IF you listen to Greg Board talk about the greyhound racing industry you’re quickly reminded there’s two sides to every story.
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Mr Board has been in the industry for 45 years and strongly disputes the initial findings of the new inquiry into the NSW greyhound racing industry.
According to the inquiry the use of live baiting, with animals such as kittens and rabbits, is widespread and 17,000 healthy greyhounds, who under-performed, are routinely killed every year.
Mr Board said he too was shocked by the industry findings primarily because they bear no resemblance to his own experience.
According to Mr Board he has never heard anyone talk about using live bait to train their dogs and he and other greyhound breeders and trainers went out of their way to rehouse slow dogs.
In fact Mr Board, who currently owns around 15 retired dogs, said many dogs end up living a lovely life of retirement on a farm.
A visit to Mr Board’s Spring Hill property shows he runs a clean and efficient operation where the dogs are well fed and kept cool in summer and warm in winter.
Mr Board calls himself an avid dog lover and insists he’s never met another person in the industry who doesn’t love dogs as well.
According to Mr Board he’s not the only one in his family who loves greyhounds and racing them.
He says it’s a family passion that had brought his own children and grandchildren many hours of joy.
For Mr Board and other reputable breeders and trainers the call to end the sport of greyhound racing must be heartbreaking.
If the Australian greyhound racing industry is to survive this current wave of scrutiny authorities need to ensure there’s been exhaustive investigation into industry practices and harsh penalties handed out to those in the wrong.