DEMAND IMMEDIATE BAN ON AUSTRALIAN GREYHOUNDS SENT OVERSEAS
- by: Tracey Dengate and Janis Millu
- recipient: Australian Government
DEMAND IMMEDIATE BAN ON AUSTRALIAN GREYHOUNDS SENT OVERSEAS
Keep them on Australian soil.
Australian greyhounds treated as throwaway trash!
Our greyhounds are forced to race cheetahs at Shanghai Wild Animal Park. Their ‘racing career’ is over. Perhaps they weren’t fast enough, maybe too old, maybe just unwanted or surplus? Whatever the reason, their owners have sold them overseas (knowing the fate that awaits them).
Our target is this ‘sport’ which is a big attraction in a Chinese theme park.
It is believed that the races are run separately and timed. However at time of petition this has not been able to be confirmed. Updates will be posted as new information comes to hand.
A pretty blue poster with a cartoon panda advertises ‘one hundred metre race show between African cheetah and Australian greyhound – who is fastest in the animal kingdom’.
If a greyhound is injured or of no further use it is reported that they are fed live to the park’s big cats.
Ms Kerry Elliman (British based animal activist who operates Birmingham Greyhound Protection in England) recently visited the park, where she found ‘ at least 40 greyhounds being kept in squalid conditions of hot, dark, concrete cells and only let out to race the cheetahs’. While there she captured tragic behind the scenes footage.
....“Confirmation that young dogs are being channelled into the zoo raises questions about the greyhound industry's ability to control the export of dogs to Asia, despite official figures indicating the practice has stopped”....
....”National racing rules imposed by the industry body, Greyhounds Australasia (GA), prohibits the export of greyhounds unless they have a "passport". Those permits are only granted if overseas jurisdictions meet Australian animal welfare standards. However, the federal government has so far refused to toughen legislation and make their export illegal while GA's powers, in issuing passports, only extend to people who are registered with the organisation”....
June 4, 2017 Sydney Morning Herald Eamonn Duff reported that four prominent greyhound racing identities have been unmasked as the key players in a lucrative scheme involving the large-scale exportation of unwanted dogs to Asia.
The Cauchi family own a major stud operation called Rocky Ridge Farm which, according to its website, is the leading greyhound stud in NSW and one of the top three in Australia. But like the Farrugia brothers who run the Glengarrie Trial Track, they also had a thriving, secret business which involved snapping up other people's discarded dogs for cash and then freighting them to appalling conditions in south-east Asia for double the price. The revelations come one week after a Fairfax Media investigation revealed that dozens of Australian greyhounds were still being sent to a Shanghai wild animal tourist park where they are forced to race against cheetahs.
Lyn White, from Animals Australia, said: "These trainers were the ringleaders responsible for the export of hundreds of dogs. Their blatant disregard for industry rules and their moral obligations to these dogs warrants nothing less than a life ban."
Mark, Steve and Donna Farrugia refused to comment. Mr Cauchi told Fairfax Media he did not "ask questions" about where the dogs were ending up after he had sold them overseas. "It's not happening anymore," he said.
We are demanding that immediate action be taken to ensure the safety of all Australian greyhounds. A BAN must be placed on selling any dogs to overseas destinations.
The Australian Government needs to protect its animals and ensure that this can never happen again.
The greyhounds that are presently in Shanghai Wild Animal Park need to be rescued, identification made to trace them back to their owners/trainers and action be taken against those involved in this barbaric ‘sport’.
These dogs do not deserve to be treated with such disregard. The Government, dog owners and trainers cannot say they are unaware of their fate once they reach Shanghai.
Please show your support by signing, sharing / tweeting petition.
June 6th, 2017
As always, you are encouraged to read the petition, letter and all reference links provided.
Every effort is made to ensure details are correct.
Photo credit: Pixabay
http://shanghaiist.com/2017/05/29/greyhound-cheetah-race.php
http://www.chinatravel.com/shanghai-attraction/shanghai-wild-animal-park/
Targets:
Malcolm.Turnbull.MP@aph.gov.au
Rockhampton@parliament.qld.gov.au
petition letter
In light of recent revelations concerning Australian greyhounds sold overseas, in particular those that are sold to Shanghai Wild Animal Park for the purpose of ‘RACING CHEETAHS’ and then facing a grisly death by being fed LIVE to the big cats we DEMAND that immediate action be enforced by the Government by placing a BAN on the sale of greyhounds to all overseas destinations.
The Australian Government needs to protect its animals and ensure that this can never happen again.
The greyhounds that are presently in Shanghai Wild Animal Park need to be rescued, identification made to trace them back to their owners/trainers and action be taken against those involved in this barbaric ‘sport’.
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