Two men in Australia have been charged for allegedly using live kittens to bait racing Greyhounds.
Typically, mechanical lures work by sweeping the chosen bait quickly around the edge of the race track just out of reach of the greyhounds.
Normally, fake rabbits are used, but allegations that kittens, piglets, rabbits and possums are used to motivate the dogs to run faster has cast a shadow over the sport.
Police say the kittens were put on mechanical lures for dogs to chase until they crossed the finish line. The two men, ages 26 and 62, were charged with animal cruelty. The maximum penalty is two years in jail and $23,000 fine.
The arrests come as part of a larger investigation by the Queensland Police and Royal Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals into the practice of live baiting in the state. The investigation has led to the arrest of 23 people with 65 total charges.
“The joint Queensland Police Service and RSPCA task force continues to investigate allegations of live baiting within the greyhound racing industry,” police said in a statement Tuesday.
This gruesome video of other incidents of live baiting gives an idea of how the practice may have worked in this case.
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