Two charged after greyhound carcasses found

TWO people have been arrested and charged in , Queensland, after the shocking discovery of 55 greyhound carcasses in bushland earlier this week.

A 71-year-old man has been charged with the unlawful possession of a firearm and a 64-year-old-woman, who is also a licensed greyhound trainer, has been charged with the unlawful possession of a firearm and obstructing police.

The pair were charged after the joint Queensland Police Service and Greyhound Racing Taskforce executed a search warrant on a Bundaberg property after the RSPCA were originally tipped off about the mass dumping sire near Coonar, Queensland.

The Taskforce was established to investigate acts of animal cruelty within the industry in response to the gruesome ABC Four Corners program titled ‘Making A Killing' which exposed the horrendous act of live-baiting within the sport. In total, 36, were suspended in Queensland in the weeks following the program going to air, with six of those later being issued with lifetime bans.

Detective Superintendant Mark Ainsworth said the greyhounds may have been in the area over a period of time prior to the Four Corners program. He also said initial investigations indicate the greyhounds may have been shot before they were dumped in the open reserve, with a number of .22 calibre ammunition shells located in the area and some remains indicating single gunshot wounds had been inflicted.

Police said there had been no attempt to bury the carcasses, but wild fire had swept through the area recently, with police now investigating the possibility they were deliberately lit.

Staff from the Bundaberg council started clearing the remains on Thursday morning.

It is another blow for the embattled greyhound racing industry which has suffered terrible damage to its image since the revelations.

Queensland Police Minister Jo-Ann Miller had promised a contingent on Thursday there would be action over the gruesome find.

“What I believe has happened here has been the mass murder of 55 greyhounds outside of Bundaberg,” she said.

She promised a zero tolerance approach to animal abuse.

“The people who have perpetrated this crime, to me, are oxygen thieves, they are cowards and they are pathetic.”

boss Darren Condon, before the arrests, said the actions of few were tainting the rest and vowed to clean the image of the industry up. RQ is believed to have taken an active role in the discovery.

“There are a number of innocent law abiding participants in the greyhound industry but very equally there's clearly some people whose care for the animals is certainly no where near where it needs to be,” he told 4BC Breakfast Radio.

“The industry has to be able to either eliminate them or its survival is going to be very very difficult to say the least if at all possible.”

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DaveSampson
DaveSampson
8 years ago

I think the phrase that would best sum this up is that finally all of the Greyhound racing industries chickens are coming home to roost.

Paul Rehmann
Paul Rehmann
8 years ago

If they are found guilty then hang the bastards.

Calabrese Gino
Calabrese Gino
8 years ago

Stop flogging

Glenn Moscow
Glenn Moscow
8 years ago

I swear a pup i bred was given to her and after 2 races dissapeared of the planet!! Gggrrrrr

greg
greg
8 years ago

well, I am now convinced greyhound people, especially the older set, have problems in what the dog actually stands for. they seem to show us clearly, if you cannot run fast enough, your are dead, literally dead. QUEENSLAND has a cultural problem with greyhounds, it is abundantly clear shown  and depicted by the attitude of how they slaughter rabbits/pigs/possums, anything that squeals,by there own demeanor. there is a mental issue here, where a dogs life means zilch, absolutely zilch, and again, as in the horror of the 4 corners show, when they decide to rid the plasce of the dog,… Read more »

Corey Mutton
Corey Mutton
8 years ago

Just charge them and wait for the courts to decide, I hope the maximum is coming for them and then it’s probably not enough

Jacko Mcbride
Jacko Mcbride
8 years ago

Calabrese Gino peeps are carrying on a bit… Don’t they know what happens to there favourite horse or fastest camel when they are to old or don’t win?? Even footballs are stRting to get knocked off if they can’t get a kick…

Connie McMillan
Connie McMillan
8 years ago

What do hunters do with their dogs when they have finished with them or farmers?
Just saying.

greg
greg
8 years ago

u know, I believe VETS have a bit to blame for as well.why? the ridiculous charges to put an animal to sleep borders on thievery.
some vets charge $50 to needle a dog to sleep. many, the real greedy bums, charge double to triple that cost. that is one reason why trainers use other so called ‘methods”.
vets CASH-IN and profit from owners trying to do the humane thing, so I would be asking some questions in that direction as well.

Calabrese Gino
Calabrese Gino
8 years ago

100% mr Mcbride

Alan
Alan
8 years ago

So if the firearms were legal, there would be no charges?  Has a crime actually been committed here?  Putting dogs down with a bullet is legal right?  Is the outrage that the dogs weren’t buried with dignity?

Alan
Alan
8 years ago

@greg What are you talking about when you say “what the dog actually stands for”?  How can an animal “stand for” something?

ColinByers
ColinByers
8 years ago

just goes to show what that some people have not been doing their job I hope the racing minister can see this yet we the owners @trainers haye to pay for this these people are just passing the buck on to us why do we have to pay all these costs I hope these integerty people are going take a pay cut like us we have lost travel money @ prizemoney surely these people must loose their jobs its about time the rest of us can get on whith it

ColinByers
ColinByers
8 years ago

@greg  you would vote for the greens  you should go @tell the elders to their face instead of hiding behind your computer

Jan Le Neuf
Jan Le Neuf
8 years ago

Agree with you Corey, and feel the penalty will be far too lenient.

