I've just received information from Maureen Sheridan at The Animal House in Jamaica that the plans to introduce greyhound racing in Jamaica are moving forward. She's appealing for as many people as possible to send a protest letter to send to the Prime Minister and the Editor of the Jamaica Observer, which recently carried an anti-greyhound racing article.
There are 2 draft letters here, which can also be used for emails. Please keep your correspondence polite and include your name and address.
Draft letter follows, to copy and send.
Draft letter herewith.
February 2009
The Honourable Bruce Golding
Prime Minister of Jamaica
1 Devon Road
Kingston 10
Jamaica
Honourable Mr. Golding:
I recently learned - via emails that have been circulating - that Jamaica is poised to begin greyhound racing. I was disheartened to learn of this and urge you not to embrace this cruel “sport.” As someone who has volunteered with greyhound adoption in Colorado, USA, for over 12 years, I have seen the consequences of dog racing firsthand.
Many dogs are bred so that some might be competitive. Puppies who show no promise are killed early on. The dogs spend up to 23 hours each day confined in cages 2 feet x 3 feet, sometimes muzzled. Dogs may be injured while training and during the race. Broken legs are common and some injuries are so terrible, such as severely fractured legs and broken backs, that the dogs are euthanized. (Plus, an injured dog cannot make money for its owner, so it’s “uneconomical” to keep it alive.).
After dogs “retire” (become non-competitive), usually well before their fifth birthday, the lucky ones enter adoption programs. However, too many are killed or used for vivisection. These dogs are exploited, used up, thrown away. Whenever animals are exploited for money-making ventures, the animals always lose.
Additionally, people who see dog racing as a quick way to make money neglect to address the large number of gamblers bankrupted by their gambling habit. This problem may not be apparent, but is an insidious problem not addressed by the pro-racing industry.
Please do not allow dog racing in your country. Do not endorse the cruelties inherent in this industry.
Thank you for considering my opinion.
Sincerely,
or send letters to the editor at:
editorial@jamaicaobserver.com or letters@gleanerjm.com
Name and address to be supplied please to letters to the paper
You'll also find my original campaign here Protest - Proposal to run greyhound racing in Jamaica
FURTHER INFORMATION RECEIVED
Please also send an email to a Jamaican MP Dr. St. AUBYN BARTLETT, M.P. who is supporting the proposal of greyhound racing in Jamaica-
standrew-e@jamaicalabourparty.com
Please also write to the Jamaican Tourist Board and the Jamaican High Commission
Jamaican High Commission
1-2 Prince Consort Road,
London
SW7 2BZ
Tel: 020 7823 9911
Fax: 020 7589 5154
Email Jamhigh@jhcuk.com
Please make sure you use the right postage stamp for the UK if you are posting snail mail from abroad.
Jamaican Tourist Board mail@visitjamaica.uk.com
Please refer to the Greyhound Action website for the plight of the racing greyhound www.greyhoundaction.org.uk and/or use the sample email below from Greyhound Crusaders/SWAP team UK, using your own words please. Please note Letters to the papers need to be more concise.
Please keep all correspondence polite, please see the info below.
Many thanks for your support
Greyhound Crusaders/SWAP team UK
Sample email
Dear
I have recently heard that there are plans to bring greyhound racing to Jamaica. This has raised grave concerns for me as a greyhound lover and I felt it was most important to bring this matter to your attention.
To introduce greyhound racing to Jamaica would be an absolute travesty due to the thousands of greyhounds that are destroyed worldwide every year once they are retired from racing, average age 3-4 years old. Additionally, thousands of greyhound pups are destroyed each year because they are considered 'unsuitable for racing'. The RSPCA in the UK (Royal Society for the Protection of Animals) believes: "at least 20 greyhounds a day - either puppies which do not make the track, or 'retired' dogs aged three or four - simply 'disappear', presumed killed". Also the fact that many greyhounds every year sustain serious, sometimes fatal injuries whilst racing.
(Please view the recent UK APGAW (Associate Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare) report at this link:
http://www.apgaw.org/userimages/Report%20of%20APGAW%20Inquiry%20into%20the%20Welfare%20of%20Greyhounds.pdf )
Additionally, greyhounds have fallen victim to extreme abuse: Greyhounds have been found drowned, poisoned, shot, abandoned, some emaciated, some with their ears hacked off (or burnt off with acid) to remove identifying tattoos. Some greyhounds are subjected to 'drugging' as a way of 'fixing' certain races. Greyhounds taken on by rescues are often in a poor state of neglect i.e. flea-ridden, worm-ridden, rotten teeth. Greyhounds that are exported from Australia to Asia are often used for dog meat and some greyhounds have been found hung on trees and thrown down wells in Spain.
Greyhounds are sometimes found with cigarette burns on their bodies, greyhounds with missing toes due to past injuries, greyhounds who have had to have many of their teeth removed due to previous neglect. Untreated injuries that have poorly healed. The list is endless.
You may have read the horrific story of David Smith from Co. Durham in the UK exterminating in the region of 10,000 unwanted greyhounds in a fifteen year period by shooting them callously with a bolt gun and burying them in his back garden. The Sunday Times along with other national newspapers exposed this in 2006.
Please tell me what the fate of racing greyhounds will be in Jamaica, if this type of carnage to greyhounds is happening worldwide then surely it is inevitable that this may happen in Jamaica. Wherever there are profits to be made, animal welfare is low on the agenda. What animal welfare laws are there in Jamaica and are they upheld?
More recently, the Sunday Times in the UK have also exposed two disturbing cases where healthy greyhounds are being sold to veterinary colleges by those involved in the greyhound racing industry, to be exploited for scientific purposes. On Sunday 2nd March 2008, a Sunday Times article exposed the Royal Veterinary College (the oldest and largest veterinary college in Britain) as having an agreement with a greyhound clinic in Essex to buy body parts taken from healthy greyhounds that were being euthanased regularly by the clinic, the healthy greyhounds were being supplied to the clinic by greyhound trainers who no longer had a use for these dogs.
The full article can be viewed here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3466712.ece
On Sunday 11th May 2008, a second article appeared in the Sunday Times, this time exposing Liverpool University's Small Animal Teaching Hospital as being supplied with healthy young greyhounds by the largest greyhound breeder in Britain, a Mr Charles Pickering. Mr Pickering admitted to selling young, perfectly healthy greyhounds who had failed to make the grade (i.e.chose not to chase the artificial hare or considered simply too slow for the tracks) to the university's animal teaching hospital to be euthanased and used for scientific research. The article also revealed how greyhound trainer 'Richard Fielding' who was also supplied greyhounds by Mr Pickering, gave his older (still healthy) greyhounds once they retired from racing to the university veterinary staff to be euthanased so their organs could be removed for teaching and research purposes.
The full article can be viewed here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article3908388.ece
I am sickened and outraged by the appalling atrocities inflicted upon the racing greyhound and this is why am writing to you today to endeavour to educate you about the disturbing reality of greyhound racing.
If you could spare a few moments to please view this short video http://greytexploitations.com/awareness-videos please go into this link for awareness videos and please scroll down to the last video called 'racing to death' (volume up), as this supports the many reasons why I am are so compelled to be a voice for the greyhounds.
I hope that my correspondence to you today will explain the reasons for my concerns upon hearing the news that there may be plans to introduce greyhound racing in Jamaica and I politely and respectfully ask that you support me in opposing any such plans.
Thank you for taking the time to read my appeal
Yours
Name & address
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