facts 7

Fact sheet 1: YOU BET THEY DIE... The shady background of the greyhound racing industry.
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Fact sheet 2: Measuring the Massacre Just how many dogs are put to death by the greyhound racing industry.
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Fact sheet 3: Greyhounds as companion animals A practical guide.
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Fact sheet 4: Greyhound Racing in the USA A The situation in the USA
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Fact sheet 5: Hare Coursing The connection between racing and coursing.
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Fact sheet 6: The Importance of publicity Practical Info
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CAGE has launched a series of free downloadable information posters designed for use in library displays etc.

Click here for more info.

"Running for their lives"

A short video about the greyhound situation by KAREN CHERRINGTON

Shelter

A powerful video highlighting the abuse that greyhounds suffer

Greyhound Abuse

Another great video this time by Kim Brinkman

Fact sheet 7: Cruelty and the greyhound racing industry: some sample cases.

UK | EIRE | SPAIN
(click on a country to learn more)

If you don't believe us ... what about the Times and Sunday Times? click here or click here or click here or click here to see what they say.

Or from the mouth of an industry insider? Explosive revelations, pictures and video click here

Or what about the BBC? The brilliant BBC2 award winning documentary "On the line: Cradle to grave" is now online

part 1

part 2

Spanish greyhound ... murdered and dumped ... as so many faithful dogs are

NOTE : since this page was written ... the last official greyhound track in Spain has closed ... however greyhounds are still exported to Spain for hunting and for use on unregulated rural flapping tracks.

The greyhound racing industry across Europe is a vicious network with many links. The dog you see racing at Belle Vue may well have been born in Eire (the source of most racing greyhounds in the British isles) and it's brother may race in Eire before ending up in Spain when it becomes "surplus" to requirements. For more info on how Irish greyhounds come to be exported to Spain click here and click here for a case study of Tigresa an Irish dog that ended up abandoned in Spain after racing in both countries. When the Meridiana track closed at Barcelona in 2006 ... an estimated 600 Irish greyhounds were racing based at th track ... click here for more info.

This means that what happens in one country is intimately linked to what happens in another ... if you watch greyhound racing in the UK your action is also helping to support the suffering and continued breeding of greyhounds in Eire. In addition it creates the financial conditions that promote overbreeding in Eire which sees "surplus" dogs shipped to Spain, Italy and other countries. Don't believe it? click here to read it in their own words.

The bottom line is if you support greyhound racing in any country, you are partly responsible for the fate of greyhounds in many countries ... if the UK industry collapsed, the Eire industry would collapse and with it the source of ex-racers sent to Spain and other countries would dry up ... think about it.

To help you, here are some true stories from the UK, Ireland and Spain ... we don't think you'll have to think about it too hard before you realise it is immoral to attend races in the UK or to bet on them. This cruelty is unacceptable and must be stopped. After all it's the 21 st century not the middle ages.

Cruelty in the UK:

These are just a few of the many cruelty cases that the UK racing industry generates ... but remember the UK industry supports the Irish industry (and thus the Spanish industry) through the money paid to buy the many Irish greyhounds imported into the UK every year. Without this support from the UK, the industries in these other countries (and thus the incredible cruelty) could not continue.

For more information on scandals, injuries and deaths at UK racing tracks click here to go to the "Tracks of Their Tears" page or click here to go to the "victims of the Greyhound Racing Association " page which contains more newspaper stories about greyhounds abused and killed at GRA tracks.

For information on "doping" and race fixing in the UK greyhound racing industry click here

To read the words of greyhound breeder Richard Newell admitting the slaughter ... click here

Tia greyhound rescue have recently started a "Wall of shame" listing hundreds of cases of abandoned greyhounds ... many suffering appalling injuries click here

Unfortunately we have no photos
of the dogs starved to death
by Julie Geanno and Stephen Watton

Birmingham pair starved dogs to death ... Starved greyhounds in UK were the worst vet had ever seen

http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2009/06/05/birmingham-pair-starved-dogs-to-death-97319-23792585/

The RSPCA rescued 2 emaciated greyhounds from a house in Birmingham in late 2008. They also found 2 dead greyhounds and a cat buried in the garden.

When the case came to court, Julie Geanno, 36, of Allcroft Road, Tyseley, admitted four charges of animal cruelty and her brother, Stephen Watton, 46, of Nash Square, Perry Barr, pleaded guilty to the same charges.

Veterinary surgeon, Steve Odell, told the court they were the "worst cases of starvation" he had seen in his career. He said starvation was the cause of death and the neglect had lasted for at least two months. The animals were emaciated and were covered in fleas and the house was squalid and covered in dog faeces.

Two greyhounds called Pearl and Annie were rescued by the RSPCA weighing just 15.6kg and 18kg. The RSPCA returned the next day to exhume the bodies of Spud the cat, who weighed just 1.05kg, little more than a bag of sugar. Two other greyhounds, Star and Meggie, were also exhumed from the back garden graves and weighed just 11.25 and 11.85kg. Mr Odell said: "All the animals were emaciated to a point I have never seen before in my career."

"I have never seen one animal in this condition, let alone three from the same address. The two surviving dogs would not have lived for more than a
few weeks if there had been no intervention."

Click here for full story

Frida

Greyhound Found Injured and Emaciated wandering around a middlesborough housing estate
http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/2009/05/30/owners-of-injured-dog-sought-84229-23748147/

On Sunday 17 May 2009 a greyhound was found wandering around Pallister Park estate in Middlesbrough. Frida was emaciated and suffering a severe scold to her back.

RSPCA inspector Nick Jones, investigating what happened to her, said: "This poor dog was in a terrible state when she came into our care.

"She was in poor body condition and suffering a very nasty wound which appears to have been caused by some sort of boiling liquid. It's going to take a long time to heal and sadly is so severe it's unlikely the hair will ever grow back."

Click here for full story

Dougie

Greyhound found alive with both ears hacked off at Bedlington Northumbria

A black, male, greyhound was found by a member of the public lying down on a grass verge with his ears cut off and covered in blood at Bedlington on Monday, April 20, 2009. The dog (now known as Dougie) also had pieces of black electrical tape binding his legs together.

All Racing greyhounds have ear tattoos that can be used to identify them and their "owners" so obviously Dougie was an ex-racer. It is probable that Dougie was originally an Irish greyhound because Irish greyhounds have tattoos in both ears and Dougie had both his ears cut off. Another reminder of the close connections between the racing industry in Eire and the UK.

The member of the public who found Dougie took him to Robson & Prescott Veterinary Centre in Morpeth before contacting the RSPCA.

For more info on the case click here

You can also see video relating to the case:

BBC Look North
video of Dougie

News Post TV
video of Dougie

Tara ... fortunately she was rehomed
and is now living happily

Convicted animal abuser
Brian Bunton

Life ban for man after greyhound left to starve

Tara a retired racing greyhound was left so malnourished she plummeted to half her normal weight after being left to starve.

Her "owner" Brian Brunton, 49, was banned for keeping animals for life after he admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the dog. Tara's plight was only discovered after she escaped from Brian Bruntons flat.

Crown Prosecutor Charlotte Mitchell said: "Tara was very weak, dehydrated and her muscles had wasted.

"She had been starved over a period of weeks rather than days.

"She should have weighed up to 30kg, but on discovery weighed just 15kg. After she was rescued she was constantly hungry."

Speaking outside court, RSCPA inspector Chris Simpson said that Tara "could barely stand" when she was rescued.

click here for full story

Convicted animal abuser and
greyhound trainer Robert Freeman

One of the many dogs abused
by Robert Freeman

...and one of the puppies

March 2009 Greyhound trainer jailed after admitting nine charges of causing unnecessary suffering.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/5018503/Teenager-jailed-for-keeping-dogs-in-concentration-camp-conditions.html

Robert Freeman kept more than 30 dogs in conditions described by the Judge as being like a "concentration camp". The court heard that He left the dogs in cages covered in urine and excrement, and without food or water for days causing some of them to bite at the bars in frustration and walk round in circles constantly.

