Horse cruelty charge
A CAIRNS racehorse trainer will face court next month charged with animal cruelty after a series of investigations across the state by the Queensland Racing Crime Squad.
The 61-year-old licensed thoroughbred trainer was charged with animal cruelty under the provisions of Section 18 of the Animal Care and Protection Act.
He has been given notice to appear in Cairns Magistrates Court on November 12.
Queensland Racing Integrity Commission has moved to immediately suspend the trainer’s licence.
Four Queensland racing industry figures have been charged following the latest investigations by the Queensland Racing Crime Squad.
The charges come after follow trainer Greg Strickland was charged for allegedly administering substances to a horse on the morning of Innisfail Cup Day at the weekend.
Queensland Racing Integrity Commissioner Ross Barnett said the recent spate of arrests was not part of a wider crackdown in the Far North.
“The Queensland Racing Crime Squad and the Integrity Investigations Team act on information they receive about animal cruelty in the racing industry statewide,” he said.
“As a proportion of the number of licensed animals in three codes in Queensland (about 20,000) the incidence of animal welfare issues is proportionally small.”
The QRCS blitz of the region began in the lead-up to the Cairns Amateurs on September 12.
The week before the event, five people were charged with 33 offences, most of which were drug-related across Cairns and Innisfail. This led to an increased presence at the Amateurs event.
Mr Barnett said the charges were the result of immediate investigations into serious allegations of alleged animal cruelty by the commission.
“Animal welfare is of the utmost importance and participants must put the welfare of their racing animals before all else,” he said.
“While most racing participants do care very well for their animals, it the first priority of the commission to ensure all racing participants treat their animals with the utmost of respect and care at all times.”