Oct
Another Greyhound Dies in Race Action
Spectators at Yarmouth greyhound stadium were horrified when, in the ninth race of the evening meeting on Wednesday 22 October, Bluestone Lane ‘brokedown’ and was carried off the track yelping in agony.
The beautiful blue male had suffered a hind leg fracture, with eye witness accounts suggesting a femur having snapped.
Anne Cossey, who shared ownership of the greyhound with trainer George Parker, said: “If there had been anyway, I would have saved him, but I don’t really want a three legged dog… you know if people see a three legged greyhound up the road its not a very good advert is it?”
Bluestone Lane was just 2 ½ years old and the 3rd greyhound Mrs Cossey has lost through injury.
The average age for a dog to retire from racing at Yarmouth is just 3 years, 5 months and the average number of races completed is 48.
Due to injury, however, many greyhounds will see far fewer races and safety at Yarmouth has been a contentious issue for many years with trainers describing the track as both “diabolical” and an “absolute tip.”
An inconsistent surface (said to be due to grading and drainage) and the inside rail are given as reasons for an appalling number of injuries and fatalities.
It is, however, widely acknowledged that the character of greyhound tracks – with fast straights leading into tight bends – is the primary reason for a very high rate of injuries that can be found at all stadiums.
It is a subject that racing officials remain very tight-lipped about despite a recommendation within a Parliamentary Group report on greyhound welfare that the “industry should be required by law… to record and publish annual injuries to greyhounds on a central database.”
The main organisation collecting such data is the Racecourse Promoters Association (RCPA) who has turned down all requests for information.
The National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) hold figures relating to greyhounds PTS following injury but are equally guarded.
And the reason for their silence is, of course, obvious; with research indicating a five figure number for injuries incurred annually on tracks that come under the regulation of the NGRC, and hundreds of greyhounds PTS solely on economic grounds the information would prove highly damaging for the business of greyhound racing.
[...] To read the full article from the K9 Magazine use this LINK [...]
The extracts below, taken from forum postings, provide an insight into the appalling state of affairs at Yarmouth:
“A dog called Lughill Echo ran at Yarmouth last night and got ripped open by the chicken wire on the 3rd bend, this has not been the only dog injured on the 3rd bend recently.”
“I notice that Mr Franklin (stadium Director) has spent money on a new restaurant but nothing on the track or welfare of the dogs.”
“Lughill has lots of staples in his nearside. I really hope the track one day will get an inner rail.”
“Accidents can, and do happen, but a lot are preventable if the money is spent in the right areas – something which Yarmouth is certainly not doing at the moment.”
God bless the souls of these poor animals.
There is a HOT spot in hell for animal abusers.
I could not work for a group that has to go in and rescue these poor animals from these horrible so called human beings…I would end up shooting the bastards and helping them find that hot spot in hell a little quicker. I am thankful that there are people in the world that can help the animals.
Only five days after Bluestone Lane lost his life Daves Dasher – a beautiful dark brindle male – is PTS also after sustaining an appalling injury on the Yarmouth track.
Greyhound racing is very controversial. It has been sugested a number of times that track surfaces must be improved to highten the welfare for the racing greyhounds. The bends can be softened to reduce accidents why have these changes not been implimented? Yes money is tight everywhere but is it not more expensive to put dogs down at so young an age and would it not improve the tarnished image of greyhound racing if track improvements were made for the sake of the greyhounds actually running there? Since there is so little interrest in improving conditions for the greyhounds in question I think it is high time that greyhound racing was banned for good.Rescuing the life of a greyhound will not change the world but the world will change for that one greyhound. December last year I went to pick up a greyhound who´s racing career was at an end. The first sight I saw of him is something I will never forget as long as I live. This thin reed of a shivering black greyhound with sad bewildered eyes is a sight of the hopelessness a lot of these former racers face.When our eyes met it was as if a bond was forged a bond so strong that nothing could tear us apart. Tristan as I have named him is five years old and he was underweight he had a belly full of intestinel parasites his teeth were blakish grey with tartar. He was sadly neglected as so manny others what made his case uniqe was the fact that he was my first hands on rescue. I did not like the woman who owned him but it was a question of getting him away from her with all paperwork and himself intact. I had a nice brandnew warm wintercoat for him that I put on him straight away,a new collar and leash as well. The owner had forgotten his paperwork and she went back to her car to get it in the mean time I had a look at his tatooes to make sure I got the right greyhound as I diden´t trust her. His tatooes were the right ones. I payed the agreed amount of money a rather symbolic price but it was the price for his freedom to a better life. As I look at him now he is a diffrent greyhound his eyes are no longer sad his coat has begun to shine and new fine hairs have begun to cover the urinescoldings on both his thighs and belly. His teeth are clean and he is relaxed and happy. Tristan has come home and is a deeply loved family member. As long as there are greyhounds who need our help I shall not rest untill they are all helped. I for one can´t turn my back on their plight. Sincerly Lisbeth Mønsted Larsen Greyhound Action Denmark.
Lisbeth, it sounds as though greyhound racing in your country should be banned if that is how the people in your country treat them . My racing greyhounds gleam with health. My trainer loves them , cuddles them , feeds them very well , gives them clean beds every day and freedom to exercise . I wouldn’t have it any other way , my racers are very happy as are my retired ones I have at home . If only everyone kept their dogs like my trainer does then all the dogs would be happy doing what they love to do … run !!! As for the tracks, I think you will find that the majority of them have redone the bends to make it safer for the dogs .
I am happy to hear that if only they were all like that then I would have no objections to them racing. I am opposed to to racing if and when the greyhounds in question just become a means to an end. My own ex-racers have the freedom of a fenced in padoc every morning I love my greyhounds as you do and I can only agree with you they love to run. I am happy to hear that improvements have been made on some tracks. However there are still a lot of things going on out there that should be dealt with. Wether it is In the UK or Denmark is not issue but when things are bad for the greyhounds it is sad as I am sure you will agree given the statement you made above. There are problems that need to be dealt with concerning greyhound racing. This is the reason I am trying to make a diffrence for as manny of them as I possibilly can. Your greyhounds are lucky to have you. Lets stay in touch and make as much of a diffrence we can in unison. I have never been a zealot in any way shape or form as that is not the way to get results. Comunication is key. You love greyhounds as much as I do cudos to you and your trainer for giving them the loving care they so richly deserve. My greyhounds can be seen on the greyhound database. Connor under his name sire Machine Gun. Darcy under his racing name Killcullen Boss and Tristan under his racing name of Looks This Way. My whippet Mike is in the same picture as my greyhound Connor. Write to me and tell me what you think. Most sincerly Lisbeth Mønsted Larsen Greyhound Action Denmark.
i am with you di hilsley. we have had greyhounds and whippets for years and if we do have to part with one of our dogs we make sure they go to good homes and keep a track of the welfair.we have heated kennels and an acre of field for them to run in some tracks we have visited were not up to our standard so we do not run the dogs as they come first and formost.the media are to blame with racing getting a bad name as the only focus on the bad stuff and not the way most of greyhound owners keep there dogs.and if they close the tracks the bad boys will only do it behind closed doors like every sport human or animal there are good and bad