FW. Response to Australian racing industry on greyhounds in Asia

[Guest guest]

Subj: Greyhounds in Asia

16/09/2002 18:09:41 GMT Daylight Time

<A HREF= " jpkavanagh7 " >jpkavanagh7</A>

<A HREF= " srosier " >srosier</A>

CC: <A HREF= " protectionglw " >protectionglw</A>

Sent from the Internet (Details)

 

 

Dear Mr. Rosier.

 

Your general statement has spoken volumes about you and the Australian

racing industries priorities. It is evident that you think the lives of the

greyhounds that have been sent to Asia over the last 30 years are worthless.

 

You refer to 200 greyhounds sent to Korea as being a small figure. Surely

you must be aware that one greyhound sent to such a place is one to many.

The fate of the 369 greyhounds sent to Macau has also become very clear.

Recently reported in the media greyhounds that can no longer race in Macau

are being slaughtered and thrown into the landfills.

 

It is not surprising that you and your chairman express such little regard

for the welfare of the very animals that make you money. As the whole

foundation of the greyhound racing industry has been built on suffering and

abuse.

You claim that ANZGA is satisfied with the provisions in place regarding

Vietnam and Macau. Yet you fail to mention that there is no hope,

opportunity or rehoming programmes for the greyhounds that are retired or

injured or have failed the grade in Asia.

 

Once again the media has exposed the fate of greyhound in Asia. Butchered in

such places as Vietnam, Macau, China and Korea. They are ending their days

either in the dog meat industry or thrown into landfills. Perhaps you care

to be sent images of Australian greyhounds that have been slaughtered and

skinned alive in Asia.

 

The Australian greyhound racing industry is coming under world scrutiny for

continuing to contribute to the barbaric treatment of greyhounds exported to

Asia.

You are aware of the cruelty inflicted on companion animals in Asia, so why

do you continue to support the export of greyhounds to such places.

I urge you to take this matter seriously and stop supporting such

atrocities, by ensuring the export of greyhounds to Asia is immediately

stopped.

 

I await your actions.

 

Sincerely

Mr.JP Kavanagh

 

 

Animal Welfare in Asia

 

I refer to your recent communication concerning animal welfare and

theexportation of greyhounds from Australia.It is advised that this issue is

one of concern to all greyhoundauthorities. Indeed, the matter has been

discussed at length and ultimatelyresulted in our national body, the

Australian and New Zealand GreyhoundAssociation (ANZGA), making enquiries of

the Federal Department ofAgriculture, Fisheries and Forestry – Australia (in

particular theAustralian Quarantine Inspection Service) as to the Federal

Governmentrequirements on the exporting of greyhounds.The AQIS has advised

that it “is responsible for ensuring exportconsignments of live animals and

animal reproductive material are preparedand certification issued in

accordance with the importing countryrequirementsâ€.This activity falls within

the legislative provisions of the Export ControlAct 1982. The transport and

subsequent export of live animals also needs tocomply with domestic animal

welfare legislation such as the Prevention ofCruelty to Animals Act and other

international standards, primarily theInternational Air Transport Association

(IATA) – Live Animal Regulations.The AQIS maintains a database of all export

protocols that it receives andthis is maintained and kept up to date as much

as possible and may beutilized as a guide for determining export conditions

to an overseascountry. The location of that database (ANIMEX) is<A

HREF= " http://64.4.8.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=EN & lah=ddcd4c4fee1da9d85eeb6c967be0\

eadf & lat=1032195538 & hm___action=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2eaqis%2egov%2eau%2fanimex%2fas\

p%2fsearch%2easp " >

http://www.aqis.gov.au/animex/asp/search.asp</A>.In addition I have also been

advised that there are only a small number ofexporters that have been

forwarding greyhounds into Asian countries fornearly 30 years. In most cases

these have been to Macau and in more recenttimes to Vietnam and China.The

past 18 months has also witnessed some greyhounds going to Korea wherethey

commenced greyhound racing in April of this year.One reported misconception

is that thousands of greyhounds are beingexported to that country whereas the

official AQIS statistics put the numberfor last year at 200 and information

available to the ANZGA for this yearputs the export rate at just 20 per

month.The ANZGA continually raises the welfare question in the Asian region

and itis satisfied with the provisions in place with both Macau and

Vietnam.Further to this I can advise that my Chairman, Ross Magin, being

theimmediate past President of the World Greyhound Racing Federation

(WGRF),has personally inspected racing operations in Macau. He has

publiclyreported his findings in this respect and such may be viewed by

visiting theAuthority’s web site

( & lah=c6ab94c701a7088d17c919751971db7b & lat=1032195538 & hm___action=http%3a%2f%2fw\

ww%2egra%2ensw%2egov%2eau%2fcolumns%2f " >http://www.gra.nsw.gov.au/columns/</A>)

and

clicking onthe Chairman’s June 2002 Report.Further, and in response to many

requests, the ANZGA has sought informationfrom the Korean Government on the

welfare of the racing greyhound in thatcountry. That ANZGA is currently

awaiting a response and detailedinformation.I would like to take the

opportunity to thank you for raising your concernsand please be assured that

the situation is being monitored as best as canbe done.

Kind regards,

Steve RosierChief ExecutiveGRA (NSW)