Following a tip off from a member of the public the RSPCA seized 30 dogs and three puppies, many which were underweight, were flea ridden, had eye problems, a broken tail and untreated injuries ... click here for more info and to see the RSPCA video.

Unknown mutilated greyhound
discovered near Trimdon

Starved and mutilated greyhound discovered with it's ears cut off to hide it's identity
http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/Horror-at-dead-greyhound-discovery.5074205.jp

A DOG owner told of her horror after finding a greyhound lying dead by the side of a footpath with both of its ears missing. Animal welfare experts fear they may never be able to determine how it met its death.

The origins of the stricken animal are unknown, but greyhounds which are registered to race have tattoos inside their ears. It is thought they may have been cut off to stop the animal being traced.

The dog was discovered by the side of a country lane, between Trimdon Village and Kelloe.

The woman who discovered the dog and took the grim pictures, does not want to be named as she fears there could be reprisals if the dog is linked to anyone in the local area.

She said: "It looked like it was only about four, and must have been a beautiful brindle dog at one time.

"I burst into tears when I saw it, and was then physically sick.

"It looked like it had starved to death, and both its ears had been cut off."

Valentina was pregnant with 6 puppies

Heavily pregnant greyhound found dead with her ears hacked off between Bristol and Swindon
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/7937809.stm

The carcass of a pregnant greyhound had its ears cut off to conceal the owner's identity, the RSPCA has revealed.

The ears of the animal, which was found at Acton Iron near Bristol in February 2009, would have been marked with tattoos which could have enabled the culprit to be traced.

An RSPCA spokeswoman said: "Irish racing greyhounds are tattooed in the ear for identification purposes, and it is thought that the dog, a female greyhound who was heavily pregnant with six pups, was mutilated in order to prevent the culprits in this horrific case from being traced.

Click here for more info

Grace was one of the lucky ones

Abandoned greyhound gets hit by a car, found with broken leg in Sittingbourne February 2009

http://www.swale.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=5287

Grace was found in Sittingbourne with a broken leg, she had been abandoned and was then hit by a car.

Luckily for Grace she was picked up by Swale Borough Council Animal Control Officers and was then given the treatment she needed to save her leg rather than being euthanased. For the full story ... click here

For more info about the greyhound track at Sittingbourne ... click here

Emaciated greyhound found stabbed to death in the head
source http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/Jean39s-horror-over-dog-find.5002404.jp

In early February 2009, a member of the public out walking her dog discovered the body of a greyhound that had been stabbed to death at Silksworth near Sunderland. As well as multiple stab wounds the dog was emaciated and had obviously been badly treated in the weeks running up to it's eventual death. The Police took away a bread knife that was found at the scene, but so far no one has been charged in connection with the incident.

Unfortunately we have no photos
of the many dogs sent to their deaths
by Barry Clements

Trainer admits mistreating and killing greyhounds
as well as fixing races

Source The Sunday Times: Daniel Foggo reporter

Until earlier this year Barry Clements kept a kennel of about 40 of his own greyhounds, which raced at Newcastle. He said he was blowing the whistle on his involvement after becoming “totally ashamed” of his treatment of dozens of greyhounds in his care.

“As soon as one is hurt you are under pressure to get rid of it. I had 23 put down in 10 months up to May this year and none of them needed to be medically euthanased.”

Clements also admitted he then paid a monthly bung of £500-£600 in cash to the racing manager – who in return allegedly attempted to fix races by allocating favourable starting positions for another owner.

In addition Clements also admitted that he separately fixed a race earlier this year by swapping a slower dog for a faster one. He said he and his colleagues won thousands of pounds by betting on the dog.

click here for the full story

Unfortunately we have no photos
of Pearly Black

January 2007 – April 2008

Starved to death by her trainer.

Dog Starved to death by trainer

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 and and upon the advice of a veterinary surgeon, Pearly Black was immediately put-to-sleep.

.When asked about the case Dowman said “This welfare problem now is in some respects gone too far… It’s hard always for trainers and owners…" he was fined but did not have his license revoked.

Dowman is the fifth trainer this year (as of October 2008) 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.

click here for the full story

Unfortunately we have no photos

Vets’ secret trade in dog body parts

A clinic is killing healthy greyhounds once they are surplus to racing requirements and secretly selling their body parts to Britain’s most prestigious veterinary college for research. The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has a financial agreement with a vet’s practice which provides the organs from dogs on a regular basis.

An undercover reporter working for the Times posing as an owner found that staff at the Greyhound Clinic in Essex agreed to kill greyhounds for £30 each even though he told them the dogs had “nothing wrong with them”. The clinic is then paid by the college, which specifically insists the dogs must be healthy before being euthanased, for each animal from which it supplies parts.

click here for the full story

Frodo

3 greyhounds die as a result of neglect by previous owners

"This large dark brown/black greyhound arrived at Tailends on Sunday 27th May 2007. He was rescued a week earlier along with two other dogs, Duke and Seth, from a shed where they had been living in terrible conditions. Duke was in such a bad state that he had to be put to sleep on veterinary advice. Seth is younger and soon found a wonderful home with people who adored him. Tragically his new-found happiness was short-lived as after just a few weeks with his new beloved family, he suffered a pulmonary embolism and died a few days later.

Frodo is such a gentle old boy and has had such a grim life. He has never lived in a house before and is learning about all the comforts and freedom which will now be his. It is such a joy to watch him looking around and going in and out of the garden. This boy has never been for walks but was shut up in an unheated dirty shed for the whole day and night. His coat was in a very poor condition - hardly surprising considering how he has lived. He has been castrated to remove a large tumour in one testicle. His mouth was in such a disgusting state that many teeth had to be removed. The grey putrefying matter in these dogs’ mouths smelt absolutely foul and needed immediate attention. He really is a delightful boy and is so very affectionate in spite of the way humans have treated him. Frodo has very little sight but so enjoys his walks on the beach and all the sounds and smells of the countryside.

Blood tests showed that Frodo had significant kidney failure so he was put on a renal support diet supplemented with a little chicken or fish. Recently he seemed to be reluctant to go out, though he was still eating well enough. I took a urine specimen for testing and it revealed the presence of blood and casts. This could have been due to the kidney problem or a bladder infection. We put him on antibiotics for a week but there was little improvement so he had an ultrasound scan on Thursday August 23rd and another blood test. The blood test showed his creatin and urea levels were slightly improved but the scan revealed a tumour in his left kidney and the right one was shrunken and useless due to a former untreated infection. There was now no treatment and we knew Frodo had little time left. However he was still eating well and was bright, so our vet said he could come home until his condition deteriorated. Sadly, just two days later, on the evening of Saturday 25th August Frodo became ill. We rang the vet and she came straight out. Our dear brave boy fell quickly into that deep painless sleep which took him from us forever. He had just three short months of comfort and love after a life of hardship and misery. He deserved better. He should have had a right to be cared for properly and to receive treatment when he needed it. The terrible suffering of so many dogs who have been bred for the racing industry is a disgrace. The management of this industry continually maintains that the retired dogs are well cared for in “happy homes”. Maybe this is true for some, but for only a small proportion of the dogs involved. The hidden suffering of thousands of dogs every year is a national disgrace. I make no apology for using Frodo’s story to highlight the misery of these dogs whose stories are never known or told. If you really care and are moved by the lives of Duke, Seth and Frodo then please do not support the industry for which they were bred. Greyhounds will continue to go on suffering until people stop supporting Greyhound racing."

