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Fact
sheet 7: Cruelty and the greyhound racing industry: some sample
cases.
(if
you don't believe us ... what about the Times? click
here to see what they say)
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.
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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 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.
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UK
| EIRE | SPAIN
(click on a country to learn more)
NOTE:
These are just the abandoned dogs, for information on the estimated
20,000 who are killed annually in the UK and Eire, click on the
"factsheet 1: YOU BET THEY
DIE" button which you will find it at the top of the page
on the left.
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
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Unfortunately
we have no photos
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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
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Frodo
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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.
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'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
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'Jamiedan
Flyer' July 2007
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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
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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. |
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!!!
One of the killing fields of the dog racing industry
discovered !!!
click
here for the full story.
Updated 18/09/06:
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.
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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
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Greyhound
Loses 38 Teeth Due to Neglect and Poor Nutrition
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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
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Transported
in cramped and cruel conditions
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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.
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Appaling
living conditions
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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.
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UPDATE
:
The
campaigners who rescued this dog recently sent us this
update on the story:
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"...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!!"
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Bluey
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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."
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Unfortunately
we have no photos
of Run On Jess:
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Run
On Jess
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"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
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Unfortunately
we have no photos
of Snow Storm:
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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.
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Rusty
Andrew
Gough sentenced to 6 months
in prison for murdering Rusty
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Rusty
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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.
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Twiggy
and Minnie
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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.
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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/
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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.
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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!
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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. |
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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. |
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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 |
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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’. |
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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. |
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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
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back
to top
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.
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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
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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
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Unfortunately
we have no photos
of these three poor greyhounds.
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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.
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Okee Dancer
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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
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Daisy
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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.
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found
28/02/07
found
27/02/07
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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.
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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
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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
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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. |
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Georgie
Heather
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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/
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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
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