Media Release 20/10/2023
ALT Expose Third Tassie Greyhound Training Property
Animal Liberation Tasmania has published drone footage provided to them, captured in early and late September of this year, from the property of greyhound trainers Lynden Nichols and Carol Nash at Birralee.
Footage shows a property in dilapidated condition, with dogs provided run-down tin sheds with straw bedding as their only shelter in out-door runs. Some dogs, who are believed to be currently racing, are kept in kennels inside a larger rusty shed, and are trained on a treadmill. The conditions out of view indoors are unknown. The conditions at the property as seen are generally in disrepair.
Temperatures in Birralee can drop to as low as minus five degrees overnight in winter.
"Once again we see these dogs being kept in sub-standard conditions, by participants in an industry that is propped up by the Tasmanian taxpayer." -Kristy Alger, Animal Liberation Tasmania.
Records show that this property was where the ill-fated Zipping Princess, subject of Animal Liberation Tasmania's recent investigation into the private rehoming of retired greyhounds, spent at least seven months of her training life. Whilst the organisation does not claim Nichols or Nash to be responsible for her condition at rescue nor her resulting death, they were a part of her tragic life story, of being handed from trainer to trainer across four states, until she was discarded by her syndicate owners via Gumtree.
"As an organisation, we are demanding to know who is actually overseeing the welfare of these dogs. The conditions and situations we as an organisation have exposed since early August, across four separate investigations, are appalling and indicate an industry that has no concern whatsoever for these animals, irrespective of claims made otherwise." -Kristy Alger, Animal Liberation Tasmania.
"The community were rightly outraged by the conditions they saw at Anthony Bullock's property in the footage we published in early August. The conditions at the Nichols and Nash property cannot be seen as anything but worse by comparison. And across all three properties (Bullock, Johnson, Nichols & Nash) we see the same things: inadequate shelter, and dogs racked up like tools, like inanimate objects to be used at will." -Kristy Alger, Animal Liberation Tasmania.
"We condemn this inherently exploitative industry, we condemn the utter failures of the Office of Racing Integrity, and we condemn the Tasmanian Liberal government for their continued and increasing financial support for animal racing. Enough is enough." -Kristy Alger, Animal Liberation Tasmania.