WHILE the anger among decent greyhound trainers tainted by the industry scandal over live baiting is understandable, they must demonstrate support for a clean-out of the sport if it is to survive.
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Deputy Premier and Minister For Racing Troy Grant has already set the course the government must follow by accepting the resignation of several of the sport’s most senior administrators.
But much more needs to be done in every state if the sport is to recover and rebuild an image that will be attractive to punters and sponsors and tolerable to a broader public whose disgust with the industry is palpable.
That means trainers large and small calling on the NSW government to move the sport into the jurisdiction of a much more professional and accountable body than the greyhound racing association.
Racing NSW is one obvious choice for the new policeman, but whatever decision is reached, unqualified support, including a willingness to help finance its administration, is the only course left open to the industry.
Once a new administrator is in place greyhound trainers should brace themselves for a forensic examination of the operation of their sport, and with good reason.
While there are no doubt many trainers who are appalled by the blooding of greyhounds with live baits, there must also be many who at best turned a blind eye and at worst were complicit in this barbaric practice.
And it is not just the scourge of live baiting that must be stamped out. The breeding of dogs, their training conditions and the fate of those who are too slow or too old have long been cause for concern for animal rights advocates. Faced with the sort of damming footage aired on Four Corners this week, these other practices will not be allowed to slip under the radar.
Reform will be complex and expensive and the community is in no mood to pay. It will be up to the entire sport to invest in the reform process or be legislated out of existence.