Greyhound laws may be reviewed

A Review of greyhound transport regulations is likely following a demonstration outside ail Leinster House by two animal rights organisations protesting at the treatment of greyhounds that are exported to the Continent.

The Alliance for Animal Rights and the American-European Greyhound Alliance accused the greyhound industry of failing to adhere to regulations in the transport of greyhounds sold to the Continent, predominantly to Spain. They also criticised the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, and his Department for failing to implement the regulations.

A Department spokesman said they were reasonably satisfied that regulations regarding the transport of animals offered suitable safeguards. However, it was always open to review, and one was likely, particularly in relation to the transport of greyhounds.

Ms Bernie Wright of the Alliance for Animal Rights (AFAR) claimed cruelty was rife in the greyhound industry, with up to 30,000 greyhounds disposed of every year. The ones that survive for export are transported "in 14-inch boxes, they are muzzled and left standing for up to three days in these cramped cages in their own excrement and often without water".

The Irish attitude is that greyhounds are "a cash crop and not a lot of thought goes into their welfare", according to Ms Louise Coleman, director in Boston of Greyhound Friends Inc, and a member of the American-European Greyhound Alliance.

She said the Government "considers greyhounds as commercial dogs and they don't have the same regulation and oversight as domestic dogs. We are really hoping that the Department of Agriculture will look at the transport conditions to Spain, which should be humane." Both organisations have written to the Minister, highlighting the mistreatment of greyhounds and protesting at the overbreeding of animals for racing.

The protesters outside Leinster House, who had two greyhounds with them, carried banners with pictures of injured and mistreated dogs and the message: "Greyhounds are dogs too, but not to Joe Walsh", in reference to the Minister for Agriculture. The Department spokesman pointed out that it was not in a position to restrict the export of greyhounds under EU law. "We cannot stop the trade," he said.

"There are regulations that govern the transport of animals including the protection of animals in transport by road, rail and sea. We are reasonably satisfied that those regulations safeguard the transport of animals."

In Dublin Port there is a visual inspection of animals and no unfit animals should be transported. However, the spokesman said that much of this was up to the private vets who checked the dogs for the owners exporting them.