Lou's Gorgeous Greyhounds

Anyone who follows greyhound welfare issues will know that very little is ever revealed in the press about the cruel and disgusting treatment that some of these beautiful animals face. In actual fact, this may be why many of you read this blog in the first place and spread the word about it. However, the cover up that millions witnessed on a BBC program last week takes the biscuit.

The BBC show "Inside Out London" did a ten minute piece from Romford Greyhound Stadium in the UK. The coverage was supposed to be unbiased, impartial, honest and independent but was in fact the opposite. Although they failed to speak to welfare groups and greyhound rescues, they completely ridiculed those of us seeking better treatment for greyhounds and an end to the needless slaughter many of them suffer every year. In fact, the host (Matthew Wright) actually said "there are those that are glad to see the closure of any greyhound stadium because they claim it’s a cruel sport and it’s the old dogs that suffer. They say that once they stop racing – it’s the knackers yard for them – but it appears this is far from the truth".

The email I recieved pointed out the following:

Clearly the BBC have failed to research and acknowledge the overwhelming evidence of ALL welfare issues such as over breeding, lack of welfare, injuries, destruction of healthy greyhounds, irresponsible re-homing practices and further exploitation of the racing greyhound in retirement.

Had the Inside Out London team remained impartial, they would have addressed not only the concerns of greyhound protection groups but also the concerns contained in the Associate Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare Report, the industry’s commissioned Donoughue Report and those of the RSPCA and the League Against Cruel Sports. All of the aforementioned organisations being highly critical of greyhound racing in its present day form.

This is spot on the truth and exposes the coverage as propaganda rather than unbiased and factual news.

The email also called for the greyhound lovers out there to protest. After all, this is why we are constantly drowned out when trying to create a better world for greyhounds to live and grow old in instead of being brutally killed when they can no longer make their owners money. Even responsible trainers that do treat their dogs well call for better regulation... which is really saying something! Coverage like this can only harm our cause so please take the time to copy and paste the email below and send it to the BBC about the shameless piece that will do greyhounds no good at all:

Dear BBC

I wish to complain regarding the Inside Out London programme broadcast on Wednesday October 15, promoting a night at the dogs at Romford Stadium.

The BBC must surely be aware of the publication of the APGAW and the industry’s commissioned Donoughue reports which concluded there were many areas of grave concern regarding welfare within the industry.

The BBC must also be aware of the further damming of these already highly critical reports by the RSPCA and the League Against Cruel Sports who in response, demanded even more drastic welfare changes to ensure minimum welfare standards for greyhounds.

More recently the Sunday Times, in exposing this ruthless industry, have published two investigative articles earlier this year, which could not have escaped your attention.

Ironically, the first article exposed a veterinary clinic at an Ockendon greyhound complex, euthanasing healthy greyhounds and then selling their warm body parts to the Royal Veterinary College. This was the very same complex which is home to Romford Homefinders, who you featured in the programme.

The second article exposed the largest greyhound breeder in the UK selling puppies who would not chase or too slow, to Liverpool University for research and dissection.

You only have to read the online comments on both these articles to ascertain the public’s opinion and disgust of greyhound racing.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3466712.ece
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article3908388.ece

Why, as a public service broadcaster, who is supposed to be ‘free from commercial influence and answer to its viewers and listeners’ has the BBC chosen to promote an industry which has failed to address very serious welfare concerns, an industry that is dependent on gambling and an industry that is in sharp decline, the promotion of such, being further fuelled by those interviewed on the programme and needless to say, who are financially dependent on the industry - without the airing of any welfare issues?

Astonishingly, the presenter Mathew Wright, remained anything but impartial throughout and gave his firm stamp of approval on this exploitative industry with his closing statement - ‘A night at the dogs – always a good evening’

I sincerely hope the BBC research the facts behind greyhound racing and you give the public, welfare organisations and greyhound protection groups the opportunity in the very near future to address this inaccurate piece of pro racing propaganda you have irresponsibly broadcast.

