Greyhound Industry On 7.30

[Loving my Oldies]

JANET FLANN: Well, they bludgeon them to death. That's quite common. But shooting is quite common. If they get to the vets to be euthanased properly they're lucky, really.

Really???? Think this person needs to stop being a drama queen.

During the program, my ears pricked up at the sound of this name - I wasn't watching, but did have the television on.

Same person used to ring me up threatening legal action because I posted on DOL in somewhat unflattering terms about a rescuer. One time when she rang me spouting the same spiel, I said that she'd said it to me all before and that I was going to hang up the phone. Which I did, hearing as I did so, "B I T C H ." :laugh: :laugh:

Point of this little anedote is that it is hard to credit anything people like that say .

I would like to have times, dates and locations.

[Stormy]

There is something in place. I don't race greyhounds so am not up with all the in's and out's but talking to someone a few months ago there does seem to be some restrictions. The main one I recall is something along the lines of: if the bitch didn't race and/or didn't win, they were allowed 2 litters to prove their worth as a brood bitch. If none of the off spring did any good and the owner wanted to breed again, they had to say why and get approval from the racing board.

All matings are recorded, all results of those matings have to be recorded, misses, how many born alive, how many born dead, if the numbers don't match up between being born and ear marked (12 weeks) what happened to the missing pups (not sure if you need a vet to sign of on ones that died in those 12 weeks). Stud dogs were limited to 14 matings a month but I don't know the current regulations regarding this now everything is AI and often frozen semen is used. And of course semen is split into breeding units.

As I said I don't race greys, mine are show bred, so a disclaimer: this is all what I am pretty sure happens, some of it did happen but might have changed, and I am relying on my memory which can be faulty :)

Thanks Rebanne, I was just curious if breeding was regulated like in the show dog world :)

I'd be interested to know if the process that Vic Racing has in place has reduced the numbers bred & killed each year in the state. I did a quick Google but couldn't find anything on a state by state breakdown but will have a better look later on.

I assume nothing will be done?

The problem has been around for more years than anyone would care to count and considering the vast numbers of greys still killed every year I'd say it's unlikely for anything to happen any time soon.

I can't comment on the racing side, but in rescue, like Stormy I am sick of trainers over breeding and disposing of them so quickly and easily.

I have been at the pound too many times and watched trainers walk in with 3 or 4 youngsters to be killed, why?, its cheaper to take them to the pound than pay a vet to pts, that's all.

Their life expectancy needs to be longer, even if they race its short.

Couldn't agree more.

Juice, you were with me at the above mentioned vet. It would be great to be able to shift peoples perception away from these dogs being just a commodity who are discarded once their "value" seems to have expired.

I was introduced to Greyhounds during my time in rescue. Prior to that I had very little knowledge bar them being a racing dog.

For me it was truly one of the horrors amongst the many that I saw in rescue, where a breed of dog was culled in such larger numbers when in their prime. Though there are bred specific rescues, they can't even come close to taking them all and many other rescues don't take them on (in numbers anyway) as they're a hard dog to adopt out due to lack of public knowledge on the breed.

As mentioned before not all greys are suitable for living the domestic life, but that is also true of most breeds.

I doubt any other breed has the birth to death ratio like the greyhound, the dog that was born to die young for the most part.

[mita]

And finally, some rescue groups are not doing the breed any favours by not adequately assessing all hounds and assuming they're all suitable as pets. My little one should never have been adopted out - she would fixate on another dog at 250 meters, thousand yard stare, body stiffened a

Racing greyhound owner next door deliberately socializes his puppies with other dogs & children. He says that one day they'll retire or mightn't be suitable for racing, so they'll need to be experienced & fine around people, children & other dogs.

He uses our small tibs ... who love the greyhound puppies. And gets the neighbours' grandchildren to visit & play with them, too.

Often the puppies leave him at 4 months & return a year or two later. And they remember their little tib friends. They run to the fence with tails wagging.

I wish more did that! It would make life much easier.

Something tells me his attitude wouldn't be widespread. But it happens in his circle of greyhound racing people that he calls his friends. Like, one family with primary age children now have their former sprint champion grey as the family pet.... but this dog always was.

Greyhound owners like this are disproving a myth.... that for dogs to run well with high motivation, you can't 'sook' them iike pets from the time they're born. Our neighbour's state sprint champion, Harry, was noted for his fierce competitive spirit on the track. But at home he was a big, sweet pet .... intimidated by the tiny tib next door, Lily.

[Brandiandwe]

I don't know what the answer is. I have three. I'm campaigning for a fourth dog, but it probably won't be a grey. Unless someone special comes along.

