Top Tassie Trainer: exposed
Anthony Bullock is not only Tasmania's leading greyhound trainer, he is also the state's most notorious, with drone footage of his property leading to the third investigation into his activities in three years.
Images of dogs in exposed kennels with little to no bedding, suffering through sub-zero winter temperatures, along with dead pademelons and horses, horses in poor conditions, and the presence of small animal cages or traps, have outraged the community.
How long will he continue to be protected by TasRacing and the industry?
Gary Johnson: Ulverstone Pet Meats
Gary Johnson operates a 50+ dog training facility in Ulverstone, with kennels directly abutting a slaughterhouse where animals including discarded race horses are killed for pet meat. The property is located on the banks of the River Leven, leading to questions relating to runoff and excrement from both the slaughterhouse and the dogs.
On July 23 a drone captured footage of dogs in small cage kennels without bedding, others in runs with inadequate tin sheds for housing. Some were lined with straw, others completely bare. Two dogs were relegated to a dilapidated lean-to, having to dig down in the dirt to make some form of bed for themselves. Animal carcasses were left piled adjacent to one of the runs.
Lynden Nichols and Carol Nash
Drone footage reveals the substandard conditions in which greyhounds are kept at the property of Tasmanian trainers Lynden Nichols and Carol Nash.
In early and late September, a private individual captured footage showing dogs living in runs with dilapidated tin sheds for "shelter." Straw is scattered for bedding, in an area that experiences temperatures as low as -5 degrees in winter.
Dogs were also recorded being walked on treadmills. Whilst treadmills are not inherently bad to use with dogs (such as in cases of rehabilitation of injuries etc.), it is believed that these dogs are not receiving exercise other than this.
They are kenneled inside an old rusted shed; the conditions inside this shed is unknown.
Zipping Princess, subject of our recent exposé into the private rehoming of retired greyhounds without safeguards (see below) lived at this facility for at least seven months of her short life.
Zipping Princess: no happy ending
A damning undercover exposé that reveals the complete lack of safeguards for retired greyhounds who are rehomed out of the industry “privately.”
Zipping Princess, formerly trained by Lynden Nichols & Carol Nash, died after being discarded by her owners via Gumtree.
An undercover investigator exposed it all.
Nichols & Nash Revisited
The Birralee property of Lynden Nichols and Carol Nash was revisited in November 2023, providing a closer view of what we have already shown.
A property in disrepair, inadequate shelters and barren kennels, and collections of buckets and pots gathering green algae and biting flies.
This is the property Office of Racing Integrity approved as complying with racing policy. It is here that Victorian-bred dog Kylian is reported to be recovering following a fractured leg sustained on track. Where's Lily was also from this property; she also fractured a leg on track, but was killed shortly after.
Barry Heawood: racing "royalty"
Barry Heawood (Teatree) is greyhound racing royalty, having been involved in training, breeding, and bookmaking for decades. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020. A search of greyhound lists show that Heawood has been involved in the breeding of hundreds upon hundreds of greyhounds over the years; a third of the pups he bred never received a racing name.
Drone footage provided to ALT from mid-November this year shows that Heawood’s property differs very little to conditions shown at the Bullock, Johnson, and Nichols & Nash properties. Tin sheds with sparse bedding; greyhounds with poor coat condition aka. “kennel coat"; a rubbish pile near the bullring on the property filled with the refuse of slaughtered horses, with numerous legs, tails, rotting guts and hides, as well as those of sheep.
Nicholas Howlett: cocaine trainer
Animal Liberation Tasmania has received drone footage from the Richmond property of suspended greyhound trainer, Nicholas Howlett.
On 22/11/23 Howlett was by stewards found to have presented a dog at Elwick Racecourse (Blackpool Poppy) who had tested positive for benzoylecgonine, a substance produced through the metabolisation of cocaine.
Howlett claimed an associate, who was not at the inquiry, had been present at the property who was a regular cocaine user, and that Blackpool Poppy had licked his hand. It was his sole explanation for how the drug came to be in Blackpool Poppy's system.
Bullock returns: questions remain
Anthony Bullock has successfully won his appeal against a lifetime disqualification for the illegal use of an animal part as a lure, with the racing appeals board appearing to lay blame for the presence of a pademelon's tail on "activists."
But thr report from the board leaves a great many questions to be answered, as do Bullock's activities prior to the results of the appeal being handed down.
Wherever money is involved, animals will always finish last.
Beyond the exploitation inherent within the racing industry, there are issues relating to: animal welfare; deaths on tracks; wastage; the use and overuse of whips; jockeys being allowed to commit multiple infractions with minimum penalties; allegations of race fixing; and the domination of the greyhound and harness racing by two main names who work together.
All of which is majority funded by the Tasmanian taxpayer, to the tune of nearly $33 million per annum, with the Tasmanian Liberal government committed to increasing funding in the midst of a cost of living and housing crisis.
Funding
Tasracing is a state owned company (SOC), established in 2009 to replace the TOTE which formerly oversaw racing, gambling, and integrity under one body. The TOTE was sold in 2012 for $103 million. Since then, Tasracing has received annual payments from the state government (as well as additional grants and funding for specific projects) under a funding deed. This deed is set to expire in 2029, by which time Tasracing will have received well over half a billion dollars in what the SOCs CEO Andrew Jenkins has described as "compensation." Jenkins has indicated that after the funding deed expires, Tasracing will lobby for the continuation of state government funding. However, they wish to do so as the "masters of their own commercial destiny."
Animal Liberation Tasmania will campaign to ensure no funding agreement is undertaken after the current funding deed expires in 2029, and advocate for that funding deed to end sooner rather than later.
Animal Liberation Tasmania is an animal advocacy group founded in 2016, operating in lutruwita/Tasmania.
We acknowledge that we live and work on the unceded lands of the many palawa pakana peoples of lutruwita, and pay our respects to their elders past and present.
Always was, always will be, Aborginal land.
We are committed to creating safer spaces for all people, with a commitment to the principles of total liberation.
Find news, media releases, and campaign updates here.
Contact us via email.
animalliberationtas.org
ABN 96 232 357 293
