Sydney - Australia's greyhound racing industry was in damage control on Tuesday after graphic footage showed live piglets, rabbits and possums used as bait to train some of the country's most successful dogs.
An Australian Broadcasting Corporation investigation showed the animals being fixed to mechanical lures before being chased and torn apart during training sessions.
A lure is traditionally an artificial hare or rabbit.
The animal welfare group RSPCA, in conjunction with police in the states of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, raided five properties last week after the ABC handed over its evidence ahead of the programme being broadcast on Monday evening.
Australia has one of the largest greyhound racing industries in the world and live baiting has been banned and criminalised for decades.
RSPCA Australia chief executive Heather Neil said the practice appeared to be an entrenched culture where animal cruelty was seen by some as an accepted cost of the sport.
“If it is this widespread in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, it would be naive to think it isn't happening elsewhere,” she said in a statement.
“The callous disregard for animal suffering shown by individuals captured in this footage should see the state and territory racing bodies immediately suspending the trainers and others implicated.”
Activist organisation Animals Australia, which helped gather the footage, claimed some of the animals that survived their first maulings were “re-used” multiple times.
“Cut-throat trainers looking for a 'winning' edge take advantage ... by 'taunting' dogs with tethered live animals, and tying animals - literally kicking and screaming - to fast-moving lures,” it said.
“Industry self-regulation is failing dismally. And while self-regulation continues, there can be little hope that live baiting will ever be eradicated from the industry.”
Greyhounds Australasia chief executive Scott Parker said 23 people, among them prominent names within the sport, had been suspended as he ordered an urgent independent review of all systems relating to animal welfare and integrity.
“I am appalled at some of the footage shown on the Four Corners programme,” he said, while insisting that only a small minority of the sport's 30 000 participants were involved.
“The use of live animals to train greyhounds is disgusting, illegal, unethical and totally rejected by the industry.
“The industry accepts responsibility for doing more to rid the sport of this illegal and immoral practice.”
New South Wales and Victoria are the prominent states for greyhound racing.
Greyhound Racing NSW said it had hired a former High Court justice to lead a review into live baiting while the Victorian government announced separate investigations into animal cruelty and animal welfare.
“I think anyone who saw it or heard about it would be sick to their stomach,” NSW Premier Mike Baird told reporters of the expose.
“We will get to the bottom of this and we will ensure there is absolutely zero tolerance.”
The maximum penalty for animal cruelty is two years jail and a Aus$30 000 (US$23 000) fine with Greyhound Racing Victoria chief executive Adam Wallish pledging that “we will move heaven and Earth to make sure they are convicted”.
Industry figures admitted it had been badly hurt by the publicity and faced a difficult road to recover.
“This is devastating for the greyhound racing industry because it's simply disgusting conduct,” said Greyhound Racing Victoria chairman Peter Caillard.
“Here you have a small number that have done something abhorrent, not just the wrong thing, something absolutely abhorrent. Of course it's going to have a bad effect on greyhound racing.”
AFP