We're doing our best to change perceptions. Brandi is a therapy dog and does a better job than some more traditional breeds. Hermon wins hearts everywhere. Paige ...... doesn't. Lol. I hate seeing greys in pounds. I hate seeing greys needing help. But programs like the report don't necessarily help because it puts good trainers and breeders off engaging with the public. Although awareness needs to be raised, and also about exporting the dogs to Macau.

[SkySoaringMagpie]

http://www.news.com.au/sport/superracing/abc-730-program-into-greyhound-racing-industry-criticised-for-being-unfair-and-extreme-bias/story-fndps3qy-1226741098141

AS chief greyhound racing writer for the Daily Telegraph and Daily Mirror from 1962 until my retirement in 2012 I, like thousands of decent people who participate in, bet on or simply watch the sport, felt extreme anger and disgust at the ABCs one-sided 7.30 program aired on Tuesday night.

A film crew attended Wentworth Park on Friday night October 11 and I was among several people interviewed by the program’s producer.

In two separate interviews, lasting a total of around 15 minutes, I related how the sport has never been cleaner because every race winner is drug tested and with analysis of urine samples now so refined, even a square of chocolate given innocently to a greyhound two days before a race can result in a positive test to caffeine and a lengthy disqualification for the dog’s trainer.

I suspected the ABC wanted to hear only one side of the story and doubted that any of my footage would go to air.

Sure enough, I was right. Similarly an interview the program conducted with experienced trainer Dennis Dean, who spoke in detail about the sport’s adoption scheme for retired racers, finished up on the cutting room floor.

Among the trainers of the 80 greyhounds racing at Wentworth Park on the night of filming the ABC managed to find ONE disgruntled trainer who claimed trainers were always trying to “get an edge".

During my interview, the 7.30 program producer questioned me about trainers claiming that those winning races were using drugs.

I replied that some who struggled to win races often resorted to spurious claims that, despite the rigorous drug testing, successful trainers “must be using something".

In the ABC program there was no interview with Dr Brian Daniel, Wentworth Park’s race night vet and Sydney’s most experienced and respected greyhound specialist veterinary surgeon.

Instead the ABC program chose to talk to Dr Ted Humphries, who castigated the industry, yet who found nothing wrong with the sport during the years he fulfilled the Wentworth Park veterinary surgeon’s role.

Greyhound racing has come under attack from the ABC 7.30 program, alleging cruelty and widespread drug use.

The program also focused on greyhounds being euthanized when their racing careers were over.

Yet despite being the poorest of the three racing codes, greyhound racing is the only one which invests heavily in finding homes for its retirees via its “greyhounds as pets” and adoption scheme programs.

Conveniently there was no mention of retired racehorses or pacers heading off to the knackery, or for that matter, the fate of unsuccessful show dogs.

During my interview I had cited the example of a back page story I had once written on Robert Arnold, who sold his lucrative women’s hairdressing business at Double Bay to invest in a farm where his old greyhounds could live out their lives in luxury.

I pointed out that Robert, trainer of 2012 Greyhound of the Year finalist Did I Entertain, was just one of hundreds who adopted a similar policy.

There was no balance in the ABC 7.30 program, surely a basic tenet of decent journalism. No wonder one of the Daily Telegraph’s leading columnists is calling for a reduction in its taxpayer funding.

Edited October 17, 2013 by SkySoaringMagpie

[Are You Serious Jo]

I wonder if mandatory DNA testing for parentage on every dog and a tightening on numbers bred help? I am not a ban racing advocate but obviously would like to see less greys going down.

[mita]

Glad you posted that, SSM. There needs to be a balance between the worst & the best. And the best was ignored.

How can the general public get an idea of what good standards are in greyhound racing, if they don't see them in operation?

[HazyWal]

Thanks for posting that SSM.

[samoyedman]

Will be interesting to see if the ABC replies to that letter.

[Brandiandwe]

Thank you SSM!

[Rosetta]

Its the ABC - balanced reporting went out years ago.

[shantiah]

Havent had a chance to watch this yet (although I have read the transcript) as I was driving back from the races where I had two dog running. It was predictably one sided and as a racing participant I have no right of reply to the allegations aired on the programme.

All I can say is what a croc.

And anyone that believes the media will present a balanced view needs to do a bit more research. Lets remember a certain gardener who told the world oodles were fantastic and the public believed him and jumped on the oodle wagon. Dont believe everything you see and hear

My link makes for some interesting reading about the filming of this segment

[Brandiandwe]

Shantiah, thanks for posting the full link.

Lovely to catch up with you the other day at the show. Paige and Pickles looked great but little Rolf is divine.

When can I come get puppy cuddles?

