Greyhound welfare activists require better transparency in “racing deaths”

The fourth and last race of the Supreme Caesar was on August 31, 2023 at the Hobart race race. Black Greyhound was a little under two years.

On that day, Supreme Caesar ranked sixth, winning $ 0 in his career prize money.

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The Supreme Caesar did not run again, but was “tempted” to a Launceston property.

This means that his performance was tested in order to run it again.

After that, he became “flat”, “lethargic” and severe bad, according to a report of the Cancer Integrity Bureau (times).

The report writes:

After the test @ Laundon Greyhound lost 3 kg and would not eat veterinarians, as was a flat lethargic, with severe demanding rabdomyolysis and renal lesions due to lack of immediate treatment – Mowby Vet Clinic Tas Tas

“Rhabdomyolysis – the colloquial term for this is when the muscles melt,” explained the veterinarian Ray Ferguson, who ran on Grayhounds.

“It is a condition we see in Greyhounds, it is rare in other races.”

Rhabdomyolysis is caused by muscle lesions caused by overexaceous, with symptoms including nausea, excessive and instant gang, as well as renal failure.

The Supreme Caesar was taken down to Mowbray Vet, on October 12, a month and a half after his last official race.

His coach, William Mcnally, has recently retired from decades in Greyhound Racing.

He refused to answer the ABC questions about the Supreme Caesar, but shared his “outburst” over death.

Or, which regulates the industry, says that “Greyhounds are euthanized according to veterinary tips that euthanasia is the best long-term result of well-being.”

Despite the fact that it has been removed from an episode of rabdomyolysis, the supreme Caesar is not considered as a race or death -related to the runway in 2024 annual report from Tasracing.

There are only two deathhound deaths listed as related to track.

The report says that a total of 46 industry greyhounds were euthanized in the financial year 2023-24.

Activists trying to follow the causes of death

Animal welfare activists in Tasmania, Fran Chambers and Kristy Alger, are afraid of death, such as the Supreme Caesar show, the true race tax is not accurately reflected.

The Cancer Integrity Office (times) provided information on Supreme Caesar and other Greyhounds, on request to Mrs. Chambers and Mrs. Alger.

For more than a year, Mrs. Alger said she watched the wounds and deaths of greyhounds by cross-checking the different databases, then by e-mail or for an answer.

She described it as a “difficult” process, because the records were vague.

“It takes hours of work and this is only for dogs that do actually,” she said.

She said the information is “technically available, if you have the set of skills and long.”

Through her work, Mrs. Alger said she had discovered two cases of rabdomyolysis, including the supreme Caesar, but feared there were more.

Brighttside does not stop taking ex-racer Greyhounds

Rebecca Holmes is a animal care technician, dog coach and on -board vice -president at Bright Farm Sanctuary in Tasmania in Valea Huon.

Brighttside was once a facility that Greyhound trainers could withdraw their former colds instead of the adoption program (GAP) led by Greyhound, driven by tasracing.

It was received anywhere between 44 and 79 grayhounds each year, according to the figures provided ABC.

Mrs. Holmes said that Rhabdomyolizis was “quite disturbing to see” in Grayhounds.

Last year, Brighttside stopped accepting the coaches from the coaches because of what Mrs. Holmes said that is a lack of paper.

It called it the “most irregular part” of the industry.

Former Greyhounds in Tasmania are allowed to be withdrawn to adoption programs that have no industrial, as long as it is notified within 10 days.

Instructors must continue to comply with a retirement policy, which includes a 28 -day “sale” period, far from racing activities, together with stomach and dental works, with reimbursement trainers when they provide documents.

But Brighttside Farm Sanctuary and Dogs Home of Tasmania said that this policy was frequently violated, with greyhounds with dental diseases and coats infested with fleas, without recordings and “missed a lot of key socialization in the first 16 weeks of their lives. ”.

Brighttside has stopped taking dogs because of the “pressure” placed on the sanctuary to take dogs without recordings, said Mrs. Holmes.

Both agencies said that it is accustomed that Greyhounds should be offered without records by the members of the public who said they “saved” them from the online market.

According to the figures shared from times to ABC, about half of the dogs listed as “rebuilt” in the annual report of tasracing, are addressed to third parties, shelters and non-GAP adoption programs.

Tasracing said that “he cannot comment on the medical history of an animal without seeing relevant medical documents – otherwise we rely on the interpretation of someone else, which is defective.”

The role of races in “unclear” deaths

The Greyhound recorder, Alger, said Tasracing “is not clear throughout the number of death deaths.”

His quarterly reports or throws a bit about the problem by dividing deaths into different categories.

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In a document RTI with information covering Euthanasia Greyhounds for “Disease/Age” between 2021 and 2024Details are missing for several greyhounds, and the details included are short, often omitting a comprehensive diagnosis.

“They are busy veterinarians who write a quick summary,” said Dr. Ferguson, who is a member of the Greyhound Committee Interest Group with the Australian Veterinary Association.

Renal or renal problems are included in the comment section for four euthanized dogs.

Dr. Ferguson said that “one of the subsequent effects of rabdomyolysis was renal lesions”, but that rabdomyolysis was rare, and renal disease was quite common in dogs.

Dr. Ferguson said that the renal disease was “up there” for the main reasons why the retired greyhound was euthanase – “but it was not investigated”, despite his group that made campaigns for it.

The category of “disease/age” deaths of RTI documents total 24 Greyhounds for last year, more than double the figures in each of the last two years.

Mrs. Alger said that putting a dog with rabdomyolysis in the category of diseases/age “does not indicate the role of racing or trial played to cause the condition that finally killed the dog.”

She said that tasracing statistics have adopted a “quite euphemic approach” that “does not reveal the true width of racing deaths.”

“Accidents in processes or private training units are not listed as deaths, which are under” euthanized because of injury, “she said.

ABC asked for an answer to this, but both tasracing and either referred to each other to answer, each saying that it was not their mission.

In a statement, Minister Racing, Jane Howlett, said the state government is working on improving animal welfare.

“We share the desire for the community to make sure that Greyhound is treated with dignity before, during and after their racing careers,” she said.

“The Commissioner of Integrity of the Tasmania races, Mr. Sean Carroll, has new great powers to establish the integrity and animal welfare standards to raise the bar above.

In a separate statement, Mr. Carroll’s office said that the Commissioner will “perform an analysis of all current tasracing codes and policies in the development of” new welfare standards.

“The commissioner will continuously monitor the industry retirement policy, by periodic reporting, direct tasracing at the Commissioner’s Office,” the statement said.

“If someone has information that Greyhound is remitted outside the current policy, they should report this immediately to the Commissioner’s Office.”

Reports can be made at The Integrity Commissioner of Tasmaniane races online or by phone 1800 296 967.

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