Compassion News

Cost to Local Authority Pounds of Greyhound Problem

It has been estimated that the annual cost of mopping up the greyhound problem to the local authority pounds is £600k.  Greyhound Rescue Wales and the All Party Group for Animal Welfare at the National Assembly for Wales conducted a survey of local pounds in Wales in 2003 and found that 139 greyhounds entered pounds in Wales in a 12 month period. Wales has about 5% of the British greyhound population and at the time had about 4% of the UK greyhound tracks.  The researchers therefore estimated that about 2,800 greyhounds would enter local authority pounds throughout Britain.  At a cost of £230 per greyhound and extrapolated to the UK, the annual cost would be £600k. 
 
This, of course, does not take account of other breeds abandoned and taken in by the local authority pounds and independent charitable rescue centres such as the RSPCA.

 
Please refer to Greyhound Rescue Wales to download a copy of "The Fate of Racing Greyhounds and Working Lurchers in Wales" (National Assembly for Wales in Association with Greyhound Rescue Wales). 
 
Surely local authorities have greater budgetary priorities than expenditure on the by-product of a bookmaker's source of revenue.
 
P.S. please don't forget to tell your MP that you object to your taxes being spent on mopping up the wastage from the betting industry when you write to him or her about DEFRA's proposed regulations.  Further details.

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