29/08/2026
AFTER READING THE PARLIAMENTARY JOINT COMMITTEE HEARING CONCERNING NITRO GRACE
What allegedly happened to Nitro Grace is deeply distressing. No animal should be allowed to reach such a condition, and if neglect occurred, the people responsible must be held accountable.
However, after reading the complete transcript, I believe all the evidence must be placed on the table before individuals—or the entire greyhound-racing industry—are publicly condemned.
The veterinary nurse gave important firsthand evidence about Nitro Grace’s condition when she arrived at the clinic, the emergency caesarean, the birth of six additional puppies and Grace’s tragic death during surgery. That evidence deserves to be taken seriously.
But the transcript also leaves significant unanswered questions.
The witness was uncertain whether the person she named was Grace’s owner, joint owner, trainer or the person who had the dog in her care. A committee member then appeared to assume who the trainer was. An assumption made during questioning is not the same as a verified finding.
The committee should obtain and examine:
• Nitro Grace’s complete veterinary and breeding records
• Her official ownership and training records
• The identity of the person responsible for her care at the time
• Tasracing and Office of Racing Integrity investigation files
• The outcome of the interviews conducted after the incident
• Registration and welfare records for the 12 puppies
• Responses from every person publicly named
The transcript contains a mixture of firsthand observations, professional opinions, secondhand information and assumptions. Parliamentary privilege allows witnesses to speak freely, but it does not automatically make every allegation or opinion a proven fact.
Even the witness acknowledged that she did not know exactly what action followed the report, did not know whether the puppies survived and had never personally witnessed a greyhound being euthanised for an injury that could have been treated.
This is not about defending neglect or minimising Nitro Grace’s suffering. It is about demanding genuine accountability based on complete and verified evidence.
If wrongdoing occurred, act on it decisively. Strengthen inspections, preventative veterinary care, breeding oversight and enforcement. But do not use one tragic case—or allegations that have not been fully tested—to condemn every trainer, owner and participant in an entire industry.
Nitro Grace deserved better. She also deserves a proper investigation that establishes the complete truth—not assumptions, political point-scoring or trial by publicity.
Put every record on the table. Give all affected parties an opportunity to respond. Establish who was responsible, what authorities knew and what action was taken.
Animal welfare and procedural fairness should never be opposing principles. We can and must demand both.
