Special Commission Of Inquiry Into The Greyhound Racing Industry Nsw

[labadore]

The NSW Special Commission of Inquiry into the Greyhound Racing Industry has resumed and revelations about cover-ups, reporting designed to mislead the public about the nature of the racing dogs injuries and deaths are coming to light along with details of Greyhound Racing NSW officials refusing to hand over information that could have helped identify a number of people suspected of involvement in live baiting.

Links and articles from SMH below in two separate posts:

Deliberate policy to mislead the public about the number or nature of injuries and deaths of racing greyhounds.

Greyhounds: Stewards told not to report dogs' true injuries, inquiry told

February 17, 2016

Industry 'downplayed' greyhound injuries

Greyhound racing stewards were instructed to downplay the injuries and deaths of racing dogs for publicity reasons, the Special Commission of Inquiry into the Greyhound Racing Industry has heard. Courtesy ABC News 24

Greyhound racing stewards were told to "desist" from providing too much detailed information about injuries and deaths of the dogs, because the industry was being plagued by "pretty bad publicity", the Special Commission of Inquiry into the Greyhound Racing Industry has been told.

In an email from the chief steward of Greyhound Racing NSW Clint Bentley to all the NSW stewards in April 2013, Mr Bentley said "it has been discussed at a recent management meeting and decided that it is in the best interests of all that we desist from providing too detailed information in our Stewards Reports with regard to injuries sustained by greyhounds".

The email was read out to the hearing by the inquiry's commissioner, Michael McHugh QC, while former GRNSW chief executive officer Brent Hogan was giving evidence.

An inquiry is being held into the greyhound racing industry.

An inquiry is being held into the greyhound racing industry.

The email went on to say that "in order to do this we suggest that you no longer report injuries such as fractures or breaks but rather just as injured: ie if a greyhound was to sustain a fractured hock we would report it as an injured hock ..."

Advertisement

Commissioner McHugh had been questioning Mr Hogan about whether there was a deliberate policy to mislead the public about the number or nature of injuries and deaths of the dogs.

Mr Hogan told the hearing there were many different reasons considered for the way the injuries were reported, including for consistency and simplifying reporting.

The email sent to greyhound racing stewards.

The email sent to greyhound racing stewards. Photo: Supplied

But Commissioner McHugh told Mr Hogan: "I don't find your explanations very convincing. It appears to me there was a deliberate policy to euphemistically describe injuries so it would not excite the interests of animal welfare groups."

The greyhound inquiry was set up in the wake of last year's live-baiting scandal. Mr Hogan and the board of GRNSW stepped down from their positions last year.

The special commission resumed this week to hear evidence about greyhound injuries, general welfare and governance.

Former Greyhound Racing NSW chief executive Brent Hogan.

Former Greyhound Racing NSW chief executive Brent Hogan. Photo: Supplied

The hearing was told on Wednesday the discussions about the reporting of dogs' injuries and deaths was triggered by an event at Dapto race track in April 2013, in which one dog broke its back and had to be put down and another broke its neck and died. The deaths were reported the local newspaper.

Mr Hogan agreed with the suggestion that the incident had generated "very negative publicity".

Mr Hogan had earlier told the hearing that injury reporting was not an issue he had given a lot of consideration. He also said there was no requirement to publicly report the injuries. "I think I had a concern that, in the absence of context, that raw data could be open to various interpretations."

He said he did not recall taking steps to "conceal the data".

There was evidence given of other emails from GRNSW officials commenting that euthanasia of the dogs would also no longer be reported.

Mr Hogan agreed he was of the view that it was not the type of publicity required.

The commissioner also heard that one staff member had sounded a warning about the reporting, saying that they would be "burying ourselves further" and making it a bigger issue than it already was.

It was put to Mr Hogan that the minimised reporting was being done to mislead the public. Mr Hogan said "on reflection, I can see how that conclusion could be reached."

Mr Bentley also gave evidence and admitted to the commission that the practise of the misleading reporting of injuries had continued up until November last year, even after new management had been brought in.

He said it was common knowledge in the organisation that the misleading stewards reports were continuing but it "never occured" to him bring it up with the new interim chief executive officer.

The public hearings at the commission will continue on Thursday.