This story comes from http://www.tailends.co.uk/ ... Tailends take in older dogs ... usually they have spent a lifetime of abuse and neglect in racing kennels.

Unfortunately we have no photos
of Bluestone Lane or Daves Dasher

Two greyhounds fatally injured at Yarmouth within 5 days

Spectators at Yarmouth were horrified when, in the ninth race on Wednesday 22nd October 2008, Bluestone Lane 'brokedown' and was carried off the track yelping in agony. The beautiful blue male had suffered a severe hind leg fracture and was put-to-sleep by the track vet.

Ann Cossey, who shared ownership of the greyhound with trainer George Parker, said: "If there had been anyway, I would have saved him, but I don't really want a three legged dog… you know if people see a three legged greyhound up the road its not a very good advert is it?"

Bluestone Lane was just 30 months old and the third greyhound Ms Cossey has lost through injury.

The following Monday, October 27th, Daves Dasher - a dark brindle male aged only 26 months - sustained a serious fracture of the right foreleg and was PTS also.

Research shows that annually around 1500 greyhounds are put to sleep at tracks under the NRGC and the number of injuries is in 5 figures.

Unfortunately we have no photos
of Frisby Foreman

‘Shock and Outrage’ as dog is fatally injured live on TV

Greyhound Action were inundated with complaints in October 2008 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 veterinary 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/

'Jamiedan Flyer'

The second unknown greyhound.
It was impossible to read it's ear tattoos because it's ears were too badly decomposed.
Click here for a larger version

'Jamiedan Flyer' July 2007

In JUly 2007, a dog was discovered with a gaping air rifle wound in it's head near Ayr greyhound track in Scotland. A vet was called by a local person who heard the dog moaning in a ditch. Unfortunately the dog had to be put to sleep because it was so badly injured. The vet asked the Police what she should do with the body and was told 'just dispose of it’.

Apparently although the vet identified the dog from it's ear tattoo, a prosecution can now not be undertaken because the body was not autopsied.

Several days later, the vet returned to the ditch with some pro-greyhound activists and they dicovered the remains of another greyhound a few hundred yards away in the same ditch. The dog looked as though it had been desperately trying to reach a small trickle of water in the ditch to get a drink.

This subsequent discovery raises the question ... how many more are buried here?

There are also other suspicious details around this case. 'Jamiedan Flyer' was well fancied in his last race and a lot of money was bet on him ... yet he came last. An insider at the track is quoted in the Scottish Daily Mail as saying...

"There had been heavy betting on the dog and a lot of money was lost. There were rumours this was going to happen and everyone at the track was disgusted when we found out what had happened."

This is clearly a potential doping case ... but as the body was never autopsied ... we will probably never know for sure.

Click here for more details

This man has murdered thousands of greyhounds over the last 15 years for £10 each ... and he is not the only one ... we just don't know who the others are ... yet.

Rent A Flyer and Clash Nitro
Just 2 of the dogs killed by
David Smith
(they are the same two dogs shown in the
wheelbarrow in the picture above)

RENT A FLYER

May 11th 2004 - July 12th 2006

CLASH NITRO

November 1st 2003 - July 12th 2006

Run fast boys…

...Run free at last

!!! One of the killing fields of the dog racing industry discovered !!!

July 2006

click here for the full story.

Yet another of the secret killing fields of the greyhound racing industry has been discovered, this time near Manchester:

click here for the full story.

Since GA began 9 years ago, we have constantly fought to expose the truth about the greyhound industry ... on july 16th 2006, the Sunday Times published an undercover investigation into the deaths of thousands of ex-racers ... this report vindicated everything we are and have been saying about the fate of ex-racers ... will anyone take action now???

GA is not holding it's breath to see what the politicians will do ... together we can stop this industry ... join the campaign todayby emailing us at info@greyhoundaction.org.uk

Smiths victims identified by insider

July 2008

David Smith the ‘Seaham Slaughter’ was exposed by The Sunday Times on 16th July 2006, exposing the death of an estimated 10,000 greyhounds at his hands.

Four days earlier, on Wednesday 12th July, a beautiful summers morning, Clash Nitro aged 2 years and 9 months and Rent A Flyer, even younger at 2 years and 2 months were taken to Seaham.

Unaware of their fate, they showed no resistance when lead by David Smith to the slaughtering shed. Rent A Flyer only glancing back when alerted by the camera shutter of the undercover photographer.

We will never know who had to watch his kennel mate being slaughtered and then endure the fear of knowing this was also to be his impending death.

We will never know if Smith executed his ‘Captive Bolt Pistol’ effectively, designed only to stun and not kill outright.

We will never know the names of the estimated 10,000 greyhounds Smith buried alive in the burning lime.

What we do know is that there were 12,819 greyhounds exported from Ireland last year, just like Clash Nitro and Rent A Flyer, all trained to perform and tragically, just waiting, unbeknown to them, to be raced to death for the price of a bet.

(the writer of this article wishes to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal from the racing industry)

Greyhound Loses 38 Teeth Due to Neglect and Poor Nutrition

When this greyhound was taken from a rescue kennels in the Westcountry in the summer of last year (2006) it was flea-ridden and full of sores and scars all over its body. But it was her teeth that caused us most concern.

When the vets checked her teeth they discovered that she was suffering from very advanced Periodentitis which is a form of gum disease. This type of disease can be hereditary, but in such a young dog it is almost certainly caused by neglect and poor nutrition. The fact that the rest of her body showed obvious signs of neglect and abuse confirmed us in this view.

The disease was so advanced that the greyhound had to have 38 teeth removed in an unusually long procedure. Because of their size and their large lungs, it is potentially dangerous for greyhounds to be under anaesthetic for long periods ... in this case she was under anaesthetic for 2 hours but luckily came through.

In our experience it is very common that rescued greyhounds suffer from bad teeth, one explanation (aside from neglect and the poor diet many of them have had to endure during their racing years) was offered by a vet at the practice who had previously worked with racing greyhounds and said that it was common for trainers to rub pure glucose on the gums of the dog to give it an energy boost just before a race, this in turn obviously would rot the teeth and gums at a faster pace than normal.

Unfortunately this is not an unusual case ... for details of another similar case click here

Transported in cramped and cruel conditions

In September 2006, Martin McBride of Ardmayle Cashel, Co Tipperary was fined €6,000 after he was convicted of transporting ten greyhounds from Ireland to the UK in cramped and bare cages that were smaller than the legal size.

The court heard how the police pulled over a white Mercedes van in August last year and found it contained rows and rows of caged dogs, with further rows behind them.

Animal welfare inspector Glyn Roberts, who was called to assist, found the dogs in small, stacked cages, some of which were just 32.28 inches high.

One black and white greyhound had been transported in a collapsible travel cage which was lower in height than the peak of the dog's back bone - let alone his head carriage, she said.

Under Englands Welfare of Animals laws, transport cages must be big enough for animals to stand and lie down without difficulty.

McBride told magistrates he was completely unaware of the regulations despite being in the racing industry for 30 years and transporting dogs for six years from Ireland.

GA comment: this clearly shows not only the link between the Irish and UK industry, but also the culture of cruelty inherent in the racing industry in both countries ... this man has been involved in the industry for 30 years ... he is not a poorly informed amateur or new comer ... he represents the sort of people who make up the backbone of the industry ... as do the others mentioned in the cases on this page.

Appaling living conditions

Campaigners recently freed a greyhound from appaling ... but not unusual conditions ... a cramped, dirty, dark and urine sodden prison... you can see for yourself by looking at the pictures on the left.

The second picture was taken without the flash and you can see how dark the living conditions really were. If you look very carefully, you can just about make out the dogs eyes in the dark recesses of the cage.

