Battersea was both surprised and saddened to read Peter Harnden’s description of our charity as a ‘disgrace’ and the misguided accusations of “cynicism” and “dishonesty” in his 23 October opinion piece.

Battersea is proud to have rehomed thousands of ex-racers over many years. We don’t cherry-pick the Greyhounds that we’re prepared to help, we have never sought or received industry funding, and we have never campaigned for the abolition of Greyhound racing.

We acknowledge that the rehoming profile for ex-racer Caboose was inappropriate and inconsistent with the language and style of profiles we usually use to promote our Greyhounds. It was quickly amended, and I am happy to apologise on behalf of Battersea for any offence it may have caused to anyone who read it.

However, I would also urge Peter and his colleagues to reflect on what front-line experiences may be shaping the views of those charity staff who are a lot less sympathetic to Greyhound racing than he would like.

Battersea has previously acknowledged GBGB’s progress to improve welfare standards but, based on our direct experience and that of our sector colleagues, we’re also very clear that there is still some way to go and certainly a very long way to go if you also include the remaining non-GBGB (independent) tracks, from which Battersea also receives some Greyhounds.

Any suggestion that Battersea has set out to create a campaign to discredit or damage the reputation of Greyhound racing is spurious and wide of the mark. It is a suggestion that is entirely reliant on a literal interpretation of the word “rescue” and that pays no regard to general context or intent, or indeed part of the reality. On the contrary, this campaign is surely likely to help if, as we expect, it leads to many more ex-racers being rehomed in the years ahead.

Over the next five years, Battersea is working to change society’s perceptions and reposition rescue as the desirable, responsible choice for a pet, encouraging all generations of animal lovers to think ‘rescue is best’. Whilst there are still waiting lists of unwanted dogs and cats seeking new homes, Battersea has a vital role to play in growing the rescue sector and delivering better outcomes for more dogs and cats. This, long-term campaign positions rescue positively as the most compelling, responsible and relevant place for those seeking a dog or cat, either now or in the future.

It is important to emphasise that the term “rescue” in this context is used across the animal charity sector both within and beyond the UK. It is a term that is very widely recognised and understood by the general public as referring to animals that enter the care of centres such as Battersea, for all kinds of reasons. Battersea would describe its core work as that of an animal rescue and rehoming centre, and the 1,200 other organisations doing comparable work across the country would do the same.

The campaign itself is deliberately a very positive and uplifting one. It celebrates and promotes rescue animals in a joyful way. It does not highlight the cruelty or neglect cases that we often see. It is a campaign that is intended to drive people towards rescue and rehoming centres, such as Battersea, for their next pet, rather than, for example, going to a puppy farm.

The campaign features dogs and cats of a range of breeds, including those that Battersea and other charities see most often and those that can be more challenging to rehome. The main television advert features over 20 different dog breeds and types. It is evidently not a Greyhound-focussed campaign although we are very pleased to include a (single) Greyhound within it, Lola. Battersea rehomed 123 Greyhounds in 2018 but Greyhounds are harder to rehome and they stay with us for longer than other breeds and types of dog.

Whilst we continue to receive hundreds of requests each year to take in ex-racers, we want to do what we can to promote Greyhounds for the wonderful pets that they are, alongside all the other breeds and types of dog and cat that feature. That is our job, that is what this campaign will achieve, that is why a Greyhound features, and we make no apology for it.

Peter Laurie

Deputy Chief Executive Battersea Dogs & Cats Home