Greyhound trainer Francis McPhee has been fined $350 for losing his temper and striking a dog in front of spectators and rolling cameras at an Auckland racetrack last month.
In a judgement realised on Thursday, the Racing Integrity Board found McPhee hit a greyhound, whose race name is Vegas Chops, across its hindquarters out of frustration after he had trouble controlling the animal following a race.
The incident happened on July 11 at a race meeting conducted by the Auckland Greyhound Racing Club in Manukau.
McPhee, who has been a handler since 2008, admitted the breach of the Greyhound Racing New Zealand rules for the incident, which was both seen by spectators and aired on Trackside television.
He said he did so in the spur of the moment to get the dog's attention but that he realised it was "not a very good choice of behaviour".
McPhee apologised for the concern and asked for a $100 fine - commenting that others had been fined $300 for kicking their greyhound in 2014 and $250 for punching their greyhound in 2015.
But the Racing Integrity Board handed down the $350 fine saying, "any form of physical abuse of a greyhound in any degree is likely to damage the public's perception of greyhound racing. Thus, the penalty needs to hold the respondent accountable, denounce his actions, uphold the integrity of the industry, and reflect the interests of animal welfare".
In a statement Friday, SAFE spokesperson Will Appelbe responded to the ruling saying hitting dogs was "simply unacceptable".
He added that the display showed how little regard the racing industry had for the dogs.
"Many greyhounds develop behavioural problems because of their training and upbringing."
It comes after Labour MP Priyanca Radhakrishnan last week accepted The Greyhound Protection League of New Zealand’s 37,700 signature-strong petition, supported by SAFE, which called for a ban on greyhound racing in New Zealand.
"Thirty-one dogs are confirmed to have lost their lives in the most recent season and hundreds have been injured. How many more dogs must suffer before the Government acts? These dogs belong on the couch, not the racetrack," Appelby said.
"As one of only a handful of countries that allows dog racing, it’s time for Aotearoa to find other ways to amuse ourselves that don’t needlessly put the lives of dogs at risk."
This is the first time McPhee's been sanctioned by the Racing Integrity Board.
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