Teary trainer supplied live rabbits

Live rabbits were delivered to a greyhound trainer who would tell customers their "parcels" were ready to be picked up, a court has heard.

greyhounds compete during a race

Trespassing to expose animal cruelty, which made the greyhound industry live baiting revelations possible, could attract jail time under a new law. Source: AAP

A greyhound trainer who supplied rabbits for live baiting used the codeword "parcels" to order animals and when telling customers their delivery was ready, a court has heard.

Veteran trainer Sherrie Turner told the special commission of inquiry into the NSW greyhound industry she supplied live rabbits to two Sydney trainers.

Ms Turner would call her supplier at Goulburn, who would catch rabbits in the bush, and say: "I need 15 parcels."

She would then call her customers and say, "Your parcels have arrived", telling them to come straight away to pick up their order.

The trainers would come within an hour for the live rabbits, while Ms Turner's husband would kill the rest by breaking their necks, then wrap them and put them in a freezer for a customer wanting dead animals.

Ms Turner initially told the court she had not known the animals were for live baiting, but was forced to change her testimony when confronted with an earlier statement she made at a private hearing that she did know what was going on.

"I have to say I don't recall even saying that," she told the court.

Ms Turner became teary as she described the impact of an ABC Four Corners report on live baiting that sparked the inquiry last February.

"I was overwhelmed," she said. "We do good things, we look after dogs."

After the report, she deleted her supplier's number from her phone.

Another experienced Sydney trainer, Majella Ferguson, lost a bid to have her name suppressed by the court after Commissioner Michael McHugh QC rejected her claim she has been threatened by an unnamed person about testifying.

Ms Ferguson admitted she has seen other trainers involved in live baiting at two popular "bullrings" on western Sydney properties.

A bullring is a small track where racing dogs learn to leap out of the starting box and chase a lure.

Another greyhound owner and trainer, Todd Fear, told the inquiry he went about 20 times to a property where trainer Bruce Carr operated a popular bullring known for live baiting.

On about 10 of his visits, Mr Fear told the court, Mr Carr tied a live rabbit to the lure.

"For me, that was just the way you do it," Mr Fear said.

Counsel assisting the inquiry, Stephen Rushton SC, said the commission had evidence Mr Carr's bullring was in high demand.

The inquiry is expected to hear further evidence about live baiting from trainers and industry participants on Wednesday before hearing from greyhound racing officials later in the week.

The inquiry has heard rabbits, kittens, piglets and possums have been used as live bait to "blood" dogs.

And figures revealed on Monday show the greyhound industry nationwide kills between 13,000 and 17,000 healthy young dogs each year as "wastage" because of unchecked overbreeding.


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Source: AAP



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