This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Greyhound trainers continued to give their dogs arsenic, cocaine and cobalt in the eight months after the New South Wales government reversed its ban.

Twenty trainers have been charged and convicted of offences involving prohibited substances by Greyhound Racing NSW since mid-October, stewards reports show. Their punishments have ranged from small fines of $625 to 12-month suspensions.

In one case, trainer Sonia Kempshall was fined $750 after three of her dogs were found with arsenic in their system. Those dogs have collectively won more than $60,000 in prize money.

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In another, trainer Jeanette Foley was disqualified for 12 months after her greyhound was found with amphetamine and benzoylecgonine in its system.

Other dogs were found with flunixin, a banned anti-inflammatory, caffeine, lignocaine, anti-insomnia medication and dexamethasone.

The Greens MLC Mehreen Faruqi said the cases showed the industry’s commitment to reform was simply “lip service”.

“One thing we can be sure of with the overturning of the ban is that dogs will continue be drugged, they will continue to die on track and they will continue to be killed when they no longer run fast enough to make money,” Faruqi said. “The backflip on the greyhound racing ban has emboldened people in the industry to continue to do the wrong thing.”

Faruqi is also concerned at the leniency of the punishments for prohibited substances. She described some of the lesser fines as “so woefully small that they are meaningless”.

The NSW government is still progressing with reforms to the industry, which it announced while reversing its decision on the controversial ban.



It is creating an independent Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission and last month began searching for a chief commissioner and two commissioners for the body.

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The government is also reconstituting the Greyhound Racing NSW board and will transfer its regulatory and welfare functions to the new independent integrity commission.

“The creation of the independent commission is a key part of the reformed greyhound industry structure,” the racing minister, Paul Toole, said last month. “Separating regulatory and commercial functions will improve governance, transparency and accountability.”

Debate over the future of greyhound racing has also arisen in Victoria. The state government is considering changes that would significantly tighten regulation on the racing industry.



The government has given a draft greyhound code of practice to the industry, which recommends stricter requirements on housing, exercise, socialisation, mental stimulation, breeding, rearing, racing, training and retirement.

The document is designed to stipulate the minimum standard of care required for dogs over their life.

It was developed as part of the state government’s response to the racing integrity commissioner’s report into live baiting and the chief veterinary officer’s report on animal welfare.

The industry is concerned the changes will drive up costs and force some out of the industry.