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March 29, 2024

Lord Ability collided with other dogs at the first turn and fell

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The latest death of a young greyhound at Grafton yesterday has sparked calls for an independent review of Australia’s new and rebuilt taxpayer-funded racetracks.

According to the stewards’ report for Grafton for 25 September 2022, in Race 9 Lord Ability collided with other dogs at the first turn and fell. The report says Lord Ability, ‘Came together with other runners on the first turn and fell. As a result, the greyhound failed to finish the event.

‘A post-race veterinary examination of the greyhound revealed it had a comminuted fracture to its offside elbow and offside humorous bone.

‘The greyhound was humanely euthanised.’

A 25-second career

The Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds says that what the report doesn’t say is that Lord Ability would have turned two years old the next day (26 September). It was only his second race. His career lasted 25 seconds.

The Coalition says his death follows that of Bazza Bann, euthanased with a fractured spine at the Grafton track on 14 June 2022. He also fell at the first turn after colliding with other dogs.

The flagship Grafton greyhound racetrack reopened in June 2021 after a $4.6m rebuild funded by the NSW Government. It was billed as the biggest project ever undertaken by Greyhound Racing NSW, the track supposedly uses the latest safety technology and design. However, since June 2021, four greyhounds have been killed there and more than 200 injured, including 41 with major injuries.

The Coalition says that other new racetracks around Australia, promoted as ‘safe’, have kept killing greyhounds. Angle Park (SA) and Traralgon (VIC) cost a total of $9 million, were supported by governments, but have killed a total of 14 dogs since racing resumed.

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So far in 2022, 41 dogs have died racing in NSW, and 121 nationwide.

Greyhound welfare advocates said the death of Lord Ability highlighted the urgent need to audit and review the new generation of racetracks promoted as safe for greyhounds.

Director for the  Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds (CPG), Kylie Field, said the racing industry and state governments have promoted the new generation of multimillion dollar greyhound racetracks as safe and improved, but greyhounds are still suffering violent injuries and deaths.

‘Grafton is Australia’s second-most expensive new track, behind the $6 million Traralgon facility in Victoria. $4.6 million of taxpayer funds built the Grafton track that has killed four dogs and injured hundreds.

Scandalous use of taxpayer dollars

‘Three new tracks in three states cost a total of $13.6 million and have killed 17 dogs. This is a scandalous use of taxpayer dollars. Where is the accountability and auditing?

Ms Field said Grafton is supposed to be a flagship safe racetrack. ‘We need an independent review and audit to examine how public funds are being wasted on these dog-killing tracks. Every animal welfare advocate knows that no racetrack can be made safe.’

‘Lord Ability died the day after the Million Dollar Chase event in Sydney, billed as the world’s richest dog race. The NSW greyhound racing industry can offer a million dollar prize, and another million dollars to an on-site lucky punter, but can’t save a Grafton greyhound with a broken leg!

‘It’s a blood sport’

The racing industry’s priorities are all wrong. Profits and prizemoney come before animal welfare. The NSW State Government has become a cheerleader for a dog-killing industry and must stop supporting it with public funds,’ she said.

‘Grafton was one of 18 NSW tracks used to stage heats for the Million Dollar Chase. These 18 tracks have seen the racing deaths of 36 dogs in 2022.

‘It’s a blood sport!’


 

For more information on this race you can view the Stewards’ report: Stewards report – Grafton 26sept022

Lord Ability’s Racing Profile: https://www.thegreyhoundrecorder.com.au/greyhounds/lord-ability

Race video – removed from GRNSW website: https://www.thedogs.com.au/racing/grafton/2022-09-25/9/yamba-pumps


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10 COMMENTS

  1. Greyhound racing must end. It is cruel and barbaric.
    Dog racing is now banned in 42 states int he USA.
    When are we going to evolve here in Australia and do the same.
    This is shameful.
    Rest In Peace Lord Ability (who never even lived to 2 years old)

  2. Humans get injured, and even drop dead, from running races. Keep in mind if a Greyhound doesn’t like racing, they won’t run worth a damn and end up as pets. That’s how I got my Race Horse. She just wasn’t that keen on it. Donuts on the other hand….

  3. The sad truth is that if a greyhound doesn’t like running races it will be euthanised.
    Each year thousands of Greyhounds are victims of the racing industry. They are bred, caged, raced, injured, doped, discarded and killed – for gambling. The majority of rescues and adoptions are carried out by community-run, volunteer charities.

    • Also true of regular pets. Also rather true of human athletes.
      Sports are civilised proxies for hunting and combat. We could go back to the daily slaughter instead. Or we can leave that to the other predatory species and just stick with our minimised, simulated versions. And no, you can’t wish away human nature, if you repress an animals nature it will end up expressing its self in other more destructive ways. Much like the neurotic behaviour house pets exhibit.

  4. So all ‘sports’ are so called civilized proxies for hunting & combat? If that’s so jail the hooting clowns who tamper with animal deaths.

    • They are actually very keen for their little money makers to have long, healthy, fit lives. If the dog is having an off day, better it loses and is still able to race next week, than loose the money they have invested in training etc. Much the same as farmers care more about their soil than anyone else. Sensationalism shuts peoples logic centers down through emotion so that they can’t think things all the way through. Reality isn’t good vs evil, we don’t live in a cartoon.

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