Greyhound mistreatment considerations set off warning from former canine adoption employee

Kirstie Bear took a job rehoming greyhounds, however now she’s blowing the whistle on what she says are poor welfare requirements and bullying within the racing trade.

Warning: This story accommodates content material that will misery some readers.

As a veterinary science pupil in Queensland, Ms Bear began working in that state’s greyhound adoption program earlier than shifting to South Australia.

“I really like the greyhounds — I fell in love with them immediately. I ended up adopting two,” she stated.

“When I noticed the position come up in Adelaide I assumed, ‘Yes, I need to progress extra, do extra for them’, and that is why I got here all the way down to Adelaide to try this.”

Ms Bear stated the greyhound adoption program (GAP), run by way of Greyhound Racing SA, did a whole lot of good work discovering properties for former racing dogs.

But she noticed many dogs coming into this system in poor situation.

That included emaciated dogs, with rotten tooth, eye illness and sores.

“They deemed it needed to be euthanised so it undoubtedly was a much bigger problem than seeing a number of ribs.”

The South Australian authorities launched an impartial inquiry into the greyhound racing trade in July, following allegations of abuse of dogs on a Murray Bridge property, and an earlier dwell baiting case.

Greyhound Racing SA stood by its document however welcomed the inquiry, saying it’s all the time in search of methods to enhance, in keeping with commitments to welfare, transparency and accountability.

Photos of unwell, emaciated dogs tabled in parliament

As a part of a push for the inquiry to be arrange, Greens MP Tammy Franks echoed a few of Ms Bear’s allegations, utilizing parliament to desk greater than 100 images of dogs in poor situation, together with kennels lined in faeces, inexperienced stagnant water and rotten meals.

Ms Franks described the images as “graphic and regarding and disturbing”.

Many of the images have been taken by Ms Bear throughout her time working on the GAP, whereas others have been taken throughout inspections by welfare officers.

The ABC has not been capable of independently confirm when or the place the photographs tabled in parliament have been taken, however many are too graphic to indicate.

In a press release to the ABC, Greyhound Racing SA (GRSA) stated its welfare officers make common visits, each focused and random, to kennels throughout South Australia.

“To guarantee every property and participant is upholding excessive welfare requirements,” it stated.

“Last yr alone, this crew carried out 629 kennel inspections.”

The organisation says its rehoming obligations are the strictest of any state.

Adoption program staff have been generally bullied, whistleblower says

Ms Bear stated it was not simply the situation of dogs coming in that she struggled with throughout her time at GAP.

She stated if dogs in this system failed early socialisation checks, they might return to their trainers for additional work.

She stated that generally led to GAP workers being bullied, as a result of trainers didn’t need to take them.

“Numerous trainers would get fairly indignant and annoyed with the GAP crew,” she stated.

“We must face a whole lot of abuse from trainers making feedback like, ‘Gone are the great old days once we may simply put a bullet within the canine’s head’.”

Ms Bear stated between 400 and 500 dogs would undergo GAP every year, however that didn’t account for the roughly 700 which are bred.

Ms Franks informed parliament there seem like methods trainers can get round re-homing guidelines.

“An investigation was requested to be held when a coach ensured that his dogs have been euthanised through the use of what has been known as a ‘loophole’ within the guidelines,” she stated.

“The coach retired his greyhounds into his identify after which took them to the vets to be euthanised.”

Greyhound Racing SA (GRSA) stated any dogs rehomed with trainers have been nonetheless topic to welfare checks.

It stated it now has intensive retraining packages to assist dogs change into higher socialised, that means euthanasia for behavioural causes has been lowered to round one occasion per yr.

“GRSA maintains strict oversight of the retirement and rehoming course of, whether or not by way of our main Greyhounds as Pets program or privately between homeowners,” the organisation stated.

Greens MP flags whistleblower considerations

Ms Franks stated she was bringing the considerations to parliament as a result of anti-greyhound racing teams have been skeptical about an inquiry into the trade that was introduced just lately.

Submissions to the inquiry have now closed, however Ms Franks informed parliament individuals hoping to provide proof have been involved they might not be given authorized protections.

“It’s not solely the animal advocates which have come to me asking for whistleblower safety,” she stated.

“It can also be … trainers themselves who’ve sought safety to allow them to blow the whistle on what’s going on inside Greyhound Racing SA.”

Ms Franks informed parliament the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds had tried to take its considerations to Racing Minister Katrine Hildyard.

“They have been refused conferences prior to now so I don’t maintain nice religion that this inquiry needs to be reporting to the minister,” she stated.

“I urge the premier to tackle the job of receiving the report from the impartial inquiry.”

A authorities spokesperson stated it has met with the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds and it’s “preferrred” that confidentiality of those that have made submissions to the inquiry is preserved.

Adoption program provides racing its ‘social license’ to function

Ms Bear left her position with Greyhound Racing SA’s GAP in October 2022.

She stated she is now talking publicly about what she noticed within the trade as a result of she feels extra must be carried out to guard the dogs.

“GAP is unquestionably the social license for greyhound racing to proceed,” she stated.

“I undoubtedly assume if that GAP program have been eliminated, the general public as an entire would come down in greyhound racing loads tougher.

“There’s loads that the trade is overlaying over by saying, ‘Look at how great it’s that we rehome all these dogs’ and there is a lot that is not being stated in that.”