Ruqayyah Snyder
Greyhound racing is a competitive sport in which dogs chase a mechanical lure over a fixed distance. Live baiting is the practice of using live animals to train racing greyhounds. Live baiting involves small animals such as rabbits, possums, or piglets being attached to the mechanical lure and hurled at speed around the track while greyhounds are released to pursue, catch, and maul them. Live baiting is illegal in all states and territories in Australia, and the RSPCA is opposed to this practice. Despite this, accusations of live baiting in the Australian greyhound industry have arisen from time to time, with the Australian greyhound racing live-baiting scandal exposing the occurrence of live baiting in at least three Australian states.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Is live baiting illegal in Australia? | Live baiting is illegal in all states and territories in Australia. |
| What is live baiting? | Live baiting involves using live animals as bait or lures to train greyhounds. |
| What animals are used? | Small animals such as rabbits, possums, or piglets are used as bait. |
| How is live baiting done? | The live animal is attached to a mechanical lure and hurled at speed while greyhounds chase, catch, and maul them. Alternatively, animals are pulled on leads/ropes, or thrown to the dogs. |
| What happens to the animals used as bait? | The animals experience pain, fear, injury, distress, and often death. |
| What are the penalties for live baiting? | The greyhound industry and the law provide harsh penalties for the use of live baits in training. However, current legislative provisions do not ensure that offenders are prosecuted. |
| What are some examples of live baiting scandals in Australia? | In February 2015, a scandal was exposed by ABC TV, The Sydney Morning Herald, and animal activists, revealing the use of live bait in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. This led to suspensions, inquiries, and the banning of greyhound racing in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. |
| What actions were taken following the scandal? | The NSW ban was later reversed, but with conditions. Five registered participants were stood down, and the Greyhound Racing NSW board was dismissed. An inquiry was led by former High Court of Australia judge Michael McHugh, and Tom Noble, the owner of the race track, was sentenced to 15 counts of serious animal cruelty. |
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What You'll Learn
- Live baiting involves small animals such as rabbits, possums or piglets
- The practice is illegal in all states and territories in Australia
- Trainers believe greyhounds will chase better if they've caught live animals
- Live bait animals are attached to mechanical lures and hurled at speed
- The RSPCA believes state and territory animal welfare laws must be amended
Live baiting involves small animals such as rabbits, possums or piglets
Live baiting is illegal in all states and territories in Australia. The practice involves using live animals to train racing greyhounds. Small animals such as rabbits, possums, or piglets are used as bait or lure. The 'bait' animals are attached to mechanical lures and hurled at high speed around a track while greyhounds are released to chase, catch, and maul them. This often results in the death of the bait animal.
In February 2015, the Australian television program Four Corners exposed the use of live baiting in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. The program included graphic footage, secretly filmed by pro-animal activists, showing various small animals being tied to mechanical lures and chased by dogs. The revelation led to widespread condemnation, suspensions, inquiries, and the banning of greyhound racing in New South Wales from July 2016, later reversed in October of the same year.
RSPCA Australia opposes the use of live animals, animal carcasses, or any part of an animal as bait or lure for training greyhounds or other racing dogs. They believe that only non-animal devices and products should be used for training purposes. The RSPCA also advocates for the amendment of state and territory animal welfare laws to introduce offenses related to live baiting, including the possession or control of "prescribed animals" commonly used in baiting and the killing of animals for the purpose of using their carcasses for baiting.
Despite the illegality of live baiting and the efforts of regulators and animal welfare organizations, the practice has persisted in the Australian greyhound industry, with accusations arising from time to time. The industry provides harsh penalties for those found guilty of using live baits in training. In 2016, Tom Noble, a race track owner where live baiting was occurring, pleaded guilty to 15 counts of serious animal cruelty and received a 3-year wholly suspended sentence.
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The practice is illegal in all states and territories in Australia
Live baiting is illegal in all states and territories in Australia. The practice involves using live animals as bait or lures to train greyhounds. Small animals such as rabbits, possums, or piglets are attached to mechanical lures and hurled at speed around a track while greyhounds chase, catch, and maul them. Live baiting also includes dragging animals in front of greyhounds on leads or ropes. This practice causes pain, fear, injury, distress, and death for the animals involved.
Despite being illegal, live baiting has been exposed in at least three Australian states: Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. In February 2015, the Australian television program Four Corners revealed the use of live baiting in these states, sparking widespread condemnation and calls for reform. The revelations led to suspensions, inquiries, and, in the case of New South Wales, an initial ban on greyhound racing that was later reversed.
The RSPCA Australia is strongly opposed to live baiting and believes that current legislative provisions are insufficient to prosecute offenders effectively. They advocate for amendments to state and territory animal welfare laws to introduce new offenses specifically targeting the possession of prescribed animals at greyhound racing premises and the killing of animals for the purpose of using their carcasses for baiting or training.
The greyhound industry and the law provide harsh penalties for those found guilty of live baiting. For example, in the Queensland Criminal Code, serious animal cruelty, which includes live baiting, carries a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment. However, in practice, sentences may not always reflect the severity of the crime, as seen in the case of Tom Noble, who received a wholly suspended three-year sentence for 15 counts of serious animal cruelty.