The dog has spent its entire life in this hell hole apart from being used for racing. When the dog was rescued and moved to better conditions, it was very nervous and did not know how to react to light and space as it had been deprived of them for so long.

Most poignant of all is that when some treats were left in a bowl, the dog didn't eat them because it had never had a treat before and just didn't know what to do with one.

UPDATE :

The campaigners who rescued this dog recently sent us this update on the story:

"...just to let people know that this is a happy ending. I was told yesterday that she has just gone to a lovely new home (thoroughly homechecked) and had a bath. so she is all silky smooth.

She sleeps on her owner's bed and is very very greedy. She loves her food. This is such a wonderful ending to a tragic beginning. That dog now has a new lease of life and my heart is singing!!"

Bluey

Bluey had spent at least one winter wandering alone in some Scottish woods, before she was spotted and eventually rescued.

Edna first spotted the blue brindle greyhound hobbling through the woods while she was out walking her own dogs, but it took her many months to finally rescue Bluey. At first, every time Edna approached Bluey, she ran away in terror because she was so timid.

An earmark and diligent research revealed that Bluey was registered at Shawfield Stadium 4 years ago, but when her racing days were over (probably due to injury), she was heartlessly dumped.

Edna says "It was heartbreaking to see her wandering around in the forest because her wrist was injured and she was clearly in pain. She had been abandoned."

Unfortunately we have no photos
of Run On Jess:

Run On Jess

"Last Saturday evening (19 January 2008) another greyhound ‘brokedown’ and was carried off the track and destroyed by the vet on duty. The stadium, on this occasion, was Sittingbourne and the greyhound a beautiful black and white female named Run On Jess. Whilst negotiating the first bend the greyhound suffered a horrific break of a hind leg. Instinctively she tried to keep running but had to be carried off the track and was put down immediately. Just another statistic to ad to the hundreds of thousands destroyed by the racing industry…all in the name of entertainment!"

source: Sighthound Mail January 21, 2008

Unfortunately we have no photos
of Snow Storm:

Snow Storm

Abbey Moor ( situated near Glastonbury ) has been dubbed the "Stadium of Death" by local greyhound protection campaigners, due to the dangerous nature of the track.

Since the track reopened in October 2005, there have been several serious injuries to greyhounds running there and now a dog has died. Unsurprisingly, the track proprietors kept tight-lipped about the incident, but now the news has leaked out.

During a race on 27th January 2006, a greyhound called "Snow Storm" hit the barrier surrounding the track and lay crying for 10 minutes before dying. Even hardened greyhound racing enthusiasts were upset that the dog suffered for so long, despite there being a vet on-site.

It is suspected that Snow Storm sustained a heart attack after having to endure racing twice in one night, which is normally not permitted at greyhound tracks.

Rusty

Andrew Gough sentenced to 6 months
in prison for murdering Rusty

Rusty

On Sunday, May 2nd 2004, a five year old black male greyhound (later found to have been called Rusty) was discovered by a dog walker, who heard him whimpering in agony in a rubbish tip on Fochriw Mountain in the Rhymney Valley, South Wales.

Rusty had been injured in several ways, including being shot in the head with a captive-bolt pistol, and his ears had been hacked off (presumably, because they contained tattoos that could identify him). Despite this appalling torture, Rusty was still alive - and wagging his tail - but his injuries were so extensive that he was later "put to sleep" by a vet.

At Caerphilly Magistrates Court on December 22nd 2004, greyhound "executioner" Andrew Gough was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment for torturing Rusty and banned from keeping animals for life. It emerged during Gough's trial that Rusty's owner and trainer (John Hurley and Mark Emmett) had handed him over to Gough to kill, after a toe injury had ended the greyhound's racing career.

It is also deplorable that Hurley and Emmett could not be charged, tried or imprisoned, but it is, sadly, not illegal for a person to arrange for their own dog to be shot. Although Hurley and Emmett are banned from racing greyhounds at the other two South Wales tracks, disgracefully, Bedwellte track has allowed them back. Another reflection on the lack of morality of this disgusting industry.

Greyhound Action has since received information that Gough was one of several greyhound "executioners" in South Wales, who kill dogs for other owners and trainers, so they can avoid the cost of having them "put to sleep" by a vet.

GA comment: Gough was only tracked down and brought to justuce through the actions of pro-greyhound campaigners in Wales and across the UK, if it had been left to the industry, this case would have been swept under the carpet like so many others. For the full story click here.

Twiggy

Minnie

Twiggy and Minnie

Twiggy, is a 2 yr old greyhound bitch, rescued by a Greyhound Action supporter from Barry Wilkinson, a trainer in Taunton.

In total, over 30 dogs in were rescued from Wilkinson's kennels. These were mostly greyhounds, but also included his German shepherd guard dog. All were malnourished and infested with fleas and lice. Six dogs had died from malnutrition at Wilkinson's kennels during the previous 18 months.

Twiggy also had a tail injury with exposed vertebrae. She was taken to a vet and had to have several inches removed from her tail. Luckily for her, she is now in a loving home.

Minnie is an 11 year female who also came from Wilkinson's kennels. This photo shows her shortly before she was rescued. She was emaciated and lying in filth in this tiny cage. Minnie is also now in a loving home ... For a little bit more on Minnie click here

GA note: for those of you who follow our campaigns, you might be interested to learn thatWilkinson raced his dogs at the Glastonbury track (as well as Newton Abbot ... which was closed after a GA campaign) ... click here for more info on the campaign against the Glastonbury track. The good news is that GA local group Avon and Somerset GA are running a high profile campaign against the track and it is easy to get involved ... click here to find out how.

The following cases are all dogs saved by Greyhound Rescue West of England (GRWE) , an organisation that works for the rescue and rehabilitation of abused and abandoned greyhounds. You can find out more about them by clicking on the link below:

http://www.grwe.co.uk/

	Annie - is an 9-year-old greyhound, found abandoned in the West Midlands. She was in a poor mental state, with chronic dry eye, severe arthritis and a heart condition, when picked up. She is now living in a foster home, where with plenty of T.L.C. is much improved, but will always need extra care and lifelong medication.
	Barney - is a two year old boy who was found in Manchester. He had been taken to the dog pound having been found wandering the streets. When he was rescued by GRWE he was a quivering wreck and his brindle coat had MUFC bleached into it. Not only had he suffered physical abuse but he had psychological problems too. He now shares a foster home with 5 other dogs and 4 cats!
	Flynn - a 12 year old black greyhound who was rescued from a shed in 1995 where he had been shut away for about 18 months. Due to lack of exercise Flynn’s muscles had wasted away so badly, that he walked with a wobbly gait. He was also severely affected psychologically by being locked away in the dark for so long. He was originally called Joe but later renamed Flynn. He loves the company of other dogs. He is a very handsome boy who needs lots of special care and understanding.
	Harvey - is a 2 year old brindle boy found starving, roaming the streets. He may have been wandering for some months and was covered in tar and diesel. His ears were burnt possibly from the hot mixture and his body was covered in sores. He was so weak that he collapsed after a few minutes of being walked. He is now being well looked after and is receiving the TLC he so much deserves. Since his rescue his cheeky personality is now being revealed.
	Heather - must have failed her owner because he cut off her ears and left her to die. Heather had tried to walk home and was found collapsed, bleeding profusely, but surprisingly she was still alive. She was rescued and nursed back to health before coming to GRWE who have been able to place her in a special home that can give her the care she needs. Heather was originally found in Eire and you can see more about her story in the Eire section click here
	Lizzie - was found cowering in bushes in the grounds of a nursing home. When approached, she bared her teeth and wouldn’t let anyone near. One day she wandered through the open door and some food was put down. After many weeks she was finally caught and Lizzie has now been in a GRWE foster home for a few months. She still won’t let anyone near her but will approach people on ‘her terms’. We hope that with love, patience and understanding, she will eventually ‘come round’ and be able to lead a normal ‘dog’s life’.
	Maggy - a 4 year old black and white greyhound, was 14 months old when found by a trainer, huddled in the corner of some racing kennels that had gone bankrupt. It was six months before she would let anyone touch her, though having improved after a lot of hard work, she is a shy and retiring young lady, who suffers severe epilepsy. She shares a home with two dogs and two cats, but will always need special care and understanding.
	RT - a big, black, handsome lad whose racing name was Radical Talk - hence ‘RT’. He was very underweight when rescued and extremely frightened of any strangers. His coat was thin with bald patches and his body is scarred - possibly as a result of being beaten. He now shares his new foster home with several other dogs and a cat and with patience and understanding, RT is slowly regaining his confidence.

