Inquiry calls after killing of 10,000 greyhounds
Lee Glendinning
Monday July 17, 2006
The Guardian
The government is facing calls for an inquiry into the greyhound racing industry after reports that a builder's merchant killed and buried at least 10,000 of the dogs at his home in County Durham once they were past their racing prime.
A Sunday newspaper claimed David Smith had spent the past 15 years filling land at his home in the village of Seaham with dogs' carcasses. He is reported to have charged £10 a time to kill the dogs with a bolt gun and then buried them on a plot at the back of his home.
The chairman of a cross-party animal welfare group yesterday said the greyhound industry was in denial about the fate of thousand of dogs which were slaughtered in "canine killing fields". Eric Martlew MP said he would urge his colleagues to press for an urgent inquiry.
"This is absolutely appalling," he said. "It's time the industry cleaned up its act. For a long time now people have thought this kind of thing has been going on but without any evidence. I think the industry is in denial about it. There must be hundreds, if not thousands of people in the industry who knew what this man was doing."
The Carlisle MP went on to say he suspected there were probably other people around the country doing the same thing.
Greyhounds race until they are three to five years old. After this, some are found homes, where they can live to the age of 14, but some vanish.
The associate parliamentary group for animal welfare is to hold a meeting on the issue this morning.
The government has also said it will look at the allegations which emerged after the Sunday Times said it had covertly filmed Mr Smith receiving the greyhounds and putting them down. Under current law no licence is needed to put down animals with a bolt gun.
Mr Smith told the Daily Mirror that he was no longer involved in the practice and that he had given what money he had made to charity.
The minister for animal welfare, Ben Bradshaw, said he was shocked by the claims. "It sounds horrendous and we would be interested in seeing the evidence that's been gathered in this case."
Alistair McLean, chief executive of the National Greyhound Racing Club, which governs the sport, promised an inquiry and said: "We categorically do not endorse this sort of thing."
Monday 17 July 2006 15:24
Department for Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (National)
Bradshaw calls on greyhound racing industry to investigate dog killing allegations
Animal Welfare Minister Ben Bradshaw has called on greyhound racing regulators to launch an immediate investigation into claims that 10,000 greyhounds were shot when they reached the end of their racing lives.
The Minister was responding to allegations that greyhound owners hired a builders merchant to kill dogs with a bolt gun, an act that breaches the rules of the National Greyhound Racing Club.
Mr Bradshaw said: "The National Greyhound Racing Club must launch an immediate investigation into this matter. It must discipline or expel any members who have broken its rules by disposing of their dogs in this way."
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has formally requested a dossier from the newspaper that made the greyhound killing allegations. Government lawyers will study the evidence to see if any offences have been committed.
Mr Bradshaw said: "We've been working hard for some time to prepare secondary legislation under the Animal Welfare Bill that will improve the welfare of greyhounds used for racing. Government believes that racing greyhounds should only be put down by a vet.
"We have long felt that self-regulation within the greyhound industry is the most effective way of policing animal welfare in the sport. But greyhound racers should be in no doubt that they are drinking in the last chance saloon as far as self-regulation is concerned.
"If they can't clean up their act, Government will intervene."
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