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‘Screams
of pain…’
By James Morton
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A
MAN has spoken of his horror at watching a greyhound limp away
in agony during a race meeting at Poole Stadium.
Derek Palmer was celebrating his 37th birthday with friends when
one of the dogs, Hi Polejointer, broke a leg as he was leading
the night's eighth race.
The greyhound had to be put down by the stadium vet, while Mr
Palmer and his friends all left the stadium in distress at what
they had seen.
Mr Palmer, who runs an electrical supplies company, said: "I
felt devastated.
"The incident turned what should have been a happy celebration
into a total nightmare.
"It looked like one of the dog's legs was broken and he was
carried off the track screaming in pain.
"Many of the people around us were visibly upset by what
had happened and I saw one woman in tears."
Clive Evans, chairman of the Poole Greyhound Owners' and Trainers'
Association, said the injury suffered by Hi Polejointer was a
particularly bad one, but that such incidents were a very rare
occurrence.
He said: "It was just one of those tragic things and doesn't
generally happen.
"Legs are broken in all sports - some of them are OK but
this one wasn't.
"The vet decided it was kinder to put the dog down on this
occasion."
Mr Palmer contacted the campaign group Greyhound Action, which
believes the sport should be banned.
Tony Peters, UK co-ordinator of the group said: "Sadly, such
horrific injuries to racing dogs are all too common.
"The main reason for this is the shape of the track, which
creates a very dangerous environment for dogs to run in."
Mr Evans said Poole's greyhound meetings were run under strict
regulations and that most dogs are found homes when they are retired.
Greyhound
Action comment:- The British greyhound racing industry has admitted
that over 3,000 "retired" greyhounds are put to death
ever year. In addition, an estimated 15,000 young greyhounds,
including pups, are "put down" annually before they
even reach the tracks, after being considered unsuitable for racing.
Therefore, each of Britain's 30 major dog tracks, including Poole,
is, on average, responsible for the deaths of over 600 greyhounds
every year.
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