The Future of Greyhound Racing

glendy · Master

The Future of Greyhound Racing

greyflintstone · Master

I read this article. Isn't there a risk that if greyhound racing is banned it will simply send it underground? Isn't it better to work with the industry and promote the idea of greyhounds making fabulous pets, rather than run the risk of unscrupulous trainers abandoning more dogs?

Sharon

Dave · Enlightened One

I reckon it's all just bravado, the racing industry see the new gambling legislation as a nice big pie they want a peice of. They've been pleading poverty for years now but the racing still continues, I can't remember the last time GAL took a dog from a trainer at a flapping track that didn't cost the trainer less that £1000. There's still money in the game, don't beleive a word of this!

cheers

Dave

Jay · Old Hand

It sounds to me more like this is a cynical and sad way for the Greyhound "industry" to get money off the bookies, by pleading poverty!

The bookies make a forture off the back of greyhound racing, and this is the paragraph which proves that this article is simply a plea for some of the takings: "Greyhound racing accounts for more than 20 per cent of the bookies’ turnover. What the tracks get in return is a voluntary contribution from the big bookmakers that has just gone up to 0.5 per cent of their greyhound turnover; a mere doggie bag from the bookies’ groaning table."

Well, poor them. Charities like ourselves are full to bursting with the "waste product" of greyhound racing, which is sadly many thousands of beautiful greyhounds. The majority of ex-racers won't be lucky enough to find a spot in a rescue kennel. I would, of course, have to check the accounts but i don't think we have seen 0.5% of the bookies takings. In fact we haven't seen sqwat! So, in my opinion at least, the bill doesn't go far enough. The governement should be forcing the industry - bookies, tracks, trainers - to contribute from their profits to allow rescues to function much more effectively.

And as for the last comment about blood sports, well they might be right, but a sport where animals are exploited and used to make profit and pleasure without any real investment in their subsequent welfare certainly doesn't have clean hands. The industry has to cut down on the number of dogs it breeds, and it has to make real attempts to assist rescue charities in order to make at least some ammends.

They (the industry and some trainers) simply free-ride off the back of charities like ours to make their sport seem acceptable (they can then boast that at least some of the dogs are rehomed) without putting in any effort or cash of their own.

Jason.