This is a new page, still under construction.. please bear with us
UK: Dogs Trust undercover investigation 2014
The UK's largest dog welfare charity, The Dogs Trust, recently conducted an in-depth, 3-month investigation into conditions at greyhound trainers' kennels..
Out of nine kennels involved in the investigation, conditions in at least three would, in the opinion of the investigators, severely breach the minimum standards of the industry's governing body. As the Dogs Trust points out, the minimum standards themselves are "outdated and only cover very basic welfare standards".
In a nutshell, the investigation found:
Unacceptably dark, dank, filthy, and structurally dangerous kennels soaked in urine and excreta.
Extremely dirty and hazardous food preparation areas.
Lack of or inadequate firefighting equipment and/or heating facilities.
Numerous injuries to greyhounds within the kennels.
Poor transport conditions for greyhounds travelling from Ireland to be sold in the UK
And remember... all this is before we even consider the emotional and social well-being of these affectionate, sociable, comfort-seeking dogs.
UK: League Against Cruel Sports report 2014
"The state of greyhound racing in Great Britain: A mandate for change"
This report concluded that the life of a racing greyhound is filled with abuse, neglect and early death:
Racing dogs spend 95% of their time in small, barren kennels with little social contact. Those that are housed in pairs are kept constantly muzzled which is highly distressing for them.
Many suffer with fleas, worms, untreated injuries, malnutrition and dental problems. Industry sanctions against those who treat dogs in this manner are feeble and ineffectual.
Poorly maintained tracks and racing frequency cause painful, and often lethal, injuries such as broken backs and shattered limbs. The industry is allowed to keep injury records secret.
At least 10,000 dogs are deemed surplus to requirements every year. 8,000 are retired racers, the rest are young dogs that didn’t make the grade.
British charities rehome many surplus dogs, but many are unaccounted for each year. Some are abandoned, some killed crudely, others sold for dissection.