These are just a few stories from thousands ... if you haven't heard enough about cruelty to greyhounds in the UK or you aren't convinced about the scale of this problem ... click on one of the links below where you will find many more stories like these...

1) http://www.actionforgreyhoundsuk.org.uk/ and then choose "News and Updates" and then"Success stories" or

2) http://www.tiagreyhounds.org.uk/wall.htm Tia greyhound rescue have recently started a "Wall of shame" listing hundreds of cases of abandoned greyhounds ... many suffering appalling injuries.

3) http://www.tailends.co.uk/ ... Tailends take in older dogs ... usually they have spent a lifetime of abuse and neglect in racing kennels.

4) If don't believe us ... what about The APGAW (AssociateParliamentary Group for Animal Welfare) report

click here to read the report in pdf format

Their conservative report says that even according to the National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) approximately 11,000 registered greyhounds leave racing each year. The APGAW report also states that a minimum of 4,728 dogs are unaccounted for each year and the parliamentary group says that it can assume that the majority of these dogs are destroyed. Note: this doesn't take into account all the thousands of young dogs who never get registered and are killed at an early age when it is clear they will never make it as a racer.

5) The RSPCA recently came to the conclusion that at least 20 greyhounds disappear everyday ... presumed killed ... click here for more info

6) To read the words of greyhound breeder Richard Newell admitting the slaughter ... click here

7) An expose by the Sunday Times revealing that a major greyhound breeder is offering slow but healthy dogs to be killed for research ... click here

8) New revelations have exposed a gruesome trade in the organs of healthy greyhounds killed by vets when they are surplus to racing requirements click here

9) Click here for the full story of one of England's secret greyhound killing fields (in the north east) and click here for news of another near Manchester.

10) Click here for the story of two greyhound workers banned from keeping animals for cruelty to 7 greyhounds

11) Click here to see video, pictues and explosive revelations from inside the industry

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Cruelty in Eire:

To understand the scale of the problem in Eire, you need to realise that it is a massive industry and receives an incredible level of support from the Irish government, to give some idea of how great this support is, in the recently published weekend review of the Irish Times, the Irish government published their book of spending estimates for 2005. They were given as follows:

Combat Poverty Agency is to receive 4.1 million Euros
Education and Welfare Board 7.8 million Euros
National Education and Welfare Board 600,00 Euros

GREYHOUND AND HORSE RACING INDUSTRIES 69 MILLION EUROS!!!!!

In addition a recent doping scandal further highlighted links between racing board members and the government click here for details.

This subsidy of the industry has further exacerbated the existing vast over-breeding of greyhounds in Eire. This surplus means many dogs are simply killed, others abandoned and others fall into the hands of unscrupulous and cruel people. The dogs that actually enter the industry often fare no better ... when dogs fail to make the grade or are too old for racing, thousands more suffer the same fate. Not convinced? click here to read it in their own words.

The problems caused by the Irish greyhound racing industry are not limited to Eire itself. The vast majority of greyhounds raced in the UK are bred in Eire and the same goes for Spain (eg. an estimated 850 Irish greyhounds are kennelled at Spanish hell track Meridiana click here for more info on this). Irish greyhounds have been known to end up as far away as Rome ... click here for details ... and some even to South-East Asia ... click here for more details of their possible fate.

So it becomes clear that Eire is one of the main cogs in the international greyhound racing network ... what follows is an insight into how greyhounds are treated in Eire. Remember if you watch greyhound racing or bet on it in the UK, you share the responsibility for what happened to these and the many 1000's more dogs who died or were mutilated in Eire.

For more info on the general situation in Eire you can visit the Irish section of the International Greyhound Action website by clicking here

To read the words of greyhound breeder Richard Newell admitting the slaughter ... click here

Unfortunately we have no photos
of these three poor greyhounds.

Mutilated remains of 3 greyhounds dumped at popular beach June 2009

The carcasses of three dead greyhounds were discovered at one of the most popular bathing areas in the Mid-West at Kilteery in Limerick in early June 2009.

Local council workers found the bodies of two recently dumped greyhounds and the skeletal remains of another greyhound beneath a pier on the beach. The presence of the skeleton suggests that this was obviously a dumping ground that has been used for some time.

Like so many murdered greyhounds in Ireland, the ears of all dogs had been cut off in an apparent attempt to avoid identifying the owner of the animals (all greyhounds have an identification number tattooed behind their ears).

Click here for full story.

Dougie

Irish greyhound found alive with both ears hacked off at Bedlington Northumbria

The member of the public who found Dougie took him to Robson & Prescott Veterinary Centre in Morpeth before contacting the RSPCA.

For more info on the case click here

You can also see video relating to the case:

BBC Look North
video of Dougie

News Post TV
video of Dougie

The unknown dog

A greyhound's body was washed up along the bank of the River Foyle ... unfortunately it's just the tip of the iceberg.

This "shocking and disgusting" picture reveals a dog trussed up in a potato sack which had been thrown in the River Foyle to die.The animal's carcass was then washed ashore in a quiet Derry suburb where it still lies on the riverbank.

According to Joanne Mullan, a volunteer of 10 years standing at the Rainbow Animal Shelter who attended the scene

"It was a horrible day and it was clear that this dog was still alive when
dumped in the river, as it pushed its legs through the sack. Although badly
decomposed I believe it to be a greyhound carcass.

"This animal died a horrific horrendous death. This is totally inexcusable
and absolutely disgusting but probably is just the tip of the iceberg."

http://www.derryjournal.com/journal/Dog39s-39disgusting-death-the-tip.5047262.jp

Unfortunately we have no photos
of these three poor greyhounds.

Irish greyhounds end up starved and abandoned in the USA

On the night of October 27, a local man watched a black Chevy Suburban slow down on Route 6, a heavily travelled secondary road in the tiny town of Killingly, Connecticut. The passenger door opened, and while the vehicle was still rolling, something was pushed out. It hit the ground hard,and seemed to move slightly as the SUV sped off. The man walked over to see what had been thrown from the car. He was shocked to find a skeletal, white and black Greyhound looking up at him. As he reached for her, she wagged her tail, weakly.

An hour later, a black Suburban pulled up in a dark corner of the parking lot of the Miriam Hospital, in Providence, RI. It was pouring rain, and the driver was seen to get out of the vehicle, lift something from the back seat, and place it under a bush. After the Suburban sped off, a nurse investigated the object. She found a white and black Greyhound, so weak, she couldn't move.

Both dogs were originally bred in Ireland and were sold at auction to the Meridianna track in Barcelona. This infamous track closed in March, 2006. Talca and Sari were among the lucky few who were taken to the Scooby Refuge in Medina del Campo, Spain. Subsequently, they were flown to Boston and unfortunately adopted by Kevin J. Schneider of Spruce Street, Watertown an evil man.

