There has been a controversy on the exact figures that the greyhound racing industry has claimed to have in the adoption programs. According to Veronica Lim, a representative with the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds, the number of greyhounds claimed to be 6100 that the Greyhound Adoption Program (GAP) has pronounced is in the last 20 years is far much smaller in comparison to the actual number of dogs that are bred for racing purposes.
However, according to Sherree Owen the founder of the Greyhound Rescue Victoria claimed that every dog that has to be out unmuzzled must undergo a ‘green collar’ test at GAP. This means that whoever wishes to adopt a dog in her firm must sign another adoption form from the GAP after the dogs have been tested. This would appear as if these adopted dogs were from the GAP.
Trainers who took the liberty of taking their dogs to GAP would come out frustrated after their dogs’ fail the test due to various injuries succumbed from racing. The GAP would ask the trainers if they would accept their dogs back. If they don’t, the GAP would transfer these dogs to other rescue groups for adoption.
Asked about the matter, Renn Barker who is the spokesman at Greyhound Racing Victoria claimed that the figures that were produced by the GRV were exclusively for the association without any additional figure from other dog agencies. These figures were deliberately left out as they were very small and couldn’t have made any great impact in the total sum. Nonetheless, those dogs that were adopted in the name of GAP after their trainers had signed the second GAP form had been included in the total figure.
He added that about 4% of the total greyhounds from the private collar assessment in 2014-15 underwent a second test at GAP which forms the basic requirement of the statutory rules under the Domestic Animals Act.
This article is published in: News
Tags: greyhounds
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