Dr WOODRUFF – Thank you, Chair. Tasracing annual report’s racing animal welfare statistics for GAP have shown that there have been more dogs euthanised in the last year than in the five previous years put together. That is a shocking figure, and deeply concerning about what’s going on at GAP. That’s another story, which we will get to later.
The question is that there will be enormous pressure to push dogs through rehoming organisations, and this is, through you, minister, to the Racing Integrity Commissioner, about what plans you have, commissioner, to monitor rehoming organisations to make sure that dogs are not being inappropriately assessed as unre‑homeable and killed. In particular, how will you be monitoring trainers who have very, very large numbers of dogs like Anthony Bullock during this period?
Ms HOWLETT – Thank you, Chair, and I thank the member for her question. Would you like the figures that were actually re‑homed from GAP? I do know that in the next couple of weeks GAP is expanding its kennels and there will be more re-homing facilities there as well. Commissioner, would you like to speak to that?
Dr WOODRUFF – Thanks, but the question was about the ones that were euthanised because they were considered to be not able to be re-homed. It’s to that question.
Mr CARROLL – Thank you for the question. What I would say is that I don’t have in front of me the reasons as to why those animals were euthanased. That could have been because of injuries, that could have been because they were unsuitable to be re-homed, and it would be remiss of me to comment on those before I actually saw the reasons for each of those individual dogs.
What I can say to the second part of your question is that, through the rehoming program that will be undertaken in the transition period, there will be significant oversight that will be undertaken by the working group as far as that is concerned. Other than my independent veterinary adviser, Kate Savage being on the working group, we also have the RSPCA on the working group as well. What will also be taken is there’ll be an audit of all greyhounds that will be undertaken on at least a six-monthly basis so we can keep track. What will also be done is that Tasracing will be developing their own traceability program and have already engaged in the last week someone to be in that role, who will be responsible for tracking each of the greyhounds up until the end of the transition period and the rehoming of those greyhounds in that period post transition.
Dr WOODRUFF – Thank you. That’s great to hear. Possibly to the commissioner, I’m glad you mentioned the RSPCA because GAP’s not the only place where our dogs are rehomed, but GAP is the place which is recording the euthanising. I want to thank the volunteers and the carers at the RSPCA, Brightside, the Dogs Home, Big Ears and all the other organisations that do the work.
The question I have is about the specific change that’s happened at GAP and would ask that the commissioner, through the working group pay particular attention to what has changed and why there’s been this big increase. What’s going on? We’re concerned at the fact that dogs are still being sold on Gumtree, sometimes suffering and in a terrible condition. With the transitioning out of the industry, how are you going to deal with that not escalating and continuing and getting worse?
Mr CARROLL – I don’t for one moment underestimate the challenge that the working group has before them over the next 3.5 years to develop this transition plan to effectively manage and rehome a significant number of greyhounds to a more than acceptable level as far as the community is concerned. As far as the greyhound rehoming is concerned, I’ve had a number of conversations with various groups, both within Tasmania and interstate regarding the potential for rehoming options and they’ll be explored and continue to be explored.
We are well aware of the issues about Gumtree that have been raised. I’m actively working on that as part of the greyhound transition to make sure there are appropriate avenues for rehoming as far as greyhounds are concerned. I said before, and I reiterate, it would be remiss of me to speak about the GAP program prior to my arrival as Tasmania’s Racing Integrity Commissioner. What I can give is a commitment and I do that every day to the Tasmanian people to make sure that the processes that are put in place within Tasracing and GAP and any issue to do with Tasmanian racing will be given the highest attention by my office. If there’s any concerns, I encourage you or any member of your team to contact my office directly.