GA comment: This case highlights the global nature of the greyhound racing industry and how the dogs are treated as mere commodities ... the dogs started their lives in Ireland, were sold on to Spain and then abandoned there before being rescued ... it is extrememly unfortunate that the man who adopted them turned out to be such an evil character ... apparently this is the only similar case that has occured with a Greyhound Friends rehomed dog in 25 years.

http://www.greyhound.org/newsDetails.cfm?newsID=37

3 of the dogs

5 Greyhounds washed up at Ballyduff 21/12/06

While the remains of individual dogs have been discovered along the coast this is thought to be the first time a large group has been discovered.

“To have five dogs coming ashore like this is pretty unbelievable, this is highly unusual to say the least and logic doesn’t really allow that these animals would all have died of natural causes at the same time."

“While we don’t know where these bodies originated from it would seem safe to assume that they came from the same owner."

The KSPCA Animal Welfare Officer, Harry McDaid

Unfortunately we have no photos
of these three poor greyhounds.

Greyhound dumping ground found in West Cork

In early 2008 the ISPCA launched an investigation into the discovery of the carcasses of greyhounds (and other dogs) in a remote west Cork woodland.

The gruesome finds were made in March 2008 in the Coppeen region and prompted fears that owners have been using the isolated area as a dumping ground for unwanted greyhounds.

Other breeds are also involved, although some of the dogs had become so decomposed that it was impossible to identify them.

The ISPCA has described the dumping as “appalling and disgraceful”.

GA comment: Although the figures show clearly that many thousands of greyhounds disappear every year ... it is rare to find the actual dumping grounds where their bodies are hidden, so this discovery is highly significant and should be thought of as the visible tip of a huge and hidden problem which involves many other similar dumping grounds hidden across the countryside of Eire.

Okee Dancer

Greyhounds breaks back at Clonmel race track

"It is with regret that I report the passing of OKEE DANCER at Clonmel last night. I wasnt at the track last night, but the owner informed me that OKEE had broke his back during a collision at the first bend, in his semi final, and was PTS."

http://onlygreyhounds.blogspot.com/2008/04/tradgedy.html

Daisy

Daisy's story

Daisy was born in - Lisroe, Capagh, Co. Waterford, Ireland - 1995 June 2nd. initially in 1996 she was registered as "Finisk River " on the I-GSB under the identity number 15872 and handed over to a family member of her breeder.

Presumably she was too slow because she was soon exported to Italy about 1997/98, and worked hard on the Naples track under poor conditions until it closed in June 1999 due to bankruptcy.

Nearly one hundred greyhounds from the track were then sold onto Sicily abused and made to hunt for boar.

Hundreds of helpless greyhounds were left behind by the proprietor ... luckily for Daisy she was one of relatively few who were rescued by Italian activists and she ended her days comfortably in Germany.

The reason we include Daisy's story is because it clearly reveals the callous nature of the greyhound industry ... greyhounds are treated as commodities and bought, sold and exported with no regard for their welfare. Daisy was extremely lucky ... thousands more weren't.

found 28/02/07

found 27/02/07

Two mutilated dogs found within days in the same area february 2007

The greyhound at the top on the left was picked up by Cottage Rescue on 28th February 2007. Seems her ear was burnt or melted in some way, looks perfect in the outside until you lift it up to see the Tattoo, the skin is melted, it is well scarred and traces of tattoo well removed

To me this is done a good year or two as the scar is so well healed, but not the scars in her heart or memory as she hates it to be touched.

Poor girl has been through a hard time, she has been beaten, left mangy, her nose has had a hard blow to it recently, her front legs are not good, she may have had both wrists broken and an injury to her back leg also.

The greyhound at the bottom on the left was found abandoned in Mullinahone Co Tipp on 27th of February 2007. We don't know much about the background, but it has been confirmed by board na gcon (Irish greyhound racing board) as a greyhound whose ears were mutilated to remove tattoo's.

So that is two greyhounds in two days in County Tipperary, North & South with ears mutilated ... this shows that this is far from an isolated problem.

Aoife

Aofie is a young greyhound who was brutally mutilated and found in Tramore by members of the Waterford SPCA.

Aoife - the name given to her by the rescue team - had both her ears cut off and was wandering around Tramore since Friday evening, absolutely terrified. She was finally rescued on Saturday afternoon and brought to safety.

According to Andrew Quinn, Waterford SPCA, “it took us a number of hours to catch her because she was so shaken from her experience. We started off in the Church Road area of Tramore she then ran to the Golf Course and we finally caught her on Cliff Road. By the time she was rescued she was very dehydrated and she is malnourished”

Aoife was cared for over the weekend and went for a full check - up to the vets on Monday, where it was decided to send her to a specialised unit where she can rehabilate. Once she is back to full strength she will need re-constructive surgery on her ear canals to ensure her ears can be drained properly.

For the original info on the case click here

UPDATED 16/07/07

Since we added this case, the owner has been tracked by DNA taken from Aoife ... however NO action was taken by either the Gardai (Irish Police) or the Irish Greyhound Board ... click here for more info

Mange

This dog was found in Wicklow, he had been living with itinerant travellers. He has sarcoptic mange, is bleeding from the mouth and has blisters all over him. He has just got hair on his head and some of his back. Just one more case.

Georgie

Heather

Georgie and Heather

In 2005, Heather was picked up by a small rescue in Kerry, Southern Ireland,she was in a very poor condition. Heather had been given a heavy dose of anaesthetic, which presumably had been meant to kill her. Her owner had then cut off her ears, and left her to die. She had obviously come round from the effects of the anaesthetic and was found wandering, bleeding heavily, trying to make her way "home" to her owner. It is very difficult for the small shelters to find homes for greyhounds in Ireland, so Greyhound Rescue West of England (GRWE) agreed to take her on.

Greyhounds who are bred for racing are tattooed in their ears, and are registered in their owners details. Cutting off a dog’s ears was obviously meant to avoid the dog being traced back to the unscrupulous owner who had dumped Heather and left her to die.

Soon afterwards GRWE were contacted by another small rescue in Ireland, who had had a greyhound dumped on their door step, again with her ears amputated. Georgie the greyhound, was in a terrible state, her ears had been hacked off, and she was obviously in considerable pain.

Jan says, "We were very shocked by the cruelty shown to these defenceless dogs. I am aware of incidents of this nature happening in this country too, although sadly in previous incidents the dogs have bled to death, and the first we have been aware of it is when the body is found. For us to have one greyhound with its ears amputated is very distressing, but to have had two dogs suffering this fate in such a short space of time is truly shocking. I cannot begin to imagine the pain and trauma which these dogs must have gone through. Sadly, we regularly see evidence of greyhounds who have suffered neglect, but to see these beautiful dogs who have suffered such deliberate cruelty is heartbreaking. "

"Georgie is recovering from her ordeal well, although she is a very nervous dog, and is particularly wary of men. She will stay with us until she is well enough to continue her rehabilitation in a home environment. Heather has been rehomed with a family, where she happily lives with 2 cats and is recovering well"

For more pictures and info on this story click here ... you can contact GWRE via their website http://www.grwe.co.uk/

Elizabeth

Elizabeth is another Irish found abandoned and injured. She was found wandering with an injured eye which was so severely damaged, it had to be removed. Luckily for Elizabeth she came into the hands of Greyhound Action Ireland and now she is safely in a loving home. For more pictures clickclick here

EVA

Eva was found in a terrible state one morning by a girl in her back garden in Ballinasloe, County Galway. Luckily for Eva, Rachel, the girl who found her, already had some rescued Greyhounds.

Eva was brought to a Vet who said that the injuries to her ears were caused by Battery Acid or burning, as the hair around her ears was also singed. Her ears were septic , with a texture like charred fabric and one was burned right through with a gaping hole.

