Thanks to the special commission of inquiry into the state’s greyhound racing industry, a thin veil of secrecy has been lifted revealing an industry where death and torture are commonplace.

The inquiry has heard shocking stories of greyhounds being baited with live rabbits in an effort to teach them how to jump out of a starting box and chase a lure.

Of course rabbits weren’t the only victims; kittens, piglets and possums were also sacrificed to be used as bait.

The dogs themselves weren’t able to escape the putrid practices of the industry with the inquiry hearing nationwide as many as 17,000 dogs a year were killed because they weren’t needed or weren’t fast enough.

Counsel assisting the inquiry Stephen Rushton SC (senior counsel) said most greyhounds that are bred to race are dead by the age of three-and-a-half years old when the average life expectancy of a greyhound is 10 to 12.

He said only a small number of greyhounds are re-homed, about 600 dogs nationwide and 141 in NSW.

It seems people such as Cargo residents Leanne Pearce and Sharon Jolliffe, who have both offered discarded greyhounds homes, are rare.

As these women told the Central Western Daily greyhounds make wonderful pets and don’t deserve to have their reputations tarnished thanks to the bad practices of some greyhound racing identities.

Mr Rushton said industry regulator Greyhound Racing NSW had failed to do its job of protecting animals but in reality everyone who knew about this practice has also failed.

Australia is one of only eight countries in the world where greyhound racing is still legal.

For the sake of the animals and the sport maybe it’s time to retire the greyhound industry for good and in the meantime consider welcoming an unwanted greyhound into your home.