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Trainers believe greyhounds will chase better if they've caught live animals
Greyhound racing is a competitive sport in which greyhounds are raced around a track chasing a mechanical lure over a fixed distance. It is a legalised form of gambling in many jurisdictions. The sport is based on the principle of coursing, which involves small animals being chased by dogs.
Some trainers believe that greyhounds will chase better and have a greater chance of winning a race if they have chased and caught a live animal during training. The live bait animal is either attached to the mechanical lure, dragged in front of the greyhound, or thrown to it. The greyhound will often maim or kill the bait animal, resulting in death. This practice is known as live baiting and is illegal in all states and territories in Australia.
Despite being illegal, live baiting has been exposed in at least three Australian states: Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. On February 16, 2015, the Australian television program Four Corners revealed the use of live piglets, possums, and rabbits to train racing greyhounds. This led to widespread condemnation, suspensions, inquiries, and the banning of greyhound racing in New South Wales from July 2016, later reversed in October 2016.
The RSPCA Australia is opposed to the use of live animals, animal carcasses, or any part of an animal as bait or lure for training greyhounds. The RSPCA believes that state and territory animal welfare laws must be amended to introduce offenses related to the use of live baiting. The greyhound industry and the law provide harsh penalties for the use of live baits in training.
The Australian greyhound racing live-baiting scandal has led to the investigation and suspension of several trainers and industry members. Tom Noble, on whose racetrack live baiting occurred, pleaded guilty to 15 counts of serious animal cruelty and received a wholly suspended sentence. The Queensland Attorney-General appealed the sentence as inadequate. The Greyhound Racing SA announced that anyone found engaging in live baiting would be banned from the sport and prosecuted.
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Live bait animals are attached to mechanical lures and hurled at speed
Live baiting is illegal in all states and territories in Australia. The practice involves using live animals as bait or lures to train racing greyhounds. Small animals such as rabbits, possums, or piglets are attached to mechanical lures and hurled at speed around a track while greyhounds are released to chase, catch, and maul them. This often results in the maiming or killing of the bait animal.
The RSPCA Australia strongly opposes live baiting, stating that animals used in this practice experience pain, fear, injury, distress, and death. Despite this, accusations of live baiting in the Australian greyhound industry have surfaced from time to time.
In February 2015, the Australian television program Four Corners exposed the use of live baiting in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. The program included graphic surveillance footage, filmed by pro-animal activists, showing various small animals being tied to mechanical lures and chased by greyhounds. This revelation led to suspensions, inquiries, and widespread condemnation of the practice.
While all states and territories in Australia prohibit live baiting, the RSPCA believes that current legislative provisions are not sufficient to prosecute offenders effectively. They advocate for amendments to state and territory animal welfare laws to introduce offenses related to the custody or control of prescribed animals commonly used in baiting and the killing of animals for the purpose of using their carcasses for baiting or training greyhounds.
The exposure of live baiting in the Australian greyhound industry sparked outrage and led to consequences. Tom Noble, whose race track was involved, pleaded guilty to 15 counts of serious animal cruelty in Queensland. The scandal also resulted in the banning of greyhound racing in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, although the NSW ban was later reversed with conditions.
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The RSPCA believes state and territory animal welfare laws must be amended
Live baiting is illegal in all states and territories in Australia. The practice involves using live animals as bait or lures to train greyhounds, causing them immense pain, fear, injury, distress, and eventually death. While all states and territories prohibit live baiting, the RSPCA believes that current legislative provisions are insufficient to effectively prosecute offenders.
The RSPCA advocates for amendments to state and territory animal welfare laws to introduce two new offences. Firstly, it should be an offence to have custody or control of a "prescribed animal" at the same premises where greyhounds are kept in connection with racing. This would include all species commonly used in baiting. Secondly, it should be an offence to kill an animal for the purpose of using its carcass for baiting, coursing, or training a greyhound in connection with racing.
The RSPCA's call for amendments follows the Australian greyhound racing live baiting scandal, where live baiting practices were exposed in at least three Australian states: Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. This led to widespread condemnation, suspensions, inquiries, and the temporary banning of greyhound racing in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.
The RSPCA's proposed amendments aim to strengthen the legal framework surrounding animal welfare and ensure that those who engage in live baiting are held accountable for their actions, addressing the current legislative gaps that hinder effective prosecution.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, live baiting is illegal in all states and territories in Australia.
Live baiting is the practice of using live animals for the purpose of training greyhounds. This involves small animals such as rabbits, possums or piglets being used as bait or lure to train greyhounds to race around a track.
The scandal led to suspensions, inquiries, widespread condemnation of the practice, and the banning of greyhound racing in New South Wales from July 2016, later reversed in October of the same year.
Serious animal cruelty in the QLD Criminal Code attracts a maximum penalty of 7 years. However, in the case of Tom Noble, who pleaded guilty to 15 counts of serious animal cruelty, he received a 3-year wholly suspended sentence.