The bluish ink from Greyhound Industry tatoos was apparent on the bits of her ear that were still hanging in tatters. Her left front leg had a large chunk of skin missing, which could not be stitched and required constant changing of dressings. Her ears were full of pus and she screeched if she thought she was going to be lifted.

Despite all of this cruelty being done to her Eva is a gentle little lady. We reckon she is about 1-2 years old and is slight in size. Her appetite is fantastic and she is doing well here at Dog Rescue Ireland in Dublin.

The people from the Greyhound Racing Industry who did this to dispose of Eva without being traced by her ear tatoos are still loose out there with impunity from prosecution and will probably do this again, or possibly have done so already to other dogs of no use to them. A slow dog does not win them money. For more info (and a nice photo of Eva in her new home) click here

Fionn

Fionn was discovered in Tipperary by a woman on her return home. His scalp had been severely mutilated and both ears removed ... this appeared to be carried out by someone using a crude blade as the skin is hacked and infected.

As greyhounds are tattooed on both ears to identify them for racing and coursing purposes, it is obvious that Fionn was mutilated to prevent his identy becoming known and thus his former "owners" being traced. As you will have seen from other cases on this page, this practice is becoming all too common in Ireland and the UK. It's almost like they can't even be bothered to kill the dogs anymore ... although many dead dogs have also been found with these mutilations (see next case for an example)

Fionn is now in the care of Tipperary friends of animals. He is very friendly and out going even after all this being done. This is typical of greyhounds, who are amongst the most loyal and forgiving of any dogs.

Note: although you might find it hard to believe, throughout this page, we have not included the most severe images we have available for these cases, to see the true extent of Fionn's injuries, click on any of these links ... however be warned, they are severely upsetting ... but unfortunately this is the reality

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/saluki/4a.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/saluki/d0897c21.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/saluki/2cfb371c.jpg

Unfortunately we have no photos
of these three poor greyhounds.

The Dungarven Three

During September 2005, the mutilated bodies of three greyhounds were found floating in a river near Dungarven by a Waterford man out walking his dog. The throats of the animals had been cut and their ears hacked off. These horrific injuries had been inflicted in order to remove their ear tattoos and prevent identification.

The case was reported to the Gardai (Irish police) ... but with no ear tattoos for identification, they felt they could not act.

GA comment: Although we campaign for abolition of the entire greyhound industry in all countries rather than tighter regulation (click here to see why we support Abolition vs Reform) ... it is obvious that while there is no legal requirement for the fate of registered greyhounds (ie. ones marked with ear tattoos) to be notified and recorded ... all a trainer has to do, is remove the ears and they can dump or kill the dog with little chance of punishment ... this is the current situation in the UK and Eire. The fact that the industries' governing bodies in those countries have made no effort to close this gaping loop hole in welfare, is indicative of their total lack of compassion as to the fate of ex-racers ... they simply don't give a damn.

It must be also be remembered that many thousands of greyhounds do not even get to the stage of being registered and are disposed of at an early age (see fact sheet 1) ... tighter regulation would do nothing for these dogs.

Note: Although the Gardai refused to act, a similar case in Wales (that of "Rusty") resulted not only in a conviction, but also a prison sentence for the perpetrator ... click here for the full details. So what is lacking is the will to act, not the possibility of acting.

Angel

During november 2004 animal welfare activists in Limerick responded to a call from a member of the public telling them that a dog was lying on the street in terrible condition. On arrival at the scene the volunteers found a poor lurcher in an awful state. This animal was totally emaciated and hairless and was being tortured by a gang of young boys, average age probably eleven or twelve years old. They were pushing nails into her stomach and trying to choke her. They were laughing and boasting that they would finish her off with a brick to the head. They said that they had already killed her pups. Unbelievable as it might seem this poor dog had recently given birth.

The rescuers worked very hard and unbelievably Angel eventually made a full recovery ... for more on this story you can visit the website of the Ameurogreyhoundalliance by clicking here.

Angel is a lurcher, a cross between a greyhound and another type of dog (often a collie, but it can be any type). Lurchers are usually bred for hare coursing and other cruel hunting practices, they suffer in Eire and the UK to a great extent. Obviously as at least one parent must be a greyhound, their suffering has intimate links to the greyhound racing/coursing industry.

Kate

This is Kate an 8 week old greyhound pup. She was found in a very weak state on the streets of Limerick. When discovered, Kate was suffering from sarcoptes mange which caused her to loose most of her body hair. She was also severely malnourished and was terrified of people ... she cowered in fear whenever anyone approached.

Kate was very lucky to be found by the same people who rescued Angel ... she was one of ten pups found on the same day on the streets of Limerick.

Miya

"I Got a call last Sat night at 10.30 from some people who had found a dog `dying`on their doorstep, so off I went. When I got there around 11, I thought the dog was already dead. she was cold and rigid.

Managed to rouse her and got her into the car and brought her home. The heat in the car helped bring her round somewhat and she drank some warm milk for me, but she was so low I stayed up with her nearly all night talking to her and stroking her gently.

Around 4am it seemed that she was not going to give up after all so I let her rest. She was riddled with fleas, lice and, of course, mange.

She is not a tattoed dog, mostly likely not considered good enough when a pup or bred by travellers - which is where I am sure she came from. She only weighs 20lbs right now and is severely malnourished and run down.

She will take months to recover from this ordeal physically and mentally, and she is only around 12 months old!"

Marion

This is another report from the streets of Limerick ... GA is so concerned about the amount of suffering in this area that we have launched an appeal called the MIYA APPEAL to raise funds to help Marion and those volunteers who work so hard to help the tragic victims click here for more info.

For more info on the general situation in Eire you can visit the Irish section of the International Greyhound Action website by clicking here

Finally Dog Rescue Ireland keep a list of cases they have heard about, you can visit their site and see the list by clicking here

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Cruelty in Spain:

Spain has it's own running dogs known as Galgos which suffer just as badly in Spain as Greyhounds do in the British Isles ... in addition they also import many greyhounds, almost exclusively from Eire. Just as in the UK and Eire, these imported dogs often end up abandoned or dead.

Rescue charity Greyhounds in Need estimate it at around 1000 a year ... for more info on how Irish greyhounds come to be exported to Spain click here ... to visit the Greyhounds in Need website click here

The problems don't start when the greyhounds get to Spain, the way they are transported is also a cause for great concern ... click here to see a report by the ISPCA on the transport of Irish greyhounds to Spain.

Most of these cases are from information gathered by Spanish rescue group Scooby Medina. You can visit their excellent website by clicking on the link below:

www.scoobymedina.com/home_en.htm

For more info on the general situation in Spain you can visit the Spanish section of the International Greyhound Action website by clicking here

To vist the powerful and shocking photo archive of L'Europe Des Levriers (French Galgo Rescue group) click here ... be warned these photos are extremely shocking

Yet another case of abandoned and mutilated Galgos this time from Albacete November 2008

"Dear friends

Last sunday was horrible day for our association…., just after having cleaned in the shelter, received a call of a neighbour, there were two galgos in the gardens of the faculty of medicine, one in very poor condition, we were for there and found a dantesque spectacle .... one of the galgos had the extracted tail….., we could not have determined like, he had lost great blood, other one had a multiple fracture and several wounds in her back leg ..... we take the two to our clinic and the vet. of urgency did the possible thing to save that of the extracted tail but it was not possible ... he had lost too many blood and had to have some another internal wounds…."

from Asociación Protectora de Animales y Plantas El Arca de Noé

click here for more photos

A typical case of an abandoned greyhound rescued by the Asoka sanctuary in Spain
http://www.asokaelgrande.org/

September 2007 ... this dog has just been rescued! He is NOT an exception, there are many thousands of dogs in Spain that end up looking like him evry year ... th only thing that makes this case exceptional is that he was rescued compared to the thousands that die in neglect and agony.

click here for more photos

Galgos abandoned to starve in Ibiza

These horrific pictures show agroup of abandoned and starving galgos discovered on Ibiza. This case is far from unusual as the other stories in this section unfortunately prove.

