Campaigners call for greyhound racing to be cancelled during heatwave
Posted 15th July 2022
Friday, July 15, 2022
There are 13 greyhound meetings scheduled around the country on Monday and 12 on Tuesday despite advice from animal welfare charities to keep dogs safe during hot weather.
Nick Weston, head of campaigns at the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “The greyhound industry will be putting profit before animal welfare if they push ahead with racing during this spell of extreme hot weather.
“We’re calling for all greyhound racing to be cancelled during this heatwave in order to ensure the welfare of the greyhounds – to push ahead flies in the face of all the current advice being given to dog owners.”
Trudy Baker, Coordinator at Greyt Exploitations, said: “The Greyhound Board of Britain GBGB, the self-regulatory body for greyhound racing in Great Britain have a hot weather policy which states that greyhound racing should be cancelled once temperatures reach higher than 33C.
“This is despite the Society of Greyhound Veterinarians suggesting that ‘if the temperature is in the region of 28 to 30C serious consideration should be given to suspending racing and that racing should not take place in environmental temperatures in excess of 30C’.”
Temperatures are expected to reach up to 40C early next week with the Met Office issuing its first ever red extreme heat warning for parts of England, meaning a risk to life is likely.
The League Against Cruel Sports and Greyt Exploitations both want greyhound racing to be phased out due to the high number of injuries and deaths sustained by greyhounds during races.
The GBGB figures from 2021 showed 359 fatalities among racing greyhounds with 120 destroyed at trackside after being injured during racing, and 4,422 injuries sustained at tracks during 2021.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For more information or interview requests please contact the League Against Cruel Sports Press Office on 01483 524250 (24hrs) or email pressoffice@league.org.uk
