Cocaine given to dogs by owners to win races

Greyhound owners are feeding their dogs cocaine as a performance-enhancing drug, a report by a Government-sponsored committee into doping in the industry has found.

The report reveals that two greyhound owners, both from Northern Ireland, were fined after traces of Benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, were found in their dogs.

Stephen Ryan, from Lisburn, was fined €2,000 and given a "severe caution" when two of his greyhounds, She's a Promise and He's A Buck, tested positive for the substance.

David Wilson, from Belfast, was fined €1,000 and also given a "severe caution" when his dog Tullyglen Hubba was found with traces of the drug at a race in Dundalk last April.

Eight greyhound owners from Northern Ireland and six from the Republic were fined by the central committee which was set up following a report into the sacking of former Bord na gCon chief executive Adrian Tynan.

Mr Tynan had tried to bring allegations of doping in the industry to the attention of the Government.

Its recommendation that doping control should be undertaken independent of Bord na gCon was implemented last year. The control committee consists of five independent people including a qualified barrister and is chaired by former Dublin football manager Kevin Heffernan. It is the first time that the committee has published a list of sanctions it has handed out to greyhound owners.

Two other owners were fined after their dogs tested positive for amphetamine.

Brendan Cullen, from Dungannon, was fined €1,000 and given a "severe caution" when his dog Big Kiowa tested positive in May, while George Dickson, of Blacks Road in Belfast, was handed the same penalties and had to forfeit prize-money after his dog Northside Honcho was found to have been given an amphetamine in July.

Others were fined for giving their dogs substances such as beta-blockers, which could be used to calm a dog down, and over-the-counter painkillers to lessen the effects of injuries.

In another case, a Donegal greyhound trainer was fined for giving his dog herbal ecstasy in April of last year.

Bord na gCon chief executive Adrian Neilan said the fines were proof that the industry's doping programme is working.

Currently 5,500 blood samples are taken from dogs each year, a third of all which race in the Republic's 20 tracks every year.

Mr Neilan said his board "will provide all necessary assistance to ensure the highest level of integrity in the Irish greyhound industry". - (Additional reporting PA)