League concerned over greyhound death at Oxford racecourse

The League today is voicing its concern over the safety of greyhound racecourses following the death of a greyhound at Oxford stadium two weeks ago.

The three year old greyhound suffered a broken hock joint and had to be put down following a collision with another dog at a race meeting on Saturday, January 3.

The manager of Oxford racetrack, Maureen Ridley was quoted in the Oxford Mail on Friday (15th January) as saying “We take the dogs’ safety very seriously. We have a team of people dedicated to ensuring their welfare, including a vet who checks them before they go out to race, and when they return.

League campaigner, Christina Bengston said “this incident is one of many that we have been made aware of and highlights the need for independent regulation of the greyhound racing industry to ensure that welfare conditions are improved and that the tracks are made safer for the dogs.”

Greyhound Board spokesman James McCreadie said: “There is a continuing downward trend in injuries, which goes hand in hand with the investment in track safety on courses across the country.”

Despite these claims by the GBGB (Greyhound Board of Great Britain) neither Oxford stadium or the GBGB could confirm to the newspaper how many dogs were put down last year further highlighting the current problems with self-regulation.

Contact your MP and ask them to sign EDM 386 which calls for the Government to acknowledge that the draft regulations under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 are unacceptable.