The Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) hosted an inaugural meeting of international greyhound racing regulators last month, with a view to driving forward collaboration and best practice in greyhound welfare.
With countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Ireland represented, the forum brought together for the first time some of the world’s senior figures in greyhound racing regulation and veterinary science. Developing existing relationships between many of the international regulators, the meeting was an opportunity to deepen shared working on a global scale.
In this first meeting, the agenda focused on the shared priorities, challenges and opportunities facing regulators in delivering the highest standards of greyhound welfare. Discussions explored examples of systems, policies and initiatives which are helping to improve standards further by harnessing new and emerging technology and cutting-edge research. This includes in areas such as traceability, reduction in injuries, homing, education and professional development.
It is intended for the forum to meet on a regular basis to develop and review areas for greater collaboration.
Duncan Gibson, GBGB Senior Stipendiary Steward, said:
“It was a pleasure to convene this first forum of its kind for international greyhound racing regulators, as we establish a regular, open dialogue across countries around vital areas of welfare and integrity. The sport represents a vibrant global industry and as regulators we want to reflect this by working towards a set of international standards that every country can aspire and refer to.
“We each share the goal of securing the highest standards of safety, greyhound welfare and professionalism; by working together on a global scale, we can all take advantage of the world’s best research and expertise. We very much look forward to developing the forum and subsequent initiatives over the coming months and years.”
Professor Madeleine Campbell, GBGB Independent Director and author of GBGB’s long-term welfare strategy, ‘A Good Life for Every Greyhound’, said:
“International collaboration is one of the overarching themes of our long-term welfare strategy so we warmly welcome the participation and support of our international counterparts in this new global forum. It is clear that there are significant opportunities for the translation and development of best practice in order to optimise greyhound welfare, from which we can all benefit.”
