Greyhound racing
IN PHOTO: Lavally Sunrise (L) edges past the competition on a curve during a daytime race at Romford greyhound track in Essex June 4, 2011. In 1947, 60,000 spectators were recorded at the Derby at White City, one of 21 greyhound tracks then operating in London. In 2011 the Derby was held at Wimbledon Stadium — now the only dog track left in London — and attendance was just 2,423. Picture taken June 4, 2011. Reuters/Chris Helgren

Queensland police reported that two men were charged for using kittens as live bait to train greyhounds to race. The men aged 22 and 26, from Coominya, Brisbane, reportedly used kittens as bait between August 2014 and May 2015, as ABC reported.

Each man was charged with two counts of animal cruelty offences and will appear in a hearing at Ipswich Magistrates Court next week, sources say. Live baiting and animal cruelty in the state have already led to the arrest of 23 people so far.

The investigation into the greyhound racing industry began after the exposure made on the use of live animals as bait for training. The coverage aired on ABC TV exposed the animal cruelty that’s been happening in the industry.

This exposure followed after the Animals Australia and Animal Liberation Queensland conducted an undercover investigation into the industry. According to these organisations, live small animals such as rabbits, possums and piglets were used as bait, tied to mechanical lures that spun around racetracks so greyhounds chase them.

The investigation also revealed that live rabbits were used to “provoke dogs in the lead up to races,” stated the report found in Care2. The torture of these live, small animals was captured by the group and it was also believed that kittens are also used as bait training. A part of the secretly-filmed footage showed that these racing dogs were also allowed to maul the animals that were taken off the lures.

The public was outraged by the exposé and the RSPCA and authorities stepped in to take action against many of the people involved in greyhound racing. The disturbing revelation of live baiting has led to criminal charges in four Australian states. It also resulted to the sponsorship withdrawals and suspension of licences for racing.

A new law has been proposed to ban greyhound racing. The Greyhound Racing Prohibition Bill 2015 will ban the activity in NSW starting January 2016.

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