International News Summer 2001

EUROPE

Colchester, England: An anonymous tip received May 4 led town council workmen to the body of a greyhound that had been dumped in a garden refuse container. The dog had been tied up and shot in the head. Its ears were also cut off.

Royal SPCA officials, who are investigating the incident, described the mutilation as horrific. They suspect the dog’s ears were cut off to prevent the owner being traced through identification tattoos.

Source: Press Association

Limerick, Ireland: The Bord na gCon (Irish Greyhound Board) banned the use of Viagra in racing greyhounds June 20 following reports that some trainers were exploiting the drug’s performance-enhancing qualities. The male anti-impotence drug reportedly increases the blood pressure and heart rate of a dog in the early stages of a race.

John Garrahy, regulations manager at Bord na gCon, which oversees the sport in the Irish Republic, said, “I don’t think this drug is a problem in the industry. We’ve had no positive tests and our drug-testing regime is pretty comprehensive.” Garrahy added, “As part of an ongoing review of practices in the sport, Viagra has been added to the list of prohibited substances.”

Garrahy sought to downplay reports that Viagra abuse was increasing, but one prominent greyhound trainer who did not wish to be identified told The Mirror that Viagra makes his dogs “hard to beat.” The Irish Independent quoted another racing source as saying that, in greyhound racing, Viagra was “the greatest thing since sliced bread.”

Sources: The Guardian: Paul Kelso
The Mirror: Pat Flanagan
USA Today
The Associated Press

Glasgow, Scotland: A week after the early-June announcement of the impending closure of the Wishaw and Armadale greyhound racetracks, the Scottish SPCA reported it had received a call from an eyewitness who had seen a greyhound hurled from a car on Highway M47 on the outskirts of Glasgow. The dog has not been found and is presumed dead.

SSPCA veterinarians said they fear this incident could be the first of many and are urging the public to be on the lookout for hurt and unwanted greyhounds. “We have no doubt this is just the start of what could prove to be a horrific butchering process,” said SSPCA spokeswoman Doreen Graham.

According to Graham, when the Airdrie Staduim in Lanarkshire closed seven years ago, 19 greyhounds were found drowned in a nearby quarry. Their ears had been cut off and bricks had been tied to their necks to weight them down.

The tracks are scheduled to close in September, which, according to the SSPCA, will render 1,500 racing dogs worthless and likely to face a violent death. “There are going to be a lot of trainers and racers out there who will want to get rid of their greyhounds quickly come September and we urge them to think about their actions,” Graham said.

The SSPCA, worried they will not have enough room to care for unwanted greyhounds at their centers across Scotland, are urging anyone thinking of getting a dog to consider adopting a greyhound.

Sources: The (Glasgow) Herald
The (London) Times: Gillian Harris