GREYHOUND racers in Greater Manchester have denied unwanted dogs are being put down when they fail to win.
They spoke out after reports identified a man who is alleged to have been paid to kill more than 10,000 retired racing dogs at his north east home - using his one-acre plot as a greyhound graveyard.
Dog owners are alleged to have paid é10 a time to have unsuccessful dogs - many of them less than four years old - shot.
The practice was condemned as "unnecessary" and "evil" by Manchester's greyhound racing fraternity.
Carl Warren, general manager of Belle Vue stadium in Gorton, said the mass slaughter was "brutal".
He said to his knowledge it was not carried out in the north west.
Disgusted
"It's appalling and we are all disgusted here," he said. "In Manchester, we do everything possible to make sure the dogs are looked after when they retire - it's an important issue for us."
He added that owners are given a choice of keeping the greyhounds on as pets or handing them in to the
Retired Greyhound Trust
.
Those handed to the trust are then cared for by kennel hands, such as Mark Prescott, at the Nook View, in Droylsden, until new owners can be found.
Trust manager Stephen Rea believes killing the dogs because they cannot race any more is unnecessary. He said he was not surprised at the gruesome revelations, but owners would face harsh penalties if found guilty of sending their dogs away to be disposed of.
"You get acts of cruelty in any walk of life and the greyhound world is no different," he said. "It is against the rules and anyone found guilty of putting retired dogs down would be banned for life."
But the
RSPCA
has pointed the blame at the industry itself.
Spokesman Steve Cheetham said: "An animal should be the owner's responsibility for life, not just until the end of their usefulness. This is a sad reflection on the industry, which should clean up its act."
The
League Against Cruel Sports
called for government action and president Annette Crosbie said: "More than é2bn is gambled every year on greyhound racing in Britain. It's a disgrace they don't spend the money on the welfare of retired dogs."
Investigation
Animal Welfare Minister Ben Bradshaw has called for an immediate investigation into the claims.
He said the industry, which sets out its own rules, was "in the last chance saloon as far as self regulation is concerned". He added: "If they can't clean up their act, the government will intervene."
Clarissa Baldwin, chairman of the Greyhound Forum, said: "We've been calling for regulation for a long time and after reports like this, it would be unforgivable if the governing bodies don't take notice."
* For more information on adopting a retired greyhound contact the Retired Greyhound Trust at Belle Vue on 0870 8407502.
SHOULD canine killing fields be made illegal? Have your say.
Tweet
Showing comments 1 to 7 and replies | View All
Zoe, Sale (18/07/2006 at 10:25)
P, manchester (18/07/2006 at 13:18)
Anne, Salford (18/07/2006 at 14:42)
I am writing to draw your attention to the recent expose in the Sunday
Times (July 16th 2006) of the deaths of thousands of greyhound at the
hands of a 'dog disposal' man in the North East of England.
I am by no means an activist, but certainly a dog lover and support
Greyhound Gap (registered charity and website at
www.greyhoundgap.com)whenever I can. This independent rescue in the UK
is trying to help (and save) as many "pointies" (greyhounds and
lurchers) as possible. Greyhounds are the most charming and gentle of dogs (I am lucky to be "owned" by 2 myself) which makes these terrible
fates all the more appalling.
On the face of it, the Times story is a horrific tale, but what really
appalled and incensed me most are the claims by members of the greyhound
industry and its spokesman Lord Lipsey that they do not know about this
sort of thing and that all the blame lies at the feet of the unlicensed
tracks etc.
Basic maths indicates that this is not the case, as 12,000 missing dogs
a year is unlikely to be due to unlicensed tracks alone. 40,000 dogs are bred each year in this country for racing. Many of those never even make it to the track (presumably are destroyed as puppies or youngsters as
they don't make the grade) and the approx. 10,000 that do replace others
that are 'retired'. Maybe 6,000 a year end up in re-homing centres, some
are humanely destroyed by the vet (which I still find appalling but at least it's a merciful death) and the rest ... well, a quick look at some
of the horrific tales on independent non-RGT greyhound rescue sites
gives an indication of some of their fates.
There appears to have been an unwillingness to address these issues
previously, maybe due to the income many people (successive governments
included) make from the betting side of the industry. Hopefully the
recent courageous article in The Times may help to bring public
attention to something that has previously been swept under the carpet.
I find it especially telling that all racing dogs are registered at
birth and technically should have their details and fate regularly
updated with the regulators of the greyhound industry. Yet, independent
rescues regularly receive dogs that have never had their details
updated, with little or no comeback on trainers that fail to provide
this info.
Apparently self-regulation is not working as it appears many, many
animals are being unnecessarily bred and slaughtered for entertainment
and profit.
It is hard to equate the ethics of a government which banned
fox-hunting, yet can morally stand by and watch the regular slaughter of
thousands of animals for the sake of money and entertainment without
enquiry and, more importantly, action. To allow this to continue in my
opinion makes a mockery of any pretence of caring for animal welfare.
I hope that you will consider raising a question in Parliament about
this issue, supporting other colleagues that may do so and that, should
an enquiry be ordered, you will consider being active in ensuring
tougher guidelines and recompense is issued for the greyhound racing
industry as a whole.
Craig, Altrincham (18/07/2006 at 17:40)
That's a bit of a stupid question don't you think? er...yes?
Amanda Wells, Scotland (18/07/2006 at 23:29)
Perhaps if they were seen to acknowledge that there was an issue with disposing of their waste product, i.e. the greyhounds, then it may show willing. Alas not.
The bottom line is that there will never be enough homes for all the dogs that retire when they have finished racing.
The only solution is to ban greyhound racing and stop this slaughter.
jim, oop north (19/07/2006 at 09:31)
A James, West Midlands (19/07/2006 at 12:55)