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To download the first draft of the Racing Dog Protection Act - click here.
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Despite the recent introduction of the Animal Welfare Act, thousands of greyhounds continue to be destroyed as a result of the demands of the betting industry.
The RDPA sets out the legislative changes required in order to ensure that the welfare needs of racing dogs are met – namely that betting on dog racing is outlawed.
GREYHOUND RACING IN THE UK
In 2007 the Associate Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare (APGAW) published a report which examined the welfare of racing greyhounds in the UK. They reported that, as a result of greyhound racing in the UK, between 6,000 and 12,000 puppies go missing every year and a further 2,000 adult dogs are unaccounted for after retirement. This suggests that a staggering total of somewhere in the region of 8,000 to 14,000 dogs are killed every year simply because they are surplus to the requirements of the industry.
THE ANIMAL WELFARE ACT
In 2007 the long awaited Animal Welfare Act was introduced. It, for the first time, places a responsibility on the owner of an animal to ensure the following minimum standards of care:
1. For a suitable environment (place to live)
2. For a suitable diet
3. To exhibit normal behaviour patterns
4. To be housed with, or apart from, other animals (if applicable)
5. To be protected from pain, injury, suffering and disease |
It also ackowedges that animals can suffer from psychological stress and gives greater powers for authorities such as the RSPCA to prosecute under the suspicion that abuse is taking place.
GREYHOUND RACING IN BREACH OF THE ANIMAL WELFARE ACT
The deliberate over-breeding of greyhounds with no intention of providing for their lives after racing and then killing dogs to avoid having to provide care is an obvious example of failing to care for animals in one’s ownership. The need to make a profit takes priority over the welfare of the dogs and the result is an industry which causes the unnecessary death and mistreatment of thousands of greyhounds. See cruelty factors.
GREYHOUND RACING AS AS CRUEL SPORT
Regardless of the fact that in the eyes of the law animals are considered as property there is a strong moral argument which suggests that greyhound racing is a cruel sport.
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'In both the fighting and (greyhound) racing contexts, animals are exploited, abused, and ultimately killed solely for the sake of entertainment.’
Animal Law [Vol 7:175]
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Violence to greyhounds begins at birth when litters are culled and continues right through to retirement of young dogs deemed too slow to race. The similarities with animal fighting sports such as cockfighting, bullfighting and dogfighting – all forms of entertainment that are banned in the United Kingdom – are undeniable.
The only difference is that greyhounds are killed behind the scenes rather than as |
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the object of entertainment. In animal welfare terms, what is the difference?
WHY REGULATION IS NOT THE SOLUTION
Some organisations are calling for stricter regulation as a means of making greyhound racing welfare friendly. However, a review of the methods of regulation used in different countries around the world suggests that the same problems arise in every country which allows betting on greyhound races. See World Media.
THE RACING DOG PROTECTION ACT – WHY A BAN ON BETTING? |
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'Commercial greyhound racing is an industry driven by financial profit and entertainment, largely at the expense of the welfare of greyhounds. There are inherent characteristics of commercial greyhound racing that are simply incompatible with animal welfare...'
WSPA letter of support for Racing Dog Protection Act
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has been created to protect racing dogs because current animal protection legislature is failing to do so. The RDPA therefore, circumvents the animal protection laws and addresses the root cause of the problem, namely the industries requirement to make a profit. By banning betting the requirement to make a profit is removed.
Other countries which have taken a similar step, such as Germany, Belgium and Switzerland, allow greyhound racing to continue but the end result is vastly different to that which we see in the UK. Dogs are kept as pets and raced only as a hobby. As a result they are treated well and only a small number are bred in order to replace dogs which die of natural causes.
AN INDUSTRY IN DECLINE
The popularity of greyhound racing has declined significantly and looks set to
continue to decline. However, despite the closure of a number of tracks, accounts of animal abuse and neglect in the surviving racing figuration have expanded. Given the precarious financial position in
the surviving greyhound racing industry it is unclear where any
additional funding for welfare can be found.
INTERNATIONAL VICTORIES
On November 4th 2008 the electorate in Massachusetts voted in favour of the Greyhound Protection Act which means that as of 2010 all betting on greyhound racing will be banned. This effectively means the end of the cruel exploitation of greyhounds in this state. It is the first time that a commercially successful greyhound racing industry has been forced to close down through political action. It puts a completely new light on the future activities of similar campaigns around the world.
It follows on the back of Maine (1993), Virginia (1995), Idaho (1996), Washington (1996), Nevada (1997), North Carolina (1998) and Pennsylvania (2004) in making dog racing illegal.
A campaign group in New Hampshire are currently pushing for a ban in their state.
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‘The solution for greyhounds is neither further regulation of dog racing nor adoption of retired dogs, but rather elimination of the greyhound racing industry.
Stetson Law Review [Vol. XXXII]
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CONCLUSION
The greyhound racing industry has been falling into disrepute for a number of years. Following the revelations at Seaham, where it was alleged that as many as 10,000 healthy greyhounds were killed, public discontent reached an all time high. Subsequent changes made by the industry and those currently proposed by Defra do nothing to address the fundamental problems of abuse and unnecessary loss of life. |
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Please support the Dog Racing Protection Act, click on Take Action now. |
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PETA Europe 
Djurens Rätt (Sweden) 
FCI (Int) 
FAACE (UK) 
Animals Count (UK)