[labadore]

Greyhound racing officials refused to hand over names of suspected live baiters, inquiry told

Greyhound racing officials refused to hand over names of suspected live baiters, inquiry told

February 18, 2016 - 4:32PM

Greyhound Racing NSW officials refused to hand over information to the RSPCA that could have helped identify a number of people suspected of involvement in live baiting due to privacy concerns, an inquiry has heard.

The Special Commission into Greyhound Racing has been told a diary which "contained very valued information" was seized during a raid in February 2015 on an unidentified trainer who was suspected of using live animals to train greyhounds on his western Sydney property.

The chief inspector of the RSPCA, David O'Shannessy, told the commission on Thursday that the society had asked Greyhound Racing NSW to identify the people in the diary, which had a list of Christian names and telephone numbers.

GRNSW officials refused to voluntarily hand over to the RSPCA a diary with the names of suspected live baiters.

GRNSW officials refused to voluntarily hand over to the RSPCA a diary with the names of suspected live baiters. Photo: Nick Laham

But Mr O'Shannessy said the racing organisation would not assist unless they received a formal notice to produce information.

Advertisement

Mr O'Shannessy told the commission the RSPCA never prepared the notice or sent it.

The RSPCA did not think it was appropriate in the circumstances and did not want to be seen to do anything to jeopardise any impending court cases, he said.

Former Greyhound Racing NSW chief executive Brent Hogan.

Former Greyhound Racing NSW chief executive Brent Hogan. Photo: Supplied

Mr O'Shannessy told the commission that had a memorandum of understanding between the organisations been in place, it would have been easier to exchange information.

He had told the commission a memorandum of understanding had been drafted years earlier but had never been signed or finalised for a number of reasons.

These included reservations about sharing information with an organisation that did not have the same powers as it did, privacy concerns, and fears of defamation cases against the RSPCA for releasing information.

The special commission was set up in the wake of last year's live-baiting scandal, which has forced a shake-up of the industry.

The former Greyhound Racing NSW chief executive officer, Brent Hogan, and the board of the organisation stepped down from their positions last year after the scandal broke.

The commission resumed hearings this week to hear evidence about greyhound injuries, general welfare and governance.

It has been told that greyhound racing stewards were told to "desist" from providing too much detailed information about injuries and deaths of the dogs, because the industry was being plagued by "pretty bad publicity".

Mr O'Shannessy said that the RSPCA received dozens of complaints a year about greyhounds but the number jumped dramatically to 100 in 2015 after the revelations about live baiting.

Mr Hogan was recalled to give evidence to the commission.

He said he had not been made aware of concerns by the organisation's manager of welfare, education and welfare, Tony O'Mara, or the chief steward, Clint Bentley, that live baiting was continuing and industry participants had, at consultation meetings with Mr O'Mara, baulked at any moves to stop the illegal activity.

Despite documents going to the board of Greyhound Racing NSW that included areas of concern – including that the historic practice of using live animals needed to be eradicated – Mr Hogan said he believed the issue was about the public perception of dead carcasses of animals being used.

When asked why Mr O'Mara had brought the issue of live baiting to the attention of the board, Mr Hogan said: "It was unclear to us."

The commission has adjourned.

[Rebanne]

"The Special Commission into Greyhound Racing has been told a diary which "contained very valued information" was seized during a raid in February 2015 on an unidentified trainer who was suspected of using live animals to train greyhounds on his western Sydney property.

The chief inspector of the RSPCA, David O'Shannessy, told the commission on Thursday that the society had asked Greyhound Racing NSW to identify the people in the diary, which had a list of Christian names and telephone numbers.

GRNSW officials refused to voluntarily hand over to the RSPCA a diary with the names of suspected live baiters."

I agree with this. Just because a name was in a diary does not mean they were live baiters. My name and number are in a local greyhound man's possession. He does work on my dogs. I'd be livid if I was tracked down by the RSPCA and would fear for the well being of my dogs.

And just because there are idiots on here, NO I do not support live baiting in anyway shape or form.

[Christina]

No suprises in that lot.

When there is gambling & big money invested & to be made there will always be some corruption, such is the nature of humans.

With animals there will always be some that abuse too, that is the nature of humans as well.

The bad cause the good to be tared with the same brush to many minds.

I don't know that anything much can be done about it all even with the special commission. There will be much money spent on it all, new rules will be made & things probably won't change much at all.

It will get forgotten.