THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM
The terrible suffering of the large numbers of greyhounds who are abandoned, or killed by their owners is at the heart of welfare concerns about the fate of former racing greyhounds. Many examples can be found to demonstrate this suffering.

Some greyhounds will be kept by their owners and trainers when they retire, and it is important for anyone concerned about the welfare of greyhounds to remember that many owners and trainers love their dogs and care well for them. However a very serious welfare problem remains.

Some greyhounds will be rescued by welfare organisations. These include the Retired Greyhound Trust, Dogs Trust, RSCPA and specialist Greyhound Rescue organisations including Greyhound Rescue Wales. Many greyhounds rescued in this way will have suffered considerable trauma due to abandonment, and have spent around seven days in a local authority pound at public expense.

Others will be taken to a vet by their owners, and euthanased.

Others will be killed by their owners. Favourite methods include battering to death, poisoning, drowning, shooting or simply being left to starve to death in a locked shed.

Others will die of starvation or in road accidents after being abandoned.

GREYHOUNDS AS PETS
It is now widely accepted that greyhounds can make excellent family pets. There is growing recognition that greyhounds can make very good family pets, and more and more organisations and individuals are becoming concerned about their welfare.

This is the main positive development relating to the welfare of greyhounds in recent years.

Greyhound Rescue Wales carried out a survey of 300 owners of rescued greyhounds and close greyhound cross-breeds (Angels or Devils, greyhounds and lurchers as family pets, Greyhound Rescue Wales 1998). This survey covered issues like: ease of training (80% were house trained within one month and 80% also always return to call); chasing cats (contrary to popular belief only 31% were incurable cat chasers); suitability for homing with children (90% were good with children); exercise requirements (just 12% of greyhound owners said their pet needed a lot of exercise) and so on.

THE STRUCTURE OF GREYHOUND RACING IN BRITAIN
Greyhound racing is divided into the "registered" sector (where some regulations exist and the "independent" sector which is completely unregulated

All three Welsh greyhound tracks are "independent" and therefore completely unregulated.The lack of any meaningful regulation of independent greyhound racing in Wales is a major welfare concern.

About 90% of greyhounds coming into the care of Greyhound Rescue Wales are "independent" sector dogs who are not registered. The vast majority of greyhounds in Wales therefore receive no protection from the rules governing the registered sector.

Even dogs in the registered sector do not benefit fully from measures which should protect them, because some crucial regulations, such as recording transfer of ownership, are not enforced.

The registered sector contributes to the welfare problems in the independent sector because many registered dogs are sold to independent tracks at the end of their careers (only the fastest dogs race on registered tracks).

There is a glaring need for regulation of the independent sector and for controls on the registered sector to make sure it enforces its rules.

In the meantime there is an urgent need to promote dialogue between people involved in greyhound racing and greyhound rescue in Wales to seek to improve the welfare of the dogs.

The overall structure
Greyhound Racing in Britain is divided into the "Registered" Sector governed by the National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC), and the "Independent" Sector. There are 33 registered greyhound tracks and 35 independent tracks in Britain. There are three tracks in Wales: Bedwellte, Swansea (Fforestfach) , and Valley (Ystrad Mynach), all are independent tracks and all are in South Wales. In North Wales many greyhound owners will also race their dogs on independent tracks in North West England.

The Registered Sector
The registered tracks have a system of rules governing racing. Some of these rules relate to greyhound welfare. All registered greyhounds have a unique ear tattoo and one important rule is that all owners are supposed to transfer registration of a dog when they sell it. In theory this would allow owners who abandon their dogs to be identified and sanctions to be applied. In practice the NGRC does not enforce the rule and it is therefore very to sanction owners who abandon greyhounds. Two important BBC programmes (On the Line BBC2 January 1994 and Kenyon Confronts BBC1 January 2001) have also exposed major abuses within the registered sector.

The welfare work funded by the registered sector is conducted by the Retired Greyhound Trust (RGT). This organisation is financed by the NGRC and the British Greyhound racing Board (BGRB). As a registered charity the RGT also receives public donations. Despite recent increases in funding the total amount of funding received by the RGT however is a tiny proportion of the industry's profits. The RGT finds homes for about 1500 unwanted retired greyhounds each year. However, the RGT can only help registered greyhounds racing at registered tracks.

The independent sector
In general, slower and older dogs race on the independent tracks. This means that it is possible for an owner of a registered dog who has become too slow for the registered sector to sell the dog to someone who will race him for another year or two in the independent sector. As well as these formerly registered older dogs, home-bred greyhounds and greyhounds who have been deemed unlikely to "make the grade" on registered tracks as puppies, race on independent tracks. All of these dogs effectively slip through the welfare net set up by the registered sector. Once a greyhound is racing in the Independent sector it is not protected by any regulation.

The independent sector has no overall rules and safeguards nor does it provide any funding or make any organised provision for the welfare of retired greyhounds. There are no standards governing greyhound race-tracks which increases the risk of injury to the dogs.

Many dogs are injured while racing yet there is no requirement for a veterinary surgeon to be in attendance at a race. This means that a badly injured dog may wait for a long time before a vet' can be summoned. A long term injury is also often a death sentence. An owner may try to mask the injury with pain killers in order to sell the dog, but word gets around and after being passed on several times a dog will often be sold to someone who decides to get rid of it. This is when the greyhound will frequently be killed or abandoned.

Local authorities only have powers over some gambling aspects of independent greyhound racing. They have no control over welfare matters, nor are there any licensing requirements for greyhound kennels at racetracks because these are deemed to be incidental to the main business of a track.

GREYHOUND RACING IN WALES - WINNERS AND LOSERS

The Winners are:
The owners of registered dogs who make a final profit on their dogs when they are sold to the independent sector.

The registered sector who sell large quantities of dogs to the independent sector each year so using it to dispose of some of their surplus dogs.

The new owner of a previously registered greyhound who gets a competitive animal for another year or so in the independent sector.

The Losers are:
The greyhound puppies killed at twelve weeks old.

The greyhounds who slip through the welfare regulations as soon as they leave the registered sector.

The greyhounds who are injured while racing in the independent sector, with no vet in attendance to treat them, and for whom an injury is often a step away from death or abandonment. T

he greyhounds who are abandoned, or killed when they are no longer fast enough to win races.

Finally however there are two other important winners:
The greyhounds who after racing are found homes as pets by a reputable rescue organisation, and those who are kept as pets by their owners or trainers.

The new owners of a rescued greyhound who find they have a uniquely rewarding pet who asks for very little and gives a lot back in return.

Report on greyhound deaths