Greyhounds have a face only an owner could love, and these owners are hopelessly smitten.

But for the group of largely working class participants, their passion is about to be deemed illegal.

The state government’s decision to ban the sport from next July has lit the fuse on a ferocious debate between greyhound racing buffs, animal liberationists and politicians.

That the government had to act on the special commission report is without question.

The systemic failure of greyhound administrators to act on live baiting and greyhound “death pits” is a failure of self-regulation.

But for the government to ban a sport for the sins of a minority is a denial of natural justice. It reeks of class prejudice and shameless populism masquerading as compassion.

Live baiting and euthanasing slow greyhounds is cruel, but greyhound racing is not. These dogs are running machines; racing is hardwired in them.

The sport deserves a chance to clean up its own mess so the vast majority of innocent participants can continue to pursue their passion.

If you think this ban won’t affect you, think again.

Already, some animal liberation fundamentalists have used the ban to further their extremist agenda.

Horse racing is in their cross-hairs and you better believe recreational fishing will be next.

It might be an uncomfortable truth for some, but humans have dominion over animals.

In the age of political correctness, even that can cause offence.

At the heart of this debate is where we, as humans, draw the line on that dominion.

Should we be able to eat animals? Should we be able to keep them as pets? Should we be able to keep them for our amusement, or heaven forbid, to gamble on?

Alas, all the passionate protests in the world won’t save the greyhound industry.

The sport seems destined to close. An ABC poll recently found 82 per cent supported that closure.

And for a government more interested in votes than fairness, those odds are too good to resist.