International News Spring 2001

Europe

Birmingham, England: Officials ofthe Ministry of Agriculture and the National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) are investigating the deaths of 12 greyhounds on Wednesday, Feb. 14, at the 45 dog training kennel of FrankO'Hare. Contaminated meat is suspected as the cause.
O'Hare said he was devastated by the loss. "It all started Tuesday after feeding. I'd just come back from Monmore with our best dog, River Canyon, who'd run an excellent trial there, and I started giving the dogs their dinner. Soon afterwards, the poor dogs were bumping into walls, gates, and tripping over, hardly able to stand.

"I'm sure they were in great pain and dying right before my eyes, but I didn't know that at the time. The vet said to wait 24 hours as it might be kennel sickness, which is quite common," O'Hare said.

Eight dogs were dead the following morning and another four died later that day. "I just don't know how I can explain this to my owners. I owned two of the dogs myself and I can well understand how they will feel."
Pat Furlong, who owned two of the dogs that died, said, "I cannot believe what has happened. These were good greyhounds and I just feel numb." Furlong said O'Hare was in tears when he broke the news to him. "It's been a terrible blow for the O'Hare family. Their entire life and livelihood centers around the dogs."

"It's a nightmare," O'Hare said. "Everything we worked so hard to build up, at this moment, seems in ruins. With River Canyon, it's not now a question of when and where he runs, but whether he lives."
Frank Melville, the NGRC's chief executive, said area official Jack Robinson had gone to the scene immediately to take samples, both from the meat and the greyhounds, for full forensic analysis. Results were expected to take 10 to 14 days.

Melville said, "We require a full analysis to discover exactly what's happened. It mightbe some terrible salmonella?type bug, for instance, but of course the fear is that it's injected meat which is supposed to be properly disposed of. Incidents like this emphasize how careful all trainers have to be in dealing with knacker type meat, and checking exactly what the circumstances were of the animal's death. This is nothing less than a disaster and whatever we can learn to prevent anything like it happening again will be put into place."
O'Hare's dogs race at the Perry Barr Greyhound Stadium in Birmingham. His kennel is located in Shirley, Solihull, about four miles southeast of Birmingham.

The 33 remaining greyhounds survived. On the advice of the vet, members of the O'Hare family continuously massaged every dog to keep their blood circulating. "No doubt the death toll would have been much greater if not for their conscientious and caring efforts," Furlong said.

Update: Results of the month long investigation confirmed the 12 dogs died from eating meat contaminated with local anesthetics and barbiturates normally used for humane euthanasia of horses. The stewards of the NGRC are now considering a ban on the use of all knacker meat. "Our ultimate goal is to implement a rule that only meat fit for human consumption should be fed to the racing greyhound," said NGRC senior steward John Nicholson.

Nicholson's comments provoked a critical response from John Haynes, chairman of the Greyhound Trainers' Association. "This is way over the top. I've never had a dog die from knacker meat, nor have the vast majority of trainers," Haynes said. "The problem is with horsemeat horses are often kept as pets and people prefer to use drugs rather than shoot them."
Melville, theNGRC chiefexecutive, said he now believes the 47 greyhounds in the George Ripley kennel who died of food poisoning in June 1988 were victims of a similar drug cocktail.

Sources: Birmingham Evening Mail: Martin Banks
Racing Post: Jim Cremin
Sunday Mirror: Frank Peter

Ireland

Limerick: Steffie, a 1 year old Irish lurcher [greyhound mix] rescued by Niamh Allen ofLimerick Animal Welfare and Marion Fitzgibbon, President of the Irish SPCA, has found a new home in the United States. "I am thrilled that Steffie is going to a good home in the States," Fitzgibbon told the Limerick Leader Feb. 21.

Fitzgibbon received a call on Christmas Eve morning that a greyhound was howling near the university. She prepared some food and drove to the area, but the frightened dog ran off. Fitzgibbon, accompanied by Niamh Allen, returned later that day and the next, bringing hot food each time, but were unable to capture the dog.

"On St. Stephen's Day [Dec. 26] we returned to find Steffie lying in the frozen grass. Too terrified to walk, she had to be carried to the car. Steffie is named after St. Stephen, given that she was rescued on his day," Fitzgibbon said.

Louise Coleman, president of the American European Greyhound Alliance, who had been in Ireland to attend a meeting of the International Greyhound Welfare Forum, brought Steffie and three other greyhounds to the U.S. on her return trip Feb. 20.

"There is a lot of interest in Irish greyhounds in the United States and we will continue to adopt these animals," Coleman said. Coleman is also the director of Greyhound Friends, Inc. in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. [Complete details of Steffie's rescue can be read online at www.ameurogreyhoundalliance.org/Steffie.html

Source: Limerick Leader: Alan Jacques

Wales

Cardiff: Two rescued greyhounds in the care of Greyhound Rescue Wales made an appearance in the Welsh Assembly Feb. 6 as Assembly Minister Lorraine Barrett announced the formation of the first all party group for animal welfare.

Barrett said the group would immediately begin an investigation into abandonment and cruelty to greyhounds. "The Assembly will be taking a proactive role in helping to eradicate the unnecessary cruelty perpetrated by an uncaring minority," she said.

Milo, a black and white male greyhound, accompanied by Hope, a 7 year old female, were brought to the Assembly to highlight abuse suffered by greyhounds once their racing days are over. Both dogs had been abandoned in South West Wales.

Dominic Rudd, the RSPCA manager for Wales, said he was delighted that the all party group had been formed, especially since figures show a dramatic rise in cruelty complaints investigated by the RSPCA.

Source: South Wales Evening Post

In our next issue: Update on dog racing in Vietnam.