Australia shocked by 'live-baiting' scandal in greyhound racing

MELBOURNE, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Australian officials have launched a probe into local greyhound racing after a television expose showed evidence that leading trainers were secretly using possums, pigs and rabbits as live bait to train their dogs. Footage on 'Four Corners', an investigative show on state broadcaster ABC, showed trainers tethering animals to mechanical lures to propel them around tracks in three Australian states while dogs gave chase. Clips showed dogs being allowed to attack and kill the animals on the lures and a possum snapped in half after being sent around the track at high speed dozens of times. Trainers were heard laughing off-camera as a man joked about whether an animal, lying motionless on the ground, was dead. Live-baiting has been banned in Australia for decades but some trainers still believe it will give their dogs an advantage when they race at the track chasing the artificial hare or rabbit. Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) chairman Peter Caillard said he was "disgusted" by the revelations in the report and claimed live-baiting was limited to only one private track in Victoria state. "As soon as the allegations were brought to our attention we immediately suspended the individuals involved," he said in a statement. "GRV has already commenced an investigation and we look forward to the involvement of the Racing Integrity Commissioner in that investigation. It must not happen again." Greyhound Racing New South Wales has also set up an investigative taskforce to probe live-baiting in the eastern state. (Writing by Ian Ransom; Editing by Nick Mulvenney)