Our Spanish contact suggests you send comments and complaints to the following people.

diariodeibiza@epi.es

patrimoni@cief.es

agricultura@cief.es

ibiza@ultimahora.es

eldia.cartas@el-mundo.es

gisela.revelles@el-mundo.es

edirecto@rtve.es

informatius@teftv.com

protocol@santjosepdesatalaia.cat

overn@santjosepdesatalaia.es

cpa@eivissa.es

direccio@teftv.com

info@eprtvib.es

For more information on the case contact GALAIB@terra.es

Vida a greyhound rescued in Guadalajara

This is Vida who was picked up by a colleague who runs La Camada shelter in Guadalajara.

Vida was given her name which means life by the vets who saved her life.

She is barely 10 mos. old and was dehydrated, starving and had a high temperature and a serious infection when rescued.
Most seriously the bottom of her right foreleg was totally missing ... we can only guess at the horrific incident that caused this extreme injury.

Luckily for Vida, a civil servant from the Town Hall of Fontanar phoned La Camada to report the abandoned dog, which they appreciate.

This is not an isolated case ... virtually all of the greyhounds the shelter takes in from Guadalajara have been severely abused and have serious injuries.

The shelter (La Camada) has demanded that local and provincial governments take urgent measures to stop the abuse these greyhounds are subjected to. Most of the greyhounds in the province are hanged.

Lazo ... an attempted hanging of a greyhound

Lazo was rescued by a Spanish man in early April 2007 and has now been passed on to SOS Galgos ( http://www.sosgalgos.com/ ).

He had been racing at a mobile track in rural Spain and although he has no ear tattoos he seems to be a Greyhound rather than a Galgo (Spanish Greyhound). Lazo is thought to have come from the now closed Meridiana track near Barcelona ... and therefore is most likely of Irish birth.

Hanging is a very common method of killing dogs in Spain ... it saves the cost of a bullet apparently. From the pictures you can clearly see how the rope has bitten into Lazo's neck and we can only imagine his suffering. Lazo was lucky to survive ... but sadly although he was rescued in April, he had been in this state since August last year, but no one was able to catch him until now

Creggane Duchess ... a case study in cruelty

On 16 February 2005 a female Irish greyhound was found on the streets of Valladolid (half an hour from the Scooby shelter). She was found with a rope around her neck, many scars on her body and a lot of ticks. It was possible to trace her origin back to Eire based on her ear tattoos (which is why very often abondoned greyhounds have their ears mutilated) and it was discovered that her name is Creggane Duchess. It was also discovered that Duchess was one of seven pups. We know that her sister also was sold to Spain and another brother went to Rome.

Creggane Duchess raced seven times at the Limerick Track in Southern Ireland and was then sold at Limerick Auction in 2001. She ended up at the notorious Meridiana Track (click here for more info on Meridiana) near Barcelona where even today an estimated 850 Irish greyhounds are "kenneled". Then after years of racing at Meridiana she finished up with hunters in Medina del Campo ... a common "career" path for Irish greyhounds.

The owner in Ireland has retired from Greyhound Racing but he says that the Greyhound was most likely sold by his trainer to the Spanish Agents. Of course the Greyhound is still registered in his name as the Irish Stud book which is held by the Coursing Club never kept up to date. Nobody is held accountable for the condition and whereabouts of their Greyhounds.

Creggane Duchess is very lucky to have survived, the rope around her neck indicates whoever abandoned her may have tried to hang her ... a common way of killing greyhounds and galgos in Spain to save the cost of a bullet. For more info on this visit the Scooby Medina website click here then click on the "Galgos" button, and click "photos" in the "Present Day Problems" section ... be warned these pictures are very distressing!

For more detail on Creggane Duchess and more photos click here to visit the Ameurogreyhound alliance website, the source of much of this story.

For info on "Tigresa" another Irish greyhound abandoned in Spain ... click here

Noelani May 2005

Noelani November 2006

A case of a spanish greyhound from Chiclana (Cadiz)

I"Noelani", a true survivor of the deplorable life that she endured in Chiclana (Cadiz), abused by a crazy old lady. Sadly this is just a representative of many other similar cases.

Lucky for "Noelani" she was rescued and re-homed by German group "Galgos in not" (http://www.galgos-in-not.de/) with a loving new home in Germany.

A case of a spanish greyhound from Badajoz in Extremadura

In January 2005 an owner of a Spanish greyhound in Badajoz, of Extremadura, Spain, stuck a wooden splint in the hound's mouth to prop it open so he couldn't eat or drink, in order to slowly kill him. When the dog didn't die, he took the greyhound to the local dog pound, where a kind Spaniard, and later some Germans, rescued him.

The animal's entire throat and mouth were swollen, infected and oozed pus. The dog could not swallow anything - not even water. He was very lucky to survive ... click here for more info on this story including more photos ... again they are very disturbing.

Airis ... another lucky survivor

This is Airis the victim of a sadistic "owner". Airis was mistreated and neglected before he was finally run over and abandondoned .

Luckily for Airis he was rescued and with the help of Greyhounds In Need, he is now recovering and has a loving home. Click here to visit their website.

FIve Spanish greyhounds discovered abandoned in a well

Late in the evening on 5 January 2005, Scooby Medina was informed of barking coming from a well (30 metres deep) along an isolated road in the village of Alaejos, Castilla y Léon.

A rescue operation was mounted at first light on 6 January by Scooby in conjunction with the municipal firemen and 5 galgos were pulled out alive. Each dog had a rope around its neck. This had clearly been a deliberate act to kill the dogs. It is believed from the stench coming out of the well that it is a dumping hole for unwanted galgos and decomposing bodies remain.

The galgos were immediately taken for emergency treatment to the Scooby refuge, where they are presently recovering. It is expected they will all survive. Two are still in a fragile condition, as can be seen in the attached pictures. All of them remain under the care of a veterinarian.

Unbelieveably, two men have surfaced since the rescue claiming to own the galgos and demanding they be returned to them. One of the men showed up at the well just before the dogs were pulled out and afterwards he officially reported his dogs as stolen. On the day after the rescue, the other man claimed his dogs had escaped from him.

Despite what many people may believe, galgos are protected under article 337 of the Spanish Penal code. This is a federal law and overrules any regional/autonomous laws. There are penalties for disposing of unwanted dogs in this manner, which can lead to imprisonment.

The dogs have tattoos, which could lead to the identification of the owners and an arrest for irresponsible abandonment of the dogs ... this is the probable motivation for the men who claimed ownership ... once they realised the dogs had been rescued and they might be traced and prosecuted as the "owners".

Click here for more info on this story

Three more Spanish greyhounds discovered abandoned in a well

On January 25, 2005 just weeks after a the previous incident, 3 more dogs were found alive in a different well -- this time in Malpica de Tajo (Toledo province of Spain). Luckily for the dogs, someone heard the dogs barking and alerted local government officials, who chose to do nothing ... in the end Scooby Medina were contacted, who launched a successful rescue bid.

It is quite unusual for galgos to bark, so we can only guess how many dogs may die in similar circumstances, undiscovered until they die. Click here for more info on this story.

For more info on the general situation in Spain you can visit the Spanish section of the International Greyhound Action website by clicking here

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If what you have seen makes you want to help us to end this appalling cruelty, why not contact us and join our increasingly successful campaign.

Greyhound Action, PO Box 127, Kidderminster, DY10 3UZ

Tel: 01562 700 043 Fax: 0870 138 3993

info@greyhoundaction.org.uk

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