In meantime, please be advised of the following facts and statements

*For every greyhound puppy that makes it to the track, at least one other puppy will be culled or killed because they won’t chase or are too slow to make the grade – analysis made from APGAW report.
*‘Dogs are generally kennelled for 23 hours a day for their entire racing life, usually two dogs per small kennel sharing one bed and to avoid fighting, dogs are muzzled as a long term solution’ – RSPCA
*The National Greyhound Racing Club processed 18,861 greyhound Retirement Forms last year and refuse to disclose the fate or fortune of those greyhounds – NGRC
*At least 20 greyhounds a day, either puppies which do not make it to the track or ‘retired’ dogs aged 3 or 4 simply disappear, presumed destroyed – RSPCA
*‘Greyhounds suffer through the breeding and selection process, injury and inhumane destruction when they are no longer needed’ – League Against Cruel Sports

Yours sincerely


Please send your emails to :-

dippy.chaudhary@bbc.co.uk – Editor of Inside Out London

david.holdsworth@bbc.co.uk – BBC Deputy Controller English Regions

pov@bbc.co.uk - Points of View (full name and telephone number required)

You can also make a formal complaint to the BBC Trust on this automated complaints form
http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complaints_stage1.shtml

It never fails to amaze me how blinkered and blinded some people are about the plight of greyhounds all over the world. Whilst some people will eagerly criticize me for my views, I pride myself on always remaining open minded. I will actively listen to anyone that has anything to say on the topic of greyhounds, whether I agree or not, but there is one thing that I cannot stand - the willingness of some to actively cover up how many of these beautiful creatures are slaughtered year after year.

The press against the mistreatment of greyhounds is slowly but surely growing and those in the racing industry have responded ferociously to it. Whilst I will admit that I do feel some sympathy for those that do treat their dogs well, I do not appreciate the sentiments of Lord Lipsey, the chairman of the British Greyhound Racing Board. He has accused people like me of attempting to "...propagate fiction about what happens to greyhounds when they retire from racing with parts of the article inaccurate and highly offensive".

I would just like to reinforce the fact that everything I have ever published on here has a firm foundation in fact. The brutal treatment of greyhounds is inexcusable, as is burying your head in the sand Lord Lipsey! I will continue to publish the truth, but people like him give us further grounds to fight.

The full link to Lipsey's comments can be found here, but an extract appears below:

The fact is that when their racing career is over most greyhounds will live out a happy retirement. Less than 10,000 greyhounds are now coming into licensed racing each year. Almost 4,500 are re-homed annually by the Retired Greyhound Trust - twice as many as five years ago. Approximately a further 3,500 find homes either with their owners, their trainer or through other re-homing charities. Some of the others will continue their careers on independent tracks or will return to their native Ireland. Some are euthanased, because, for example, they are temperamentally unsuitable for re-homing or for health reasons. The rules lay down that this be done by a registered vet and anyone doing otherwise risks a ban from the sport and even prosecution

In response, the APGAW report of 2007 concluded that

...an average of 2,478 British bred dogs were earmarked by the NGRC but never made it to NGRC tracks... we must assume that a significant number of these youngsters are destroyed each year

It is important to bear in mind that Irish greyhounds make up 75% of those racing here, so this number only deals with aroud 25% of the greyhounds that are put to sleep for no apparent reason. If that number is taken as gospel for Ireland as well then 7,434 more greyhound puppies are slaughtered. My greyhound, Molly, was one of those Irish puppies once. I couldn't imagine not having her now, but she could have been one of the unlucky ones. This makes me angry, but Lipsey's comments anger me more because...

Approximately a further 3,500 find homes either with their owners, their trainer or through other re-homing charities. Some of the others will continue their careers on independent tracks or will return to their native Ireland. Some are euthanased, because, for example, they are temperamentally unsuitable for re-homing or for health reasons

The NGRC completed the retirement of 18,864 greyhounds in 2007. That is a massive number, but they have yet to disclose exactly what has happened to all of them. They have the data that records the fate or fortune of these 18,864 greyhounds. So 3,500 are re-homed elsewhere, but what happened to the rest of them? Even is some of that number are raced independently, which they shouldn't be if they have officially retired (yet another loophole), why on Earth are some returned to Ireland? Almost16,000 greyhounds were brutally slaughtered there last year.

Believe it or not, there is actually an option for euthanasia on the retiremnt forms too. Three of the reasons that could be given for putting a greyhound to sleep are listed below:
1. Injury not treated on economic grounds
2. No home or retirement place could be found
3. Unsuitable as a pet
The options would be laughable were it not so tragic. Putting ananimal to sleep is supposed to be

in the interests of the animal experiencing significant suffering with a poor prognosis for recovery.

This means that numbers 2 and 3 do not count as viable reasons. As such, they have been unlawfully killed.

This is just the tip of the iceberg as far as Lipsey's comments are concerned. Read them for yourself. After reading that rubbish I am just thankful that I have my beautiful girl here wth me now, and it makes me more determined to do something about the rest...