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INTERNATIONAL
NEWS UPDATE In March, Alistair Findlay, WSPA investigator, and Jonathan Owen, WSPA media chief, conducted an investigation in the Castilla y Leon and Castilla la Mancha regions of Spain and discovered dead dogs with nooses around their necks dumped in shallow graves or lying under trees where they had been hung. Findlay said, "It is scandalous that Spain, a country currently holding presidency of the European Union, is allowing man's best friend to be so cruelly abused in this manner. This is a graphic example of why a national animal welfare law is so desperately needed in Spain." In an interview with The Sunday People, Owen described some of the scenes: "There were three dead dogs just off a track about half a mile outside the village [of Chucca, about a 30-minute drive south of Toledo] in an open area scattered with boulders and almond trees. All still had nooses around their necks and had been dumped in a shallow pit with the older remains of other dead galgos. "Further along we came across a dead black galgo lying under a tree. The noose was still tight on the dog's neck and the twine was seen clearly hanging down from a branch on the tree above it. Someone had cut the dog down and left it there." WSPA estimates that tens of thousands of galgos are being bred and killed annually in rural areas. The galgos are allowed to hunt at 12 months old and WSPA estimates that 50 percent are dead by the age of two, after just one season. Other killing methods documented by WSPA include tethering a dog to a tree and leaving it to slowly starve to death. The dogs are also killed by being stoned, drowned, or thrown into wells where burning wood is then dumped on top of them. The Sunday People planned to appeal directly to Prime Minister Tony Blair to pressure the Spanish authorities to halt the brutal slaughter and asked its readers to fill out a printed form appearing with the article and mail it to Blair. WSPA is asking that letters
of protest be sent to the president of Spain. Write to: Milton Keynes, England: Bill Johnson, racing manager of the Milton Keynes Greyhound Stadium, told the Racing Post May 28 that eight greyhounds trained by handler Steve Dimmock died of unknown causes in mid-May. "We were first informed of problems on May 13 and the vast majority of Steve's greyhounds were taken off the [roster] at that time. Sadly, seven ultimately died and another was humanely put down due to her condition," Johnson said. Joan Dimmock, wife of the trainer, said it was too soon to speculate on what killed the dogs. "It was horrible to see," she said. National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) chief executive Frank Melville confirmed that the Club was awaiting the test results of unidentified samples sent to the forensic laboratory in Newmarket. Update: Forensic analysis confirmed
in early July that samples taken from the dogs tested positive for the
drug rafoxanide. The drug, which is not licensed for use in the UK, is
used on cattle and sheep in other countries. An NGRC inquiry is planned
for a yet-to-be determined date. SOUTH KOREA UPDATE GNN readers with Internet access
can read a report by Animals in Print at www.animalsinprint.org Scroll
down to bottom of page 2, click on "Newsletter Directory," then
click 28 February 2002. Readers are warned the report contains graphic
photographs. AA [www.animalsaustralia.org] is asking the international
welfare community to write to the Australian racing authorities protesting
the export of Australian greyhounds to South Korea. Letters or e-mails
should be sent to the following: The Hon. Warren Truss, Minister
for Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry, Parliament House, Canberra,
ACT 2600, Australia. (Truss is the federal minister responsible for the
export of live animals.) The Hon. Richard Face, Minister
for Gaming and Racing, Level 13, 55 Hunter Street, Sydney 2000, Australia.
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