Greyhound vet case prompts Unite to call for revamp of governing
body’s procedures
5 December 2011
Britain’s greyhound governing body should revamp its security
and personnel procedures, after a vet was alleged to have failed to
prevent a custard cream biscuit being put into a greyhound’s
kennel.
The vet, who does not wish to be named, was cleared by the Royal
College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Disciplinary Committee of any
wrong doing at Nottingham Greyhound Stadium in October, 2009. He
was the duty veterinary surgeon at the race meeting.
But Unite, the country’s largest union which represented the
vet, said that the case should never have been brought in the first
place and the behaviour of the sport’s governing body, the
Greyhound Board of Great Britain was ‘lamentable and
incompetent’.
The case revolves around the remains of the biscuit which was
found in the kennel of the greyhound, named Strangely Black, by its
trainer. Dogs are not meant to drink or have anything to eat for
three-to-four hours before they race. Once the biscuit was
discovered, the greyhound was withdrawn from the race.
The offending biscuit was later destroyed by the GBGB before it
could be forensically examined by the GBGB authorities – but this
did not stop the RCVS instituting disciplinary proceedings.
Unite national officer, Rachael Maskell said: ‘The vet’s
reputation has been grievously tarnished and he has lost his
livelihood as a result of lamentable incompetence of the GBGB,
which should have never pursued this case for which there was no
evidence of any wrong doing by our member.’
‘It is clear that the GBGB needs to revamp its security and
personnel procedures and not put a highly-regarded professional
through this hell, especially as the alleged evidence, the biscuit,
was destroyed by the GBGB and the CCTV coverage of the course was
unable to identity how the biscuit came to be in the kennel.’
‘What makes this case even stranger was the prize money at stake
in the race that Strangely Black was due to run in was a very
modest £100.’
-ends-
Note to news editors:
For further information, please contact Unite professional
officer, Carol English on 07919 324 716 and/or Unite communications
officer, Shaun Noble on 07768 693940
