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If you haven’t already seen the full report of the undercover investigation please click here – The Secret Slaves of the Dog Racing Industry

During the drafting of the 2010 Greyhound Welfare Regulations – 87% of the 780 responses to the public consultation – called for the regulations to be extended to cover welfare standards at trainers’ and breeders’ kennels.

The Dogs Trust and the Society of Greyhound Veterinarians both recommended ‘regular independent inspection of greyhound racing kennels by an authorised DEFRA inspector’

The recommendations were dismissed by the Labour Government – claiming  they had not seen sufficient evidence of welfare problems at trainers’ kennels to merit further regulation.

Upon the passing of the regulations – Dogs Trust issued a press release – Labour Lets Down Greyhounds – branding the regulations a ‘whitewash’ and stating “The proposed regulations do not extend to training or breeding kennels despite the fact this is where racing greyhounds spend 90% of their lives. These out of sight premises will continue to elude welfare security” and how right Dogs Trust were.

It is estimated £70 million is generated annually in tax through the betting industry on greyhound racing and in that respect – the Government has a Duty of Care towards these dogs and must take some responsibility for not only their protection but also the protection of our environment.

Please write to your MP and ask that the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs brings the inspection of racing kennels under the jurisdiction of DEFRA or the Local Authorities who presently and very successfully licence commercial Boarding Kennels under the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963.

Please enclose this link to the recent investigation covered by the Sunday Express – The Secret Slaves of the Dog Racing Industry – that evidences the inhumane treatment of dogs – poor construction and maintenance of kennels – breaches of environmental legislation – and more importantly breaches of the GBGB Rules of Racing that have clearly not transpired overnight.

You can write to your MP – locating their contact details from their individual websites – which you can find here – Find your MP

If you live outside of the UK – please write direct to DEFRA – email address

defra.helpline@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Please remember to be polite at all times.

Alternatively – you can copy and paste the letter below – including the important links

Dear

Please view this recent investigation of two professional greyhound trainers’ kennels licenced by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain – The Secret Slaves of the Dog Racing Industry.

http://www.greytexploitations.com/resources-and-reports/the-secret-slaves-of-the-dog-racing-industry

During the drafting of the Greyhound Welfare Regulations 2010 – both the Dogs Trust and RSPCA stated the issue of kennel inspections must be addressed requiring “Independent regular inspections of breeders’ and trainers’ kennels by an appropriate inspector authorised by DEFRA”

http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/az/p/politics/greyhoundregulationsdocument.pdf

The Society of Greyhound Veterinarians also submitted that “there is a very real need for regulations covering minimum standards for the construction, management and maintenance of trainer’s kennels, breeding kennels and rearing farms, besides regulations covering codes of practice for mandatory kennel inspections and for the training, accreditation and licencing of kennel inspections”

http://www.greyhoundvets.co.uk/pdf/members/sgvmaterial/2009%20sgv

Of the 780 respondents to the consultation – 87% called for the regulations to be extended to cover welfare standards at trainers’ and breeders’ kennels.

However – the Government dismissed all these recommendations – stating they had ‘not seen sufficient evidence of welfare problems’ at trainers kennels to merit further regulation.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/543/pdfs/uksiem_20100543_en.pdf 

The Dogs Trust called the regulations a ‘whitewash’ and in a press release headed ‘Labour Lets Down Greyhounds’ said it was “appalled the proposed regulations do not extend to training or breeding kennels, despite the fact this is where racing greyhounds spend 90% of their lives”

http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/4049/labour-government-slammed-by-dogs-trust/

Although a new veterinary Kennel Inspection has since been introduced – the vet is chosen and paid for by the trainers and therefore cannot be considered as ‘independent’

http://www.gbgb.org.uk/VeterinaryKennelInspections.aspx

Regardless – the more stringent Rules of Racing and environmental legislation are failing to be enforced by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain.

http://www.gbgb.org.uk/files/GBGB%20Rules%20of%20Racing%20September%202011.pdf (Section 13 –  Page 68 – Trainers, Transportation and Residential Kennels)

Further evidence of the industry’s failure to self regulate and enforce the most basic of welfare standards can be seen in this ITV report from August 2011

http://youtu.be/Cg8A5X03E_I

The Local Authorities monitor travel conditions for racing greyhounds under EC No. 1/2005 – Welfare of Animals in Transport and therefore have the necessary resources to licence racing kennels alongside their existing responsibilities.

It is estimated £70 million is generated annually in tax through the betting industry on greyhound racing and in that respect – the Government must take responsibility for not only the protection of these dogs but also for the protection of our environment in compliance with EC regulations.

I respectfully request you ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to bring the inspection of racing kennels under the jurisdiction of DEFRA or the Local Authorities who presently and very successfully licence commercial boarding kennels under the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963.

These dogs earn thousands of pounds individually for the Government – they deserve lawful protection!

Yours sincerely