URGENT: Please Act Now
Urge the Greyhound Board of Great Britain to avoid further spread of Coronavirus 
Scroll down to find a copy of a letter you may use, and to find email addresses

The World Health Organisation announces that COVID-19 is pandemic but the Greyhound racing industry still encourage the crowds at all 21 licensed tracks, and with the 2020 Derby set to go ahead it's business as usual
According to race-goers the Derby attracts thousands of punters of all ages every year

Photo credit: Flickr

 BBC Sports News Announcement 
Headline 14.03.20
"Coronavirus pandemic wiped out most of the world's major sporting events in an unprecedented 24 hours.


As Friday began, the Premier League was one of the last football competitions standing - albeit with fans awaiting the outcome of an emergency meeting"
Abstract; BBC Sports News

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​Please read the below letter in full before copying and pasting it to your email
Please add your full name at the bottom of the letter

Scroll down to find the email address for the Managing Director of Greyhound Board of Great Britain, Governing body of the greyhound racing industry and other contacts to send your letter to. 

Please copy the following letter and send to the Greyhound Board of Great Britain, if you agree with the content

I would like to state my deepest concerns for both public safety and for the welfare of dogs, whilst a decision has been made by yourselves, 'an independent regulatory body responsible for greyhound racing' to continue race meetings as usual at all 21 GBGB licensed dog racing stadiums across Britain, regardless of large crowds of people being encouraged to attend venues and surprisingly following the announcement by the, World Health Organisation, that COVID-19 is Pandemic. 

I understand that one of your GBGB Directors, Mrs Rachel Corden, holds numerous positions within the business of greyhound racing and is also listed on Companies House as the Director and Secretary of Nottingham Greyhound Stadium where the Greyhound Derby is due to be held on several dates during April and May 2020. I hope that yourself and Mrs Corden will both act responsibly, and take it upon yourselves to reconsider your recent decision to allow GBGB licensed greyhound racing venues to continue gathering the crowds during a pandemic. 
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 BBC Sports headline on 14.03.20;
"Coronavirus pandemic wiped out most of the world's major sporting events in an unprecedented 24 hours"

Despite the British governments poor response to the pandemic, many sports events have now halted due to to the public threat where large crowds are encouraged, including those in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

I refer to your latest statement published in the online greyhound racing news by 'Greyhound Star' on 13th March 2020, where you claimed that a GBGB subgroup had held a meeting with track representatives and veterinary staff to discuss the implications of COVID-19 on the successful operations of greyhound racing over the coming weeks.
Within this statement you acknowledge that greyhound racing participants will be concerned over the potential economical impact it may have on them and you also state that the welfare of the greyhounds remains your core priority. 

I would like to advise you that according to research published COVID-19 is an unlikely threat to dogs, therefore I am curious as to why at a time where people are in fear for their lives, the GBGB would need to state that their core priority is for the welfare of greyhounds. I am interested to know whether you believe that halting the racing would harm dogs in comparison to the usual risks of injury or death due to collisions on the track.  

On this particular occasion is it not common sense to steer some focus  towards human health and the implications that could arise for the safety of the industries dogs, if owners/trainers or kennel staff became unwell.
Advice would probably be better sought from your Local Health Authority and Public Health England in preference to holding discussions with veterinary surgeons who are generally untrained in human health, also in any correlation with COVID-19 pandemic virus and its Zoonotic nature when affecting humans. 

Are you not concerned that encouraging trainers/owners to attend crowded venues, that if they contract the virus their dogs may suffer as a consequence?

What do you intend to do if greyhound owners, licensed trainers or kennel hands become unwell with suspected COVID-19, forcing them to isolate and go absent as a consequence of their illness?
In such circumstances are you prepared to use BGRF funding to replace infected or absent kennel staff with professional licensed staff to take care of the dogs? 

I urge you to take any risk to public health seriously, and to stand by your statement where you claim 'the dogs are your core priority', by taking appropriate caution to protect the people who you are thoroughly dependent on for your business of greyhound racing to ensure that dogs lives are not jeopardised if they become abandoned due to their owners/trainers/and kennel staff becoming infected with COVID-19  

I would like to address the comment within your statement that relates to racing industry participants and fears of economic impact arising from the current circumstances.
Are emergency funds not held by the BGRF to be used in circumstances where a trainer/owner is unable to afford provisions for their dogs in any crisis and if not; will the GBGB choose to provide food and veterinary treatment for dogs in cases where owners and trainers are proven to be unable to afford proper care through loss of profits if racing is cancelled, or is this something that the RSPCA would have to use public funding for? 

As you are aware there has been much negative attention brought to the dog racing industry due to licensed trainers failing to care for their dogs sufficiently whilst kennelled.
We hope that in this instance you will work to protect dogs that may be at risk of suffering or death, if their owners/trainers or staff contract the virus, or are unable to afford necessary care due to any financial difficulty. 

I hope you shall consider the safety of both the public and the dogs at this crucial time and postpone all greyhound racing events until Covid-19 is no longer a serious threat.

I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience with some answers to my above questions.

Kind regards

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Send to the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB)

​Managing Director GBGB; Mark Bird
Email; 
mark.bird@gbgb.org.uk
 
Manager of Welfare and Integrity Services GBGB - Duncan Gibson
duncan.gibson@gbgb.org.uk

​Feel free to copy in; 
Chairman of The Greyhound Forum
Clarissa Baldwin
chairmangreyhoundforum@gmail.com