Using live animals to train greyhounds has been a cultural and historical practice, but has likely been isolated to pockets in Victoria, the key investigator says.
Victorian Racing Integrity Commissioner Sal Perna has cleared Greyhound Racing Victoria staff of covering up the practice of live baiting, despite an inspector not reporting that he had found a "rabbit room" at a property.
Mr Perna says there is no direct evidence of how widespread live baiting is in the state, but it is unlikely to be confined to one property or one group of trainers.
He says the overwhelming circumstantial evidence indicates that live baiting has been an ongoing practice used at various stages in greyhound racing.
"If we were looking at prosecuting a criminal case on this, we would fail - we just don't have that direct evidence," he told reporters on Thursday.
"But the weight of it is just so strong to say that it's going on, it's been going on in the past."
Mr Perna said his sense was that live baiting was not widespread in Victoria.
"My sense is that it's isolated in pockets either relating to particular parts of the state or to particular people," he said.
Information received during his investigation indicated that live baiting was well known and occurred within the greyhound racing industry, at least until footage was aired earlier this year of the practice in Victoria, NSW and Queensland.
Mr Perna said the cultural and historic practice had been handed down from generation to generation, like other knowledge in the industry, but over time the extent of live baiting had diminished.
"There are some participants, however, who have continued to use this anachronistic practice," he said.
"There is the possibility that there will remain a section within the industry that will attempt to continue the practice in clandestine ways."
He said a clear message needed to be sent that the practice would be detected and offenders prosecuted.
"My hope is that the result of this 'crisis' is that the practice of using live animals to teach a greyhound to chase is banished to the history books," Mr Perna said.
He said Greyhound Racing Victoria and its former board were aware of live baiting, but he had no evidence of staff covering up, being complicit in the practice or acting corruptly.
Mr Perna found that while there were some governance controls in place at GRV, in hindsight, it was clear they were not effective in regard to live baiting.
"A 'softly, softly' approach was taken in regards to welfare issues and carried over by the welfare officers when inspecting trial tracks," he said.
"The emphasis placed on education of participants, rather than enforcing compliance, in relation to trial track inspections contributed to live baiting not being identified or proactively addressed."
His report said GRV found live rabbits, not in cages, in a shed at a property in August 2014, but did not report the rabbit room to the RSPCA.
It was later reported when RSPCA officers went there this year and there were no live rabbits.
Mr Perna said it was not a case of anyone turning a blind eye, but rather a lack of awareness because the GRV staff were there in a compliance role.
Mr Perna said the real and perceived conflicts of interest - which stemmed from GRV staff having family or friends in the industry they policed - were causing distrust.
Victoria's chief veterinary officer Dr Charles Milne said many industry participants did put the welfare of dogs at the forefront.
He said responsibility for animal welfare should be separated from the body in charge of promoting greyhound racing, with an independent Greyhound Inspectorate established.
"The current system is fragmented, and lacks co-ordination and oversight between the different bodies involved in safeguarding the welfare of greyhounds," Dr Milne said.
GRV chairman Ray Gunston said it was clear the organisation's enforcement capabilities needed to improve to ensure live baiting was not even contemplated.
"There was an environment that existed where this shameful act occurred and went undetected," he said.
"There is no doubt more work needs to be done to ensure we are able to prevent and/or detect such barbaric behaviours."
Nine trainers and handlers associated with the Tooradin Trial Track have so far been charged with what are deemed to be serious offences under state and national racing rules
One has been found guilty so far.
Racing Minister Martin Pakula said a practice as barbaric as live baiting had no place in the greyhound racing industry.
"There is simply no alternative but for greyhound racing to radically change the way it operates and I am confident it will do so," he said.
