“I had been around greyhounds for about 40 years, as an owner and enthusiast and would often help out my brother Pat as holiday cover. So I thought I knew the industry pretty well.
“But when you start as a stipendiary steward, you are shown the ropes by someone already doing the job. I was out with Paul Illingworth who was holding a local stewards inquiry and I was sitting leafing through the trainers kennel book.
“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. After every single entry for the retired dogs was ‘PTS’ – put to sleep. I just couldn’t believe it. Every single dog. I soon worked out that when I was given my own area, this guy would be on my patch.
“I realised that we weren’t just dealing with a series of unacceptable episodes, what was needed was a completely different mindset.”
Former policeman Pete Rosney has four and a half years in his new career as a GBGB stipendiary steward and is one of the people responsible for implementing the policy on stamping out ‘serial euthanasers.
He said: “I have somewhere between 100-110 trainers in my area, and on the famed ‘20 targeted’ list, there is only one of my trainers.
“I would like to think that is a result of a progressively changed approach, over time, to some trainers from routinely putting ex-racers to sleep.
“From day one, and perhaps because of my police background, I have had no issue in asking direct questions, face to face. ‘Why did you put that dog to sleep?’
“In most cases, the offending trainers try to shift the blame. ‘The owner won’t pay the bill, ‘the vet said it was the right thing to do.’ In a lot of cases it is simply down to habit – what they have always done.
“When you say to them, ‘that was acceptable back in the day, but it had better stop now, or else’ they generally take it on board.”
So what is the profile of a ‘serial euthanaser?’
Rosney says: “I think that most people accept that there is a geographical and cultural element to it. Occasionally, it is just individuals who don’t give a damn.
“It is important to remember though, that we are not just dealing with 20 isolated cases on the so-called hit list. The threshold for all those on the list – either put to sleep in the last 12 months for ‘economic reasons’, or ‘unsuitable for re-homing’ – is five greyhounds.
“There are other trainers, with three or four runners who have been euthanased. They are in no position to feel that this doesn’t apply to them. That threshold will inevitably fall.”
Rosney recalls the case of one leading open race trainer, who has since relinquished his licence, who was notorious for putting dogs to sleep.
Rosney said: “If a dog was injured he would say to the vet, ‘the owner is refusing to pay for the operation’, then to the owner he would say, ‘the vet said it was in the dog’s best interests.’
Although trainers invariably carry the bulk of responsibility, Rosney believes other parties have often dipped under the radar.
He said: “The assumption here is that we are just dealing with trainers. It is clear that some vets are complicit in this. When a trainer said, ‘put him to sleep’, they just did it without questions, as they had always done.
“I have spoken to some vets who justify their actions by saying, ‘if I don’t do it, X down the road will’. An unacceptable justification in my view. Somebody has to challenge that attitude.
“In some circles, trainers would look for the flimsiest excuse to dispose of a dog. I can remember one case not so long ago when a dog was put to sleep for ‘a tooth infection’. The owner was fined. If it happened now, the owner would be warned-off.
“I think there has also been some of that ‘it’s what we’ve always done’ attitude around some track owners. I am aware of trainers being helped to fill out the green forms with the ‘injury not treatable on economic grounds’ justification.
“I am not saying it is widespread in any way, I think it is a reflection on the way the industry traditionally dealt with its retirement problem.
“I now say to trainers, ‘don’t let anyone else fill in the forms on your behalf, because you will be the one left carrying the can’.
“In my opinion, and speaking as an owner who had a dog completely shatter a front leg, and refused to have it euthanased, there are very few injuries where dogs can’t be saved. It is mainly about money.”
“The trainers’ no.1 loophole for avoiding re-homing has always been the ‘unsuitable for homing’ excuse. I have come to the conclusion – and this is purely a personal view, not current GBGB policy – that consideration should be given to having it removed from the retirement form.
“As one recent example, one of the vets phoned me recently and told me he had two dogs in his surgery who the trainer wanted to see destroyed. I asked the vet what was the matter with them and he replied ‘nothing’.
“I phoned the trainer who told me that they ‘weren’t suitable for homing due to their temperaments’. I told him that I would like to see the dogs assessed.
“They were sent to Barry and Diane Bakewell’s kennel and two months later, Diane wrote a long and detailed report about each dog saying they would make very good pets.
