RULES & REGS FAILURES
Why current rules and regulations are failing greyhounds
The government fails to recognize that an independent greyhound racing regulatory body is necessary to prevent a conflict of interest and to ensure greyhound welfare is considered.
The greyhound racing industry is self-regulated; there appears to be a strong conflict of interest between members of the regulatory board and the greyhound racing industry; they are not two separate entities.
For example, directors are allowed to profit from racing dogs whilst being employed as a greyhound trainer or can be involved in the leasehold/management of greyhound tracks whilst claiming to prioritise greyhound welfare.
Track vets are 'not' independent; they are employed by the track management.
Theoretically, a track vet opposing any practice on the grounds of greyhound welfare could cost the track substantial amounts of money. This would place the track vet in a difficult position where they may feel they cannot act in the best interest of welfare without possibly jeopardizing their own position as an employee.
Rule 18(i) Responsibility of Owner. The Greyhound Regulatory Board shall hold the last registered owner to be responsible for the welfare of a greyhound and for making acceptable arrangements for his/her retired greyhound.
Industry greyhounds are often found for sale on social media sites, and in some cases are being peddled or even exported by unscrupulous people. Tracing any former racing owner is pointless as generally they will claim to have passed the dog onto a new owner in good faith, and therefore they are not held responsible for any mistreatment of a dog.
The GBGB claim greyhound welfare is a priority, however the GBGB 'Green Retirement' form allows dogs to be killed on economic grounds.
When a dog ceases racing, the GBGB rules stipulate the owner/trainer responsible must complete a green retirement form.
See image adjacent which shows the form's tick box options ('Unsuitable as a pet' / 'Injury not treated on economic grounds' / 'No home or retirement placement could be found') on Section D Euthanasia, confirming that greyhounds are being treated as wastage.
Greyhounds are being exported to die overseas and no action is being taken to prevent it.
Greyhounds are being shipped around the world like cattle. Many are eventually exported to Pakistan, Spain or China where they are deprived of protection under the law. A horrifying video of a greyhound being boiled alive in China went viral on social media and hit the headlines of almost every national newspaper.
However, both Defra and the Greyhound Board have since refused to take any action to prevent the cruelty caused to British dogs due to the exports. Defra claims that dogs are ‘not’ a protected species and that there are at present no laws to prevent them being shipped overseas to any countries. They make no mention of any attempt to introduce new laws that may prevent dogs from being exported overseas for commercial use.
We are unaware of the GBGB placing any sanctions on owners or trainers whose dogs have been shipped overseas, even though many of the countries that their greyhounds are being exported to have little to no animal welfare laws.
A simple spay neuter rule followed up by the greyhound racing industry regulators could prevent masses of dogs being exploited overseas for breeding purposes, but they fail to introduce one.
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