Please see below Tasracing’s response to Deborah Flemming’s Mercury letter – 14 July 2023.
Deborah Fleming’s various assertions (Letters, Greyhound industry decision troubling, 14 July) are simply untrue.
Susan Gittus’ many years of experience and extensive qualifications, let alone personally re-homing hundreds of greyhounds herself, makes her an ideal appointment as the Interim GAP Manager.
Despite what Deborah Fleming writes, Ms Gittus was not convicted of a doping charge – rather she pleaded guilty to presenting a dog at the races with a prohibited substance in its system that could have been caused by the feeding of contaminated meat. To be clear – there was no finding of wilful administration. The vitriol directed at Ms Gittus, a private citizen, is disgusting and shameful.
Further, I did not describe people who oppose greyhound racing as a selfish minority. I did, however, describe those who lobbied Ronald McDonald House (RMH) to not accept donations from our industry as a selfish minority. These people would see almost $35,000 not received by RMH – equivalent to nearly 200 accommodation nights for families with sick children in need.
Funding allocated to greyhound racing averaged less than $6 million per annum over the last three years, is generated primarily from commercial revenue and is utilised in delivering the racing industry’s $185 million economic contribution in Tasmania annually.
Greyhound race meeting attendance continues to increase. And greyhound breeding numbers have remained consistent over recent years, hardly a ‘ceaseless flow’.
Andrew Jenkins
CEO, Tasracing