GREYHOUND racing season in Armidale has come to a close with a 10 race meet at the racecourse on Saturday.
Trainers from all over the northern part of the state travelled to enter their dogs in the races on offer.
Armidale greyhound racing’s treasurer Barry Mitchell was pleased with the overall result and hoped the interest for the dogs will continue after the club takes their break for winter.
“We did well to get 10 races, we normally get six or seven races because it is our winter,” he said.
“It held up very well for the last meeting of the year.”
The sport has been marred with controversy in recent years due to the live baiting scandal and the local club has suffered as a result.
Mitchell said it is sad the club has been affected by the actions of others in the industry and urges the community to support them by coming along to meets in the next year.
“We lost sponsorship through the live baiting,” he said.
“The sad part about it was probably one per cent [of the industry] but because it is greyhound racing, you pay the penalty.
“You are never going to change some people. “They don’t realise a greyhound will love you to death.
“That is what a greyhound does.
“It won’t bite you.
“They are bred to run because that is what they love doing.
“It is very hard to get Armidale people to our meetings and support greyhound racing.”
He said the club does everything it can to promote a positive image for the racing dogs.
“We have had people come over and if anyone has got a greyhound they are only too happy to stand there with a kid and get their photo taken,” he said.
“When a greyhound has finished racing, they have a program called ‘adopt a greyhound’ and people will drive 600 kilometres to get one to take home because they are the perfect pet.
“Anybody that has seen a greyhound or raced a greyhound knows they are part of the family.
“I have seen it, I know.”
