Greyhound Racing in Modern Britain?
31.12.08 The International Society Against the Exploitations of Racing Animals – ISAERA - have produced an excellent video entitled Greyhound Racing in Modern Britain? (Part One).
The video features Debra Rothery founder of Tia Greyhound and Lurcher Rescue giving an insight to both the independent re-homing charities and the industry’s own Retired Greyhound Trust.
Debra also highlights how the welfare situation has worsened for greyhounds since the Animal Welfare Act. came into force in January 2007, stating ‘As far as greyhounds are concerned, it’s a waste of the paper its written on’ and ‘they don’t care about the dogs and nobody will prosecute them’ – a sentiment shared by Greyt Exploitations.
Five trainers this year have been fined and reprimanded for cruelty and causing unnecessary suffering to their greyhounds under NGRC rules but not one trainer has been charged and therefore prosecuted in a criminal court under the Animal Welfare Act. More alarmingly, administering cocaine and banned substances to a greyhound is not even considered a welfare issue under NGRC rules.
As the video rightly points out – we must make our voices heard during the public consultation period on the Secondary Legislation for the racing and retired greyhound.
Please click here to watch the video
http://greytexploitations.com/awareness-videos
Please also ask your local rescue centre to contribute to Tia’s Wall of Shame with details of any greyhounds they take into their care – thank you.
2009 Looking Grim for Greyhound Racing
09.12.08
December’s Greyhound Star reports a dismal end to 2008 for the greyhound racing industry and predicts tracks will be facing an even tougher time in 2009.
Many stadiums have recently recorded a decline in attendances in excess of 20% with even the more profitable tracks such as Sheffield and Nottingham struggling with the credit crunch, along with Perry Barr, Newcastle, Romford, Brighton and Hove.
An industry insider has said “There will be some tough decisions being made after Christmas. The general feeling is that many tracks will dispense with their midweek meetings altogether during the early part of 2009”
Peterborough have already taken the decision to close on Tuesday evenings throughout January with a possible extension through to February.
The Greyhound Racing Association, who own six stadiums – Wimbledon, Belle Vue, Portsmouth, Perry Barr, Hall Green and Oxford – are also experiencing serious financial difficulties.
The six stadiums collectively saw attendances drop by 10% and restaurant bookings down by 9.9% in 2007. GRA’s annual profits were barely positive at £174,000 (just 0.7% of money through the gate) and this was for the year to last March, before the credit crunch really hit.
On top of this, the owners – Risk Capital - bought GRA with a £52 million bank loan which incurs a weekly £80,000 interest payment AND has to be repaid by next March. Normally they would refinance the loan and borrow another £52 million, but this will be very difficult with banks being slow to lend to anyone in the present climate.
All this adds up to GRA surely looking to make drastic cutbacks while their owners hang on waiting for property prices to rise again, in order to sell the tracks at a profit for redevelopment.
Attendances down at Wimbledon
Inquiry over ‘race-fix ring’ at dog track
16.11.08
Yet another piece of excellent investigative journalism has exposed ‘bung-taking and ring-fixing at William Hills Newcastle Stadium by The Sunday Times.
As a result a racing manager has been suspended and both William Hills and the NGRC have begun a full investigation.Sadly, the admission by greyhound trainer, Brian Clements, of having 23 dogs in 10 months ‘put down’ will be of little concern to the government but illegal betting practices most certainly will be.
In the past fortnight we have been exposed to
Greyhounds being slaughtered at a knackers yard in Hertfordshire
The BGRB being unable to account for Walthamstow dogs
Horrific injury statistics, which would amount to at least one greyhound every week being destroyed at Belle Vue
Another 23 healthy greyhounds disposed of in the North East
Race fixing and backhanders
Greyhounds being slaughtered at a knackers yard in Hertfordshire
The BGRB being unable to account for Walthamstow dogs
Horrific injury statistics, which would amount to at least one greyhound every week being destroyed at Belle Vue
Another 23 healthy greyhounds disposed of in the North East
Race fixing and backhanders
To view the article and leave an online comment please click here
Inquiry over 'race-fix ring' at dog track
Have We Done Enough on the Suffering of Discarded Greyhounds?
15.11.08
Further to a heated online and ongoing debate between supporters of the racing industry and greyhound protection groups, Ryan O’mera, editor-in-chief of K9 Magazine, has published an article ‘Have we Done Enough on the Suffering of Discarded Greyhounds?’
Ryan writes ‘I know there are many people out there who care passionately about this issue, who live it and breathe it. How can we help? Even if it’s just adding links to our sites or running more awareness articles, please tell me how we can get this issue to the top of the agenda again’
Greyhounds are continually let down by the media – Sunday Times aside - who fail to highlight the welfare issues surrounding greyhound racing, for fear of jeopardizing their revenue generated through advertising and sponsorship or simply through sheer ignorance and not wanting to appear controversial.
However, K9 magazine who publish an online and a hard copy magazine are prepared to help all those concerned with greyhound welfare in raising awareness and have stated ‘we want to do more, what should it be?
So come on folks – Europeans included - get your thinking caps on and post your suggestions online. This is an ideal opportunity to contribute to the way welfare can be improved for the racing greyhound.
