Outrage at 'dreadful cruelty' after Greyhound racing during heatwave

2022-08-18

Outrage at ‘dreadful cruelty’ after Greyhound racing goes ahead during heatwave as animal lovers slam regulator over rule that allows dogs to run in temperatures of over 90F

Greyhound Board of Great Britain and animal charities like RSPCA slammed
Met Office issued amber extreme heat warning last Thursday through to Sunday
Greyhound racing went ahead throughout the country in places like Towcester
In one race in Brighton and Hove, the dogs’ rough speed was 37 miles per hour
This has all led to many accusations of ‘cruelty’ from social media users

Animals lovers have been left outraged after Greyhound racing of over 35 miles an hour took place in stadiums across the country amid scorching temperatures of over 30C during the recent heatwave.

Regulator the Greyhound Board of Great Britain as well as animal rights charities like the RSPCA and Dogs Trust have been slammed for forcing the dogs to continue racing even after the Met Office issued an amber extreme heat warning for last Thursday through to Sunday as temperatures peaked in the mid 30sC in much of the UK.

Despite the extreme heat, Greyhound racing went ahead throughout the country because the regulator states that events only need to be postponed when temperatures exceed 33C, leading to accusations of ‘cruelty’ from social media users.

Among many others, 12 races took place in Kinsley on Sunday between 2.04pm and 5.22pm when temperatures ranged from 31C to 33C. Four other stadiums also held races on this day.

Greyhounds racing at Kinsley. Among many others, 12 races took place in Kinsley on Sunday between 2.04pm and 5.22pm when temperatures ranged from 31C to 33C. Four other stadiums also held races on this day

Greyhounds racing in Newcastle. Animals lovers have been left outraged after Greyhound racing of over 35 miles an hour took place in stadiums across the country amid scorching temperatures of over 30C during the recent heatwave

On Saturday, when a total of five stadiums were hosting events, 14 races took place in Doncaster on Saturday between 1.39pm and 5.54pm, when temperatures reached 30C.

And seven races happened in Brighton and Hove on Friday between 10.17am to 1154am, when temperature highs were recorded as 30C. A total of six stadiums went ahead with races on this day.

On its website, the Greyhound Board of Great Britain states races can go ahead with ‘special measures’ in place when temperatures range between 28C and 33C.

Additionally, it writes: ‘Greyhounds prefer to operate within their Thermo-Neutral Zone (TNZ) of between 10 and 26°C, with a small margin for individual animals.

‘Above 26°C, greyhounds need to expend energy to thermoregulate (cool themselves) and when the ambient temperature is high, the risk of heat stress is increased.

Greyhounds racing at Brighton and Hove. Seven races happened in Brighton and Hove on Friday between 10.17am to 1154am, when temperature highs were recorded as 30C. A total of six stadiums went ahead with races on this day

Greyhounds racing in Harlow. Regulator the Greyhound Board of Great Britain as well as animal rights charities like the RSPCA and Dogs Trust have been slammed for forcing the dogs to continue racing even after the Met Office issued an amber extreme heat warning for last Thursday through to Sunday as temperatures peaked in the mid 30sC in much of the UK

‘With the growing likelihood of summertime temperatures exceeding 28°C, this has placed a greater emphasis on safeguarding greyhounds from the effects of heat and humidity.’

In the 10.37am race held in Brighton and Hove on Friday, all of the dogs ran 500 metres in around 30 seconds, taking their rough speed to 37 miles per hour.

According to ThoughtCo., Greyhounds have a top speed of about 45 miles per hour.

This has led to many accusations of ‘cruelty’ from social media users. These have been launched at the regulators the Greyhound Board of Great Britain as well as animal rights charities that are part of The Greyhound Forum, which is a coalition that is supposed to work to improve the welfare of the dogs.

‘Racing just finished at Towcester where the temp is now 31°. As members of the Greyhound Forum @RSPCA_official @DogsTrust @Battersea_ @The_Blue_Cross were you party to agreeing the unrealistic cut off point of 33°? Your silence is deafening,’ wrote one on Thursday.

Temperatures peaked at 31C in Towcester on Thursday, but 12 races still went ahead throughout the day.

Someone replied, ‘Dreadful cruelty,’ while another retweeted the post and simply added the hashtag, ‘#BanGreyhoundRacing.’

A different user posted a photo of their own Greyhound sprawled out on the sofa and looking drowsy from the heat, with the caption, ‘Poor dog is laid out on the sofa and is suffering in this heat. Tell me again why we’re allowing greyhound racing to go ahead in a heatwave?’

Greyhounds racing in Sheffield. Despite the extreme heat, Greyhound racing went ahead throughout the country because the regulator states that events only need to be postponed when temperatures exceed 33C, leading to accusations of ‘cruelty’ from social media users

Greyhound racing at Suffolk Downs. According to ThoughtCo., Greyhounds have a top speed of about 45 miles per hour

Meanwhile, another wrote, ‘No dogs allowed at Ellingham Show & all their dog events cancelled due to heat. It’s outrageous to allow Greyhound racing to continue in 31° heat! #BanGreyhoundRacing #YouBetTheyDie.’

The user was referring to the Ellingham dog Show, which announced earlier last week that they were asking people not to bring their dogs to the event on Saturday and had removed all dog shows from their schedule following advice from the RSPCA.

Similarly, Christchurch Carnival also cancelled their dog show on Sunday due to similar concerns.

The prestigious dog show at the Fyfield Village and Church fete near Andover, Hants, was another event cancelled on Saturday due to the heat.

It is a usually a leading feature of the village fete, with dog owners bringing their pets from miles around.

The decision was taken ‘for the welfare and safety of our furry creatures’ after the temperature was forecast to hit 34C, while the rest of the fete went ahead.

A user posted a photo of their own Greyhound sprawled out on the sofa and looking drowsy from the heat, with the caption, ‘Poor dog is laid out on the sofa and is suffering in this heat. Tell me again why we’re allowing greyhound racing to go ahead in a heatwave?’

The competition was meant to have lasted 30 to 40 minutes but it would have been when the sun was at its strongest.

One of the fete organisers Phil Boyes yesterday stressed: ‘We have had to call the dog show off. It is because of the heat and professional advice we were given by a vet.’

However, other dog shows did go ahead, with the Bournemouth Canine Association deciding to proceed with their annual event, sparking outrage from animal lovers.

On Saturday, the heat hit 29C in Dorset amid health warnings issued by the RSPCA and an amber weather warning for extreme heat announced by the Met Office – but Bournemouth Championship Dog Show kicked off anyway.

Consequently, owners and their pets were seen forced to shelter under marquees without any air conditioning at the event.

Under intense fire, the organisers attempted to justify its position, stressing ‘the show is not on tarmac’ and that they had facilities such as cool baths on site for animals attending the event.

MailOnline has approached Greyhound Board of Great Britain, RSCPA, Dogs Trust, Blue Cross, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, and the stadiums at Towcester, Kinsley, Brighton and Hove and Doncaster.

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