Compassion News

RSPCA responds to Donoughue Report

Reproduced below is the RSPCA's response to the Donoughue Report, published today.

The welfare of racing greyhounds has once again been called into question by a new report, commissioned by the greyhound industry following the shocking discovery of 'redundant' greyhounds being killed to order in County Durham last year.

The report, published today, states that the greyhound industry's "current structures are seriously flawed" and also highlights the "paucity of satisfactory information about the numbers and life careers of greyhounds."

Furthermore the report said: "The public, through Parliament, has made clear its expectation that the industry establishes a situation... where the whereabouts and status of all greyhounds, preferably from 'cradle to grave', or certainly from birth to retirement, is known."

This latest inquiry into the regulation of greyhound racing, chaired by Lord Donoughue, underlines the need for significant change in an industry which is worth £2.9 billion in betting each year.

Becky Blackmore, RSPCA greyhound expert, said: "There are systemic welfare failures in the racing greyhound industry and the public are increasingly uneasy about what amounts to negligence.

"This sorry state of affairs cannot continue. Dogs are being chewed up and spat out of an industry which ultimately treats greyhounds as disposable commodities, rather than sentient animals for which it is responsible."

Today's report follows another damning report published in May by an independent parliamentary body (APGAW) which raised grave concerns about the true scale of unwanted dogs within the greyhound industry which are killed or go 'missing' each year.

The Donoughue report also acknowledges: "The increased volume of racing in recent years and the flow of greyhounds leaving the sport means that demands for re-homing outstrip the current supply of retirement provision."

The RSPCA believes the industry must urgently reduce its demand for new racing dogs - to stem the flood of under-par racing dogs that never make the grade; or are seen as replacements for those that could race if treated for injury, or entered in slower, 'veteran' races.

"We will study the report's recommendations with interest," said Becky Blackmore. "However, we are unconvinced that self-regulation by the industry would provide the transparency and accountability that the public require. Welfare will never be given due prominence when the top priority of any self-regulatory body is the commercial health of the industry."

The RSPCA is urgently calling on the devolved governments to provide and enforce strict guidelines as an add on to the new Animal Welfare Act, which covers England and Wales, and the Animal Health and Welfare Act in Scotland.

The Donoughue Report

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