Please click here to view the article and leave your comments.
http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/1251/have-we-done-enough-on-the-suffering-of-discarded-greyhounds/
‘Where are Walthamstow’s ex-racers’
05.11.08
Greyhounds UK have an excellent letter published in today’s Racing Post.
Annette Crosbie - OBE, details the analysis of research undertaken by Nick Coleman, who has researched the destination of 399 Walthamstow greyhounds since the stadium closed its doors in August.
Ms Crosbie explains, ‘The data is on the website www.greyhounds-uk.org which has the facility to accept update information on any dog. We intend to do the same for dogs displaced by the closure of Reading track’ and ‘It contains no judgements and uses only information publicly available or from anyone having direct knowledge of specific dogs’.
To read the full article please click here
http://greytexploitations.com/how-you-can-help/greyhounds-uk/36-online/87-greyhounds-uk
Or to go directly to Greyhounds UK website and view the data please click here
www.greyhounds-uk.org
Massachusetts votes NO to greyhound racing!
05.11.08
Massachusetts voters today embraced a ballot question to end greyhound racing in the state, rejecting track owners’ arguments that the ban would cost jobs at a time of economic hardship in favour of protecting dogs from harm.
To read the full article please click here
Knacker’s yard disposes of unwanted greyhounds for £20
02.11.08
It is with mixed emotions that we alert you to this brilliant piece of investigative journalism, yet again by Daniel Foggo of the Sunday Times.
Despite a sense of relief that this widespread practice has finally been exposed, we also feel enormous revulsion and despair – ‘shell shocked’ is an understatement.
It appears the racing industry has been crudely disposing of their surplus greyhounds, as always, very cost effectively.
The highly unethical slaughtering of healthy greyhounds and the selling of their warm body parts for profit was hugely distasteful and we questioned, earlier this year, ‘Is this the end to the exploitation – what do you think happens to the carcases’?
Well perhaps the answer is to be found at Matt Waller’s knackers yard.
Click here to read this disturbing article and leave an online comment – please remember to be polite.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5063056.ece?Submitted=true
May the greyhound’s spirits run free……….
Industry official turns ‘informer’
29.10.08
The latest evidence of greyhound racing losing support came when Greyhound Action received ‘inside’ information on yet two more dogs being euthansed after sustaining serious injuries whilst racing at Peterborough Stadium.
Glandore Queen, a four year old female and the only survivor of her litter to ‘make the grade’, collapsed after breaking her hock, in what was to be her 86th and last race.
Hanoi Son, a four year old male, smashed his hock during a collision with Old John Henry, a two and half year old male.
Glandore Queen and Hanoi Son were both euthanased by the tack vet on the night of October 18th. The fate of Old John Henry still hangs in the balance.
This brings the total number of greyhounds injured and euthanased at Peterborough since April this year, to five. The true figure may be much higher but clearly it is time to demand the enforcement of the APGAW recommendation and those of the RSPCA and League Against Cruel Sports to make greyhound racing injury statistics public, BY LAW!
To view the online article and either leave a polite comment or pay your respects to the two greyhounds who were callously raced to their deaths please click here
http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/1133/renewed-calls-for-greyhound-racing-at-stadium/
Run fast Glandore Queen
September 9th 2004 ~ October 18th 2008
Run free at last Hanoi Son
May 24th 2004 ~ October 18th 2008
Would you trust this man with your dog?
26.10.08
Greyhound trainer and prolific gambler, Graham Calvert, has been given a 2 year prison sentence for possessing cocaine with intent to supply, having a shotgun without a certificate, possessing a prohibited weapon and having a knife as an offensive weapon.
Tom Moran, prosecuting, said: “The defendant, it appears, was a success as a greyhound trainer but going hand-in-hand with greyhound training is gambling”.
During his short but ‘successful’ career Calvert had been subject to a number of National NGRC Inquiries, including positive testing of drug samples and ‘irregular’ performances of greyhounds in his care.
On two separate occasions, within a period of 3 weeks, Methylprednisolone was found in urine samples taken from Calvert’s young two year old greyhound, Tweedale Scott.
The NGRC state ‘Methylprednisolone in particular may mask injury and so it is especially important for a greyhound’s welfare that it is fully clear of any treatment before racing because injury may be hidden which may have serious consequences for the welfare of the greyhound.
Regardless, Calvert was allowed to continue to train greyhounds until he was found guilty of falsifying documents. This would have allowed for illegal betting practices and it was only then did the NGRC deem this offence serious enough to revoke his trainer’s license.
To read the news article please click here
http://tinyurl.com/online-news-article
Reading Greyhound Stadium set to close its doors for the last time
18.10.08
Tonight will see the last greyhound race at Reading’s Smallmead stadium.There has been no official statement from Gaming International, the owners of Smallmead as to why the stadium is closing.
http://www.stadiauk.com/christmas.php?s=re&o=1
However, raising public awareness through leafleting and online campaigns, will have had a massive impact and will have no doubt accelerated the decline in attendances, which can be seen nationally.
Political and public pressure to implement existing and forthcoming welfare legislation will have also added to the ever increasing costs to those involved in the industry.