[Maddy]

While I'd agree there are some dodgy trainers out there, most are just normal who participate in the sport as a hobby. Allegations of doping are old news- there are some trainers who don't understand that there is more to training than walking the dog a few times a week and feeding it cheap rubbish. Successful trainers are usually putting a lot of time and money into their dogs. To give you a good example of the "he cheated" crap that goes on.. My pet meat place also supplies a few local trainers. One came in one day and accused the shop owner of selling him inferior meat as his dog had lost to another customer's dog. In his opinion, the shop owner was saving all the 'good' meat for this other customer. That was rubbish, obviously, but he couldn't accept that their dog was just faster, someone else had to be at fault.

There are undoubtedly issues with the industry but doping isn't one of them.

[Rebanne]

I wonder if mandatory DNA testing for parentage on every dog and a tightening on numbers bred help? I am not a ban racing advocate but obviously would like to see less greys going down.

I believe all greyhounds have to be DNA tested before being used for breeding and that this has been in for some years now.

[Are You Serious Jo]

So if they wanted to cut the numbers a bit the mechanism is already in place?

[Steve]

So if they wanted to cut the numbers a bit the mechanism is already in place?

No - they wont cut the numbers because more numbers mean more choices. Victoria in their wisdom exempt Greyhound breeders from mandatory codes - having said that you can bet your life its exaggerated and one sided as it always is.

[Boronia]

http://www.news.com....y-1226741098141

AS chief greyhound racing writer for the Daily Telegraph and Daily Mirror from 1962 until my retirement in 2012 I, like thousands of decent people who participate in, bet on or simply watch the sport, felt extreme anger and disgust at the ABC’s one-sided 7.30 program aired on Tuesday night.

A film crew attended Wentworth Park on Friday night October 11 and I was among several people interviewed by the program’s producer.

In two separate interviews, lasting a total of around 15 minutes, I related how the sport has never been cleaner because every race winner is drug tested and with analysis of urine samples now so refined, even a square of chocolate given innocently to a greyhound two days before a race can result in a positive test to caffeine and a lengthy disqualification for the dog’s trainer.

I suspected the ABC wanted to hear only one side of the story and doubted that any of my footage would go to air.

Sure enough, I was right. Similarly an interview the program conducted with experienced trainer Dennis Dean, who spoke in detail about the sport’s adoption scheme for retired racers, finished up on the cutting room floor.

Among the trainers of the 80 greyhounds racing at Wentworth Park on the night of filming the ABC managed to find ONE disgruntled trainer who claimed trainers were always trying to “get an edge".

During my interview, the 7.30 program producer questioned me about trainers claiming that those winning races were using drugs.

I replied that some who struggled to win races often resorted to spurious claims that, despite the rigorous drug testing, successful trainers “must be using something".

In the ABC program there was no interview with Dr Brian Daniel, Wentworth Park’s race night vet and Sydney’s most experienced and respected greyhound specialist veterinary surgeon.

Instead the ABC program chose to talk to Dr Ted Humphries, who castigated the industry, yet who found nothing wrong with the sport during the years he fulfilled the Wentworth Park veterinary surgeon’s role.

Greyhound racing has come under attack from the ABC 7.30 program, alleging cruelty and widespread drug use.

The program also focused on greyhounds being euthanized when their racing careers were over.

Yet despite being the poorest of the three racing codes, greyhound racing is the only one which invests heavily in finding homes for its retirees via its “greyhounds as pets” and adoption scheme programs.

Conveniently there was no mention of retired racehorses or pacers heading off to the knackery, or for that matter, the fate of unsuccessful show dogs.

During my interview I had cited the example of a back page story I had once written on Robert Arnold, who sold his lucrative women’s hairdressing business at Double Bay to invest in a farm where his old greyhounds could live out their lives in luxury.

I pointed out that Robert, trainer of 2012 Greyhound of the Year finalist Did I Entertain, was just one of hundreds who adopted a similar policy.

There was no balance in the ABC 7.30 program, surely a basic tenet of decent journalism. No wonder one of the Daily Telegraph’s leading columnists is calling for a reduction in its taxpayer funding.

SSM, can you email your letter/post to Mediawatch---> http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/contactus.htm

[SkySoaringMagpie]

SSM, can you email your letter/post to Mediawatch---> http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/contactus.htm

This is actually a news.com.au news article that I have copied and pasted into the thread - the link is at the top. It is not written by me, I just posted it into the thread as it was news on the same subject.

I guess I could still refer it to Mediawatch for their comment...

[Miss Danni]

I have been told that the 7.30 Report are doing a "part 2" to this story, filming this weekend.