $50,000 or be jailed for four years under the proposed Bill, while anyone who supplied an animal knowing it would be used as live bait could go to jail for two years and face a fine of up to $20,000.

Responses to the South Australian Bill

It is reported that South Australian Greyhound Racing industry officials have met recently with relevant State Government ministers to discuss possible amendments to the South Australian legislation. Further, Greyhound Racing South Australia is reported as saying that:

". . . it was boosting inspections and surveillance of registered premises and stepping up efforts to identify potential breaches including with the use of drone technology."

The Current Position on Live Baiting

The RSPCA website defines "live baiting" as:

". . . the practice of using live animals for the purpose of training greyhounds".

It goes on to say that the practice is illegal in all States and Territories in Australia but that the current legislative provisions:

". . . do not go far enough to ensure that offenders can be prosecuted. The RSPCA believes that state and territory animal welfare laws must be amended to introduce the following two offences:

  • An offence to have custody or control of a 'prescribed animal' (to include all species commonly used in baiting) at the same premises where greyhounds are kept in connection with racing; and
  • An offence to kill an animal for the purposes of using that animal’s carcass for baiting, coursing or training a greyhound in connection with racing."

The site also provides a Table of the current Animal Welfare legislative provisions here.

Other Developments

Recently, through a Media Release (17 March 2015), the Tasmanian Minister for Racing Mr Jeremy Rockliff indicated that he had commissioned an independent investigation into animal welfare provisions in the greyhound racing industry following the ". . . horrific evidence of live baiting in some mainland states".

The investigation conducted by two statutory officers, the Chief Veterinary Officer and the Director of Racing reported that there was no evidence that live baiting was occurring in Tasmania, but there were recommendations provided from the report on how to " .  .  . strengthen the provisions against such illegal and abhorrent activity" in Tasmania.

The Minister indicated that the recommendations included:

  • Amending the Rules of Racing to create a mandatory penalty that any person found guilty of live baiting is disqualified from the industry for life, and any dogs under their care and control also be banned; and to prohibit small animals from being kept on a property where greyhounds are trained;
  • Registering all private bullrings with Racing Services Tasmania, the integrity body, and reporting whenever a Tasmanian greyhound is taken interstate for training;
  • Establish a formal Memorandum of Understanding between Racing Services Tasmania, the RSPCA and Tasmania Police for the exchange of information;
  • Reviewing the current breeding programs and incentives provided by Tasracing as the industry body, to ensure responsible breeding occurs within industry, with a view to reducing wastage; and
  • Enhance the powers of entry for Animal Welfare Officers under the Tasmanian Animal Welfare Act.

All measures the Tasmanian Government, the Minister indicated "would consider and advise and act on in due course".

Meanwhile, in NSW the entire board of Greyhound Racing NSW has been dismissed following the ABC Four Corners revelations of  widespread live baiting within the industry, with the New South Wales Government to take further action.

The Victorian Government has not reacted in the same way to its board of Greyhound Racing. Instead it has announced the appointment of an independent Commission to investigate live baiting within the state and a spokes person for the Victorian Racing Minister is reported as saying the Government would wait for those findings before taking any action.

Why it needs to be Fixed?

As the RSPCA website says:

"Live baiting involves small animals such as a rabbits, possums or piglets being used as a lure or bait to train greyhounds to race around a track. 'Bait' animals are tied by rope to the mechanical lure and are hurled at speed around the track while greyhounds are released to pursue, catch and maul them. Live baiting may also involve pulling animals on leads/ropes and inciting dogs to maul them. The animals involved experience pain, fear, injury and distress and will eventually die. The same animals may be used repeatedly, suffering a very long and painful death."

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