We do not know as yet what plans or funds, the BGRB have set in place to ensure the welfare of those greyhounds now redundant but will try and keep you informed.
Many thanks for whichever way you have contributed to the ever strengthening campaign to protect the exploited greyhound.
‘Shock and Outrage’ as dog is fatally injured
live on TV
16.10.08
Greyhound Action were inundated with complaints last week when a greyhound was seen crashing to the ground during a televised race at Belle Vue.
After making further enquiries Greyhound Action sadly discovered the young 2 year old greyhound, Frisby Foreman, was euthansed at the track rather than being afforded the expense of verterinary care.
To view the article and leave you comments please click here.
http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/1086/shock-and-outrage-as-dog-fatally-injured-live-on-tv/
Please also spare a thought for Frisby Foreman who, despite earning thousands of pounds profit for the bookmakers during his short ‘career’ of only 13 races, was rewarded in his hour of need with a lethal injection.
Run Free Frisby Foreman
October 2006 – October 7th 2008
WALTHAMSTOW
08.10.08
L&Q have issued a statement following the recent meeting on 17th September with the Save Our Stow campaign.
L&Q’s position has been clearly outlined in this statement and in doing so, have ruled out either selling or leasing Walthamstow to the SOS consortium, stating
‘We will not consider leasing the site for greyhound racing under any circumstances’
‘There has still been no offer made by your group for the site under these conditions and we assume no offer will now be made. Outright sale must also be therefore discounted by us’
Greytexploitations also finds it very encouraging L&Q, as one of the UK’s largest housing associations, an association who will be acutely aware of society's social needs and trends, ‘do not wish to be legally associated with the running of a greyhound racing business’
To read the full and very frank statement in response to the SOS proposal’s please click here
http://www.lqgroup.org.uk/data/files/letter-walthamstow-stadium-707.pdf
Thank you to all supporters who emailed their objections to the SOS proposal and well done L&Q!
Welfare ‘HAS GONE TOO FAR’ claims greyhound trainer
02.10.08
Professional trainer Martin Dowman, formerly attached to Doncaster stadium has been found in breech of NGRC rule 174(xi) in that he ‘has treated a greyhound or caused or permitted a greyhound to be treated with cruelty or in such a manner as to cause the greyhound unnecessary suffering’.
During a routine inspection on 2nd April 2008 by an NGRC Steward, a young black female named Pearly Black aged only 15 months, was found emaciated amongst Dowman’s kennel stock of 28 greyhounds.
According to Dowman, the greyhound had not been eating properly since an earthquake tremor 3 weeks previous and described her as a “very nervous bitch.” Despite being an experienced trainer of 15 years, he saw no need to seek professional help and allowed Pearly Black’s health to deteriorate over the following weeks.
After being forced to seek professional help by the NGRC steward and upon the advice of a veterinary surgeon, Pearly Black was immediately put-to-sleep. According to Dowman, the NGRC believe the puppy should have been euthanased sooner.
When asked about the inquiry and the ‘extenuating circumstances’, Dowman said: “These things shouldn’t happen but we’ve never sought of experienced an earthquake and things like that… I went down to the Inquiry because I thought they were going to crucify me.”
Despite being reprimanded and fined £650 Dowman was “quite happy with the verdict.” And added: “This welfare problem now is in some respects gone too far… It’s hard always for trainers and owners… we all can’t have a Derby dog, if we could it would be brilliant.”
Dowman is the fifth trainer this year to receive a fine and reprimand for causing unnecessary suffering. None of the five trainers had their licenses revoked or were bought before the public courts to face charges of cruelty under the Animal Welfare act.
It appears that not only does the racing industry have a license to kill; they also have a license to abuse.
Rest in Peace Pearly Black
January 2007 – April 2008
(At 15 months too young to even contest a race)
Statement from L&Q Housing on Walthamstow Site
16.09.08
Following accusations made by the SOS campaign of fraud, bad planning and even no planning, L&Q have kindly addressed the myths created and circulated to the media by individuals.
In a statement, Chris Middleton, L&Q’s Head of Communications confirms
‘What has to be balanced now is the need for the continuance of a sport that has been in decline in terms of popularity for many years versus the steep increase in demand for homes of all types and tenures across London and the South East and in particular Waltham Forest’
click here to download L&Q full statement
Greyhound Homing Scandal
31.08.08
Greyhound Watch have an excellent article published on K9 Magazine’s website, entitled ‘Greyhound Homing Scandal’.
The article documents how greyhound trainers and owners take full advantage of the loosely termed ‘Rule 18’ when it comes to re-homing their greyhounds ‘responsibly’. Many being advertised ‘free to good home’ and effectively evicted from their kennels without neutering or a home check.
Resulting in yet more abuse and suffering for the greyhounds from their neglectful new owners and of course more pressure on the financially burdened independent rescue centres, who constantly struggle to care for the ‘industry’s waste product’.
Please click here to read the full article and leave your online comments
http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/727/greyhound-homing-scandal/
Please remember to keep all postings polite and thank you in advance for taking the time to speak for the voiceless greyhounds.