He was very successful at it too, part of a family dynasty that won every major race in NSW over many years.

Now retired in Tamworth he and his father and brother won “every Group 1, 2 and 3, all the Derbies, St Legers and Sydney Cups as well”.

He watched the recent Four Corners story on the disgraceful blooding of greyhounds using pigs, rabbits, possums and the like.

Like everyone he was disgusted but pleads with the general public not to “tar all greyhound trainers with the same brush” .

“People don’t know how lovely an animal the greyhound is,” Johns told The Leader.

“This was a small percentage of people who have no idea how to train. You don’t need to blood greyhounds to make them chase.”

While Kevin is disgusted with those transgressors, he’s also been disappointed by the reaction of some people who have publicly vilified his son-in-law and daughter when they’ve been out walking their dogs, one of which is a red brindle greyhound, Roxey.

He’s also disgusted by the reports from some in the media and pointed to a recent column in The Daily Telegraph written by Rebecca Wilson.

“Suspicion has surrounded greyhound racing for as long as long as I have been a sports journalist,” she wrote on Saturday, February 21.

“Stories have abounded about what owners give to the dogs before they race but more importantly, it is how the dogs are trained to race that has been discussed in greyhound circles for many a long year.

“According to those who are now happy to discuss it, greyhounds actually need to have the smell of fresh animal blood to become racers.”

It was complete rubbish, sensationalism on the back of rumour and innuendo, Johns said.

“She obviously knows nothing,” he said.

“She had no fact, no anything. Just a pitiful piece but one that people read and might believe.

“I would challenge her directly to show her and her cohorts that there are owners and trainers in the greyhound racing industry who have not needed to resort to cheating and blooding to make a greyhound perform better.

“If Rebecca wanted to take the time I can show her a greyhound pup from eight to 10 weeks old chasing a fluffy, squeaking toy simply because that’s what 2000 years of breeding does.”

That “sensationalism” puts greyhounds in an even worse light than what transpired after the Four Corners program.

Johns asks people not to “let the breed of animal suffer because of the deeds of a stupid few”.

“I was a greyhound breeder and trainer in the Lake Macquarie area for 13 years. A family dynasty that won every major race in NSW over the years and never found the need to blood greyhounds with vermin or other small animals.

“The greyhound is one of the oldest breeds in history, going back to the Egyptian Pharaohs and English royalty as far back as the 16th century.

“They are a natural chasing and hunting breed, and yet as a domestic pet they are gentle and easy to care for.

“Organisations are now in place around Australia to re-home greyhounds that have finished their racing careers. In keeping with our families love of the animal we have all had the dogs as pets over the past years. Currently our daughter and family have a retired racer, Roxey, sharing a yard and home with a miniature fox terrier, Marley, and living in harmony together with their young children, Taj and Izzabella.

“They are wonderful pets.

“There has never been a record or any evidence of an attack by a greyhound on a human being either. 

“If you see a greyhound being exercised on a lead then approach the handler and ask about the animal and pat it. They love affection.

“A word of caution, if you have a small pet on a lead or running loose then pick it up if you are worried about the proximity of a greyhound being walked.”

He said greyhounds were portrayed as a “very vicious animal on the Four Corners program”.

“They were being teased with small animals, mainly rabbits, vermin that were riddled with myxomatosis years ago to rid the country of a great problem.

“Perhaps people should look at the cruelty in other sports such as pigging, fishing and fighting etc. and ask the question why don’t these persons who hate the greyhound and racing in general look further afield for this sensationalism.”