Alan
Alan
8 years ago

ColinByers Haha nice one douche bag, the only people who are scared of people like Tom Noble are possums, piglets and other small animals.  If I thought I could get away with it I’d gladly lay any of these “elders” out cold.  Unfortunately there aren’t any lures big enough to drag their fat asses round a track 50 times.  Besides, if the whining industry insiders are anything to judge by, plenty of people have been happy to abuse them to their faces.  Go have another XXXX tough guy.

Alan
Alan
8 years ago

ColinByers Suck it up, you turned a blind eye for years, so you only have yourself to blame.  Everyone has a part to play in cleaning up their own industry if they know it’s dirty.

John Tracey
John Tracey
8 years ago

This latest report will have an effect also on domestic dogs as well as unregistered dogs etc. The reforms on welfare will spred to companion animals everywhere- look at the questions that can be asked by reading the following prompts.

https://www.smh.com.au/

ColinByers
ColinByers
8 years ago

@Alan ColinByers  that would be your style tough guy most of the elders would probably do you any way sounds like you have been drinking red cordial

DaveSampson
DaveSampson
8 years ago

I think the phrase that would best sum this up is that finally all of the Greyhound racing industries chickens are coming home to roost. 

Paul Rehmann
Paul Rehmann
8 years ago

If they are found guilty then hang the bastards.

Calabrese Gino
Calabrese Gino
8 years ago

Stop flogging

Glenn Moscow
Glenn Moscow
8 years ago

I swear a pup i bred was given to her and after 2 races dissapeared of the planet!! Gggrrrrr

greg
greg
8 years ago

well, I am now convinced greyhound people, especially the older set, have problems in what the dog actually stands for. they seem to show us clearly, if you cannot run fast enough, your are dead, literally dead. QUEENSLAND has a cultural problem with greyhounds, it is abundantly clear shown  and depicted by the attitude of how they slaughter rabbits/pigs/possums, anything that squeals,by there own demeanor. there is a mental issue here, where a dogs life means zilch, absolutely zilch, and again, as in the horror of the 4 corners show, when they decide to rid the plasce of the dog,… Read more »

Corey Mutton
Corey Mutton
8 years ago

Just charge them and wait for the courts to decide, I hope the maximum is coming for them and then it’s probably not enough

Jacko Mcbride
Jacko Mcbride
8 years ago

Calabrese Gino peeps are carrying on a bit… Don’t they know what happens to there favourite horse or fastest camel when they are to old or don’t win?? Even footballs are stRting to get knocked off if they can’t get a kick…

Connie McMillan
Connie McMillan
8 years ago

What do hunters do with their dogs when they have finished with them or farmers? Just saying.

greg
greg
8 years ago

u know, I believe VETS have a bit to blame for as well.why? the ridiculous charges to put an animal to sleep borders on thievery.

some vets charge to needle a dog to sleep. many, the real greedy bums, charge double to triple that cost. that is one reason why trainers use other so called ‘methods”.

vets CASH-IN and profit from owners trying to do the humane thing, so I would be asking some questions in that direction as well.

Calabrese Gino
Calabrese Gino
8 years ago

100% mr Mcbride

Alan
Alan
8 years ago

So if the firearms were legal, there would be no charges?  Has a crime actually been committed here?  Putting dogs down with a bullet is legal right?  Is the outrage that the dogs weren’t buried with dignity?

Alan
Alan
8 years ago

@greg What are you talking about when you say “what the dog actually stands for”?  How can an animal “stand for” something?

ColinByers
ColinByers
8 years ago

just goes to show what that some people have not been doing their job I hope the racing minister can see this yet we the owners @trainers haye to pay for this these people are just passing the buck on to us why do we have to pay all these costs I hope these integerty people are going take a pay cut like us we have lost travel money @ prizemoney surely these people must loose their jobs its about time the rest of us can get on whith it

ColinByers
ColinByers
8 years ago

@greg  you would vote for the greens  you should go @tell the elders to their face instead of hiding behind your computer

Jan Le Neuf
Jan Le Neuf
8 years ago

Agree with you Corey, and feel the penalty will be far too lenient.

Alan
Alan
8 years ago

ColinByers Haha nice one douche bag, the only people who are scared of people like Tom Noble are possums, piglets and other small animals.  If I thought I could get away with it I’d gladly lay any of these “elders” out cold.  Unfortunately there aren’t any lures big enough to drag their fat asses round a track 50 times.  Besides, if the whining industry insiders are anything to judge by, plenty of people have been happy to abuse them to their faces.  Go have another XXXX tough guy.

Alan
Alan
8 years ago

ColinByers Suck it up, you turned a blind eye for years, so you only have yourself to blame.  Everyone has a part to play in cleaning up their own industry if they know it’s dirty.

John Tracey
John Tracey
8 years ago

This latest report will have an effect also on domestic dogs as well as unregistered dogs etc. The reforms on welfare will spred to companion animals everywhere- look at the questions that can be asked by reading the following prompts.

http://www.dogslife.com.au/dog-news/life-with-dogs/what-to-do-when-your-dog-dies

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1388194/hunter-rspca-kill-rates-too-high/

ColinByers
ColinByers
8 years ago

@Alan ColinByers  that would be your style tough guy most of the elders would probably do you any way sounds like you have been drinking red cordial