Greyhound racing will soon be banned in NSW, bringing to end an industry that for many is exploitative, abusive, cruel and unnecessary.

The state’s Special Commission of Inquiry has issued a report on the systemic animal cruelty in the dog racing world, including mass killings and live baiting.

Close to 70,000 greyhounds bred to race in the last 12 years half have been killed after being deemed uncompetitive, while around 180 greyhounds sustain “catastrophic injuries” during races each year.

The commission, led by Michael McHugh, found that about 20 per cent of trainers engage in live baiting.

It is not known how many jobs will be affected, but Premier Mike Baird says there is “no acceptable course of action except to close the industry down”.

“This is the inevitable conclusion to be drawn from the appalling revelations in Mr McHugh’s report and his considered view that any other measures are unlikely to protect animals from further cruelty,” he said.

Detailed plans on how the state will shut down the industry are expected later this year, and should include a welfare plan for current racing dogs and an “adjustment package” to help the industry transition.

Mr Baird outlined the findings in a Facebook post, which said:

• The mass killing of greyhounds. The report found, “In NSW in the last 12 years ... somewhere between 48,891 and 68,448 dogs were killed because they were considered too slow to pay their way or were unsuitable for racing.” In the industry, they call this “wastage”. It’s not wastage: it is the unnecessary slaughtering of tens of thousands of healthy dogs.

• The widespread practice of “live baiting”. This is where live animals, like rabbits, are used as bait to be chased by dogs in training sessions. The report found that, even though this is already illegal and carries heavy penalties, “a trainer, who admitted to engaging in live baiting, testified that about 10-20% of trainers engaged in live baiting.”

• The systemic deception of the public concerning the numbers of deaths and injuries of dogs. It is estimated that 180 greyhounds per year sustain catastrophic injuries during races such as skull fractures or broken backs that result in their immediate death. But the commission found that “Greyhound Racing NSW had adopted a policy of deliberately misreporting the extent of injuries suffered by greyhounds at racetracks.”

• The industry is not capable, in the short or medium term, of reforming. The report found that “it appears unlikely that the issue of the large scale killing of healthy greyhounds by the industry can be addressed successfully in the future.” In fact, the report found that, “such is the culture of the industry and some of its leaders that it is no longer, if it ever was, entitled to the trust of the community.”

Mr Baird said people’s rights to drink and gamble did not trump a dog’s right to live.

“Of course, having a punt on the dogs over a few beers is good fun for many people,” the Premier said.

“So, as Mr McHugh asked, do such benefits of the dog racing industry outweigh the shortcomings?

“Based on this report, the Government believes they do not.”

Greyhound racing is legal in only eight countries around the world - NSW will be the first state in Australia to ban it.