“The dogs were eventually went to two fantastic new homes and have fantastic retirements. The original owners have even been in touch to find out how the dogs are getting on.
“In my opinion, in order to implement the ‘not suitable for re-homing’ option, bearing in mind there are some dogs with major issues, it is important that they be sent for assessment using people like the Bakewells, or others doing a similar job.
“I realise that there is the odd dog who can’t be trusted, though in my experience, they are few and far between.
“Kinsley trainer Kevin Ferguson has one; he is an absolute savage. It’s a bit of a private black joke but whenever I see Kevin I ask who he has bitten recently.
“Kevin will sheepishly answers something like ‘it was the postman this week’. But he thinks the world of the dog, and wouldn’t part with him for the rest of his days.”
Fittingly, perhaps, among the rogue’s most recent victims was none other than Rosney’s fellow stipe, Dave Baldwin.
“I think the big lad is a slower moving target these days” grinned Rosney.
Rosney is fully committed to the GBGB purge and is confident that the vast majority of offenders will raise their game and dramatically reduce the number of unnecessary euthanasias. Those who don’t, should face the full sanctions of the rules.
He said: “From day one, I have tried to work with the trainers and give them the chance to change and adapt.
“I can think of only one case where I was seriously deceived by a trainer who kept dogs in specially hidden kennels behind other kennels. They made a mug of me. It was all resolved in the end but it still rankles to be honest.
“But I have to say, the overall response from trainers has been excellent. I am very optimistic at the direction the industry is going. “There is a more in place now to support the trainers than ever before. One of the best examples is at Monmore where Michelle Tromans is the track vet. She has a list of prices for operations for all injuries hanging on her wall.
“By the time you take out the track’s contribution, and the GBGB’s grant, the owner is left with a very manageable amount to foot the bill. There is no excuse for saying ‘you’d better put him down’.
“I am currently talking to Donaster about their vets operating a similar scheme. It has to be the way forward.”
As for the trainer mentioned in the introduction to the article . . .
“There has been a complete turnaround” says Rosney. “The whole way the kennel operates has been transformed. It is now among one of the best kennels that I visit.”
It is all very well to be moving to towards the eventual re-homing of the industry’s approximate 7,800 ex-racers every year, but the practicalities are, we are still roughly 12% short of target. More – if some of the spurious ‘unsuitable for rehoming’ or ‘not financially viable to save’ hounds are added to the list.
But the North Wales based stipe thinks the industry might be missing out on some significant alternative opportunities.
He said: “I was talking to a trainer recently who had about a third of the kennel strength taken up by retired dogs. How tough is that to make a living?
“When I asked her about it, she said that the dogs were all on the waiting list for the Greyhound Trust and had been for some time. She had no idea that she could re-home them through other organisations.
“There are some cracking independent homefinders out there who are re-homing large amounts of dogs. They need the support of the industry because they are doing a great job.
“But even they are not the only options. When my wife and I were on holiday recently, we met a lady who works in a council registered rescue kennel in Bath.
“I asked how many greyhounds were on their books and she said they had never had one. Would they take them? Yes, of course. They had even had enquiries from people looking for greyhounds.
“Now I live about a mile from a similar type of council approved kennel and have never even set foot in the place. Because of the previous conversation, I dropped in and introduced myself.
“It transpired that they never saw greyhounds either but they would also be quite happy to take them. I asked what sort of donation they would normally expect and was told that most of the dogs came into the kennel without any financial support.
“I wondered how they coped with the cost of neutering and he explained that the costs were covered in vouchers from Dogs Trust. So I asked how would he feel about a donation of £150 per dog and he replied ‘fantastic’
“I even suggested that he could put one kennel aside to allow for a one-in, one-out arrangement.
“There must be so many council registered kennels within close proximity to trainers’ kennels who would take a similar view.
“It is worth checking them out, though I would certainly advise trainers to visit and decide for themselves whether the kennels would be suitable.
“Also, what is their euthanasia policy? It would be pointless asking them to take dogs only to find that they are systematically put to sleep if they aren’t re-homed within 30 days.
“I have already donated some walking out coats, kennel coats, leads and muzzles to my local kennel.
“As far as the trainers on my patch are concerned, if they have a dog who needs re-homing and it is presented in good condition, including dental, I would even drop them off myself.”
