A leading Tasmanian greyhound trainer has successfully appealed his lifetime ban from the sport and had a conviction quashed after arguing he was framed by activists.
A pademelon tail was found tied to a training lure during an inspection of Anthony Bullock's Exeter property in August 2023, breaching strict rules around luring and baiting.
The trainer pleaded not guilty as he claimed he didn't know it was there but stewards still disqualified him, with Mr Bullock then launching an appeal.
The search of the property was sparked by drone footage of Mr Bullock's land anonymously filmed and released by Animal Liberation Tasmania.
The tail was missed during an initial inspection by stewards from the Office of Racing Integrity who examined an area known as the bullring but it was later seen in body-worn footage and taken away for testing.
Mr Bullock has always denied any wrongdoing, telling officials he believed he was set up by activists who attached the tail to the lure without his knowledge.
The Tasmanian Racing Appeal Board noted the officials who went to the property said the bullring did not appear to have been recently used, was partially under water, had grass growing on it and was not secure.
The way the tail was tied also came under scrutiny, with the board determining it was unlikely to have been attached by someone with knowledge of the industry or how a certain type of training is conducted.
"The board cannot rule out that someone else is responsible for placing the pademelon tail on the lure arm," they wrote while detailing reasons for the decision.
The board also said stewards did not contradict evidence that the bullring was accessible from outside the property.
"It is not possible to discount the possibility that the unknown person or persons responsible for taking the footage, no doubt motivated by their strongly held animal welfare concerns, might be minded to take steps to ensure that the operator of a large training facility be removed from the industry entirely," legal documents state.
"The board can make no express finding to that effect. It is simply not in a position to rule it out."
RSPCA Tasmania chief executive Jan Davis said the outcome was devastating and called for tougher animal welfare laws.
"This is also a wake-up call for all those involved in the racing industry," Ms Davis said.
"Those participants who do the right thing need to call out bad behaviour and make it clear this will not be accepted."
Animal Liberation Tasmania hit out at the decision, claiming it "condemns an entire industry" and ramped up calls for an independent inquiry.
"Whilst Animal Liberation Tasmania would have preferred to see his lifetime ban upheld, this was never about Bullock the individual," spokesperson Kristy Alger said.
"This was always about an industry that continues to act in ways that are injurious to and exploitative of greyhounds."
Mr Bullock has been contacted for comment.
