9/12/2013
1
Karen Cunnington BSc BVSc Hons
The Pet Greyhound Wellbeing & Veterinary Advisory Service
& the Greyhound Rehoming Centre
www.greyhoundrehomingcentre.org
9/12/2013
2
• Of the 7,500 greyhounds born [in Victoria each year], approximately only 1,000 will live a full life span. *
https://assets.justice.vic.gov.au/justice/resources/5b85e800-7569-40a0-bd79-3ed5ef1d303c/letter_judge_gordon_lewis_providing_integrity_report_to_minister_aug_2008.pdf*Covering Letter to Honourable Rob Hulls MP, Minister for Racing, Victoria, 1 August
2008 to Judge G D Lewis AM, A Report on Integrity Assurance in Victoria’s Racing Industry (2008)
• Over breeding/supply
• Outdated training techniques
• Lack of early & appropriate socialisation
9/12/2013
3
• Green collar standard
• Public perception
• Low demand for adoption
• 3,300 litters per year are registered with Greyhounds Australasia*
• 3,300 x 6 (average numbers of puppies in a litter)=19,800
• 13,300 greyhounds named (registered for racing)
• 19, 800 – 13,300 = 6500 puppies/young that are not suitable for racing (failure to chase, injuries, lack ability)
• 32.8% initial failure rate
• Very little if any regulation of the dogs that are unnamed
*figures obtained from Greyhounds Australasia
9/12/2013
4
• GAP VIC– 4000 since 1996– 2011-2012 (354)
• GAP QLD – 2011 - 2012 (96)– 2012 – 2013 (73)
• GAP NSW – <300 since 2009
• Less than 700 are adopted through industry funded programs nationally each year
• 19 800 born vs. 700 through GAP per year
• Average racing life of 2-4 years
• Average 14 000 racing each year– How many are retired/in need of homes at 2 or 4
years?
• An unknown percentage are retained for– Breeding
– Privately rehomed or kept as pets by trainers?
• Lack of transparency & industry self regulation
9/12/2013
5
• The racing industry is actively promoting theadoption of a predatory animal, whilst in principlevia the GAPNTT failing those that actually are.
• In respect of GAP itself, I find it astonishingthat there is a lengthy waiting list of adoptersin the context of the number of young healthydogs being killed.*
From a covering Letter to Honourable Rob Hulls MP, Minister for Racing, Victoria. 1August 2008 in Judge G D Lewis AM, A Report on Integrity Assurance in Victoria’sRacing Industry (2008)https://assets.justice.vic.gov.au/justice/resources/5b85e800-7569-40a0-bd79-3ed5ef1d303c/letter_judge_gordon_lewis_providing_integrity_report_to_minister_aug_2008.pdf
9/12/2013
6
• Query healthy, young dogs?
– Physical health vs mental health
– Many require extensive rehabilitation prior to rehoming
• The general public:
– Are often unwilling to adopt a dog with behavioural problems
– Can be unrealistic in their expectations
• Cats, birds, chickens even rabbits
Picture sourced from: winniethegreyhoundblogspot.com
9/12/2013
7
Need this for racing But want this for retirement
And the industry has no time, facilities, budget or expertise to allow this remarkable transformation to take place for many dogs!
• Is the “traditional” training life cycle of the greyhound conducive to maximising successful racing potential?
• Or just as importantly, retirement?
9/12/2013
8
*
• 6-12 weeks in puppy groups
source GRNSW website and “Care of racing and retired greyhound”, authors: L Blythe, J Gannon, A Craig, D Fegan
• Rearing farm
–Usually rural areas
–Raised in groups in long runs or paddocks
Photos sourced from Greyhound Data
9/12/2013
9
*picture from No Agent Reality, “Premium Greyhound Rearing Property for sale”
– Come in out of the paddocks to begin education!
– Learn how to be kennelled
– Experience the excitement
of the trial tracks
*source GRNSW website and “Care of racing and retired greyhound”, authors: L Blythe, J Gannon, A Craig, D Fegan Picture: Greyhound Data
9/12/2013
10
– leash/collar trained
– been in a car
– met children
– left the property
– been in a house
– heard a vacuum
– or traffic noise
– chewed a bone
– chased a ball
– had a bath
– been groomed
– seen a television
– or met another breed of dog
Most have not been adequately socialised or exposed to novel stimuli during recognised critical periods
• Quite rural environment, lacking habituation to normal suburban sounds
• Environmental enrichment is rare
• Often manifesting as generalised fearfulness
• Or adrenaline junkies?
*picture from No Agent Reality, “Premium Greyhound Rearing Property for sale”
9/12/2013
11
• First 16 weeks are critical learning periods
• Deprivation (socialisation & habituation) is well recognised as having severe and long term effects on the ability of a pet to live successfully in a family environment
• It must do on racing as well– (6500, or 32% initial failure rate)
• 3 - 12 months*
• 12 months-retirement
• 6-12 weeks*
• Retirement
retirement Puppy farms
Rearing Properties
Kennelling
9/12/2013
12
Anxiety is frequent
Anxiety disorder is common
• Dependent on background
– often a notable difference between rural vssuburban dogs
9/12/2013
13
• Why has muzzling greyhounds become accepted as the norm in legislation rather than addressing the core issue of why they (may) need one in the first place?
• i.e.:
– Training techniques etc
– Lack of early and appropriate socialisation
9/12/2013
14
Unrealistic!
• In all states (where applicable) exceptNSW/ACT, muzzling exemption is administeredby the industry funded GAP
• Public opinion divided regarding GAPassessing dogs arguably of the industries ownmaking (rather harshly)
9/12/2013
15
• Now largely retained as a marketing point of difference between industry vs. non industry programs
• Fiercely protected in some states
– QLD and VIC
• Long waiting times for industry funded programsensure that by default they are catering for dogswhose owners/trainers
– have the resources to care for their dogs post-racing, and
– who in all likelihood could play a more active role in the
re-homing process of their own dog
• It does however neglect
the most vulnerable
– E.g. the 6500 un-named dogs
9/12/2013
16
• Each dog costs conservatively in the region of$2000 - $4000 to put through GAP
• With an industry funded clinic for example,how many dogs could be neutered or indeedfed for that?
• All or nothing approach is/should be of publicconcern
– GRV - $1.035 million over 3 years for GAP
– Used to fund pet insurance and subsidiseadoption fee to $75.00 for the same population ofdogs
• There is an urgent need to exploreopportunities to cater for more dogs moreefficiently using the available funding
9/12/2013
17
The focus needs to shift from the currentrelatively small % of dogs to a program that canoffer:
• neutering
• basic health care and
• behavioural advice
• for dogs being re-homed privately or waiting toenter GAP or other programs
• Additional funding for rehoming is pointless unless it is combined with changes to:
– Breeding
– Rearing
– Training
– Education &
– Enforcement
9/12/2013
18