Duncan Gibson, the GBGB’s Manager of Welfare and Integrity Services has put together guidelines to help owners and trainers through the EU’s bureaucratic hoops relating to the transport of greyhounds writes Floyd Amphlett.
Thus far, only the Irish are implementing these Europe-wide rules, which are causing havoc for Irish breeders looking to send greyhounds to Britain.
In terms as simple as possible – most of the onus in the transportation of greyhounds ‘for commercial purpose’ falls on the seller.
Thus Irish breeders/owners are now saddled with rabies jabs, pet passports and veterinary checks before their dogs leave the country.
However, the recipient of the animal is required to submit a form acknowledging acceptance of the animal within 24 hours of its arrival.
A copy of this form can be downloaded, filled in, and then emailed to the new owner’s (trainer’s) local APHA office.
However, anyone wishing to send greyhounds to Ireland, must produce identical paperwork.
Even if, for example a bitch is to be mated in Ireland, the owner must submit paperwork demonstrating that the greyhound has not been sold.
The Irish Greyhound Board are running seminars enabling owners to prepare their greyhounds for transfer and Gibson has offered to send microchips, free of cost, to the Board, thus streamlining a process that would naturally have been completed on arrival in the UK.
The whole issue of public greyhound sales is another issue that needs to be resolved.
There is also an enormous loophole for any transporter who fancies entering mainland Britain via Northern Ireland, though technically, they could be stopped, and documentation demanded, at the Southern Irish border.
Gibson said of the new regulations: “Quite frankly they amount to a pile of paperwork that greyhound trainers could do without; though they should seldom actually prevent the importation of new greyhounds.”
