Every year, the number of greyhounds bred escalates and and many of the dogs come from Ireland. These are cheap, badly bred dogs which are often used by large contract trainers in order for them to fulfil their contractual requirements of having X number of dogs fit and ready for ready for racing at any one time. Such trainers are unlikely to have a kennel full of old and injured dogs on their books; it's not financially viable.

There are two ways to sort out greyhound racing. One, ban it (unlikely). Two, put tight restrictions on breeding and imports (difficult).

Greyhound racing is big business and the dogs are the wastage product. Throwing more money at the sport wont find many more homes. Also, what about the poor mutts in rescue who didn't get a home because a family rehomed a greyhound instead?

'Sticking plaster' approaches wont work; it is time to deal with the source of the problem.

Sue, London,

Greyhound racing will not be stopped as long as there's money to be made from it! Simple as that. But breeding greyhounds CAN be regulated and it's time something is done about it. 4,700 killed every year is a conservative estimate. There are thousands more exported to Spain and other EU countries every year where greyhounds who don't make the grade here, are raced in the heat of midday and live in miserable conditions or they are used for hunting. At the end of the hunting season many of them are hung from olive trees!

I deplore the organisations and individuals who make huge profits from their sport and don't provide homes for the dogs that retire or are too slow.

So Lord Lipsey is against animal welfare being involved in the greyhound racing industry. Now there's a surprise! His profits, bookmakers and others involved in the sport, might go down in providing well-run and comfortable kennels where dogs can be successfully homed after their racing career has ended.

Christine Young, Cumbernauld, Scotland

Thank you Mr Foggo for your honest view on the plight of these majestic dogs.I do not agree that it should be made law for vets only to put thesesdogs to sleep as all this will do is make the "executioners" to go even further underground to hide their deeds. As for lesser races I do not see how this can help on the disappearence of thousands of these dogs, but certainly animal welfare groups should be envolved more to help educate the sport to others.
In my opion the problem is at the cradle, the amount of these dogs bred each year is more than surplus to the "sport " and this is where things need to change and sooner rather than 4, 700 greyhounds later.
Nora Thomson East Lothian, Scotland

Nora Thomson, North Berwick, Scotland

Please, Please stop all greyhound racing and stop abusing these beautiful dogs. They should run for their own pleasure and not for money.

PATRICIA MIDDLETON, Ilkley,

So we have the official facts - in the APGAW report. Now is the time for action. We must make 3 things happen:
1. Keep Ben Bradshaw, the animal welfare minister, to his undertaking to "....use powers provided in the new act to ensure that there is much better policing of welfare within the industry,” and not let the industry negotiate him off this;
2. Make sure animal welfare groups DO get a statutory requirement of involvement in the sport (there's a good reason Lipsey's against this - because it will work); and
3. NOT let the industry continue to "self regulate" ion greyhound welfare. That way would be their way of playing it long - i.e. making all improvements slow and weak.

Nick, Richmond, UK

I think this reporter is AMAZING, thankyou SO much for showing the plight of these beautiful dogs and this vile industry, so much more needs to be done, and thanks to Daniel Foggo this is still being brought to the attention of the public, we need more awareness of what REALLY goes on, not just what the trainers etc want us to know. Please continue to do the wonderful job of keeping these dogs and their sad plight forefront in the minds of everyone.

Catherine Ormrod, Wigan, England

I don't know about Lipsey, it should be Lip Service! Rather than serve up the usual spin about "great strides", how about facing up to the scale of the problem, and engage with the interested groups willing to solve this despicable situation!

Josh, Oxford,

The conclusions of the APGAW report further strenghen our view that the greyhound racing industry should be abolished.

It is totally unacceptable that thousands of greyhounds should be put to death every year just so a minority of people can bet money on them running round a track and a group of unscrupulous characters line their pockets with the proceeds.

Sadly, according to our research, the figure of 4,700 is indeed a "signifucant underestimation". Our own submission to the APGAW inquiry (which can be seen at www.greyhoundaction.org.uk/facts2.html) suggests that at least 20,000 greyhounds are put to death every year, because of the British dog racing industry.

Better welfare measures for greyhounds would, of course, be welcome, but would do little to prevent the mass-slaughter of dogs that can no longer yield a profit.

That is why we are calling upon the public not to attend or bet on greyhound racing, so that this appalling death-industry dies away through lack of support.

Tony Peters, UK Coordinator, Greyhound Action, Kidderminster,

4,700 dogs dying per year is definitely a “significant underestimation” of the true state of affairs.

Dogs registered on NGRC tracks per year: 11,000
Dogs rehomed by RGT per year: 1,167
(Source: National Greyhound Racing Club & Retired Greyhound Trust websites)

The RGT figure includes all RGT affiliated rescues in the UK.
Assume independent (not funded by the British Greyhound Racing Fund - as the RGT is) rescue and rehoming centres rehome the same number again (they don't - it's less).
Also assume that the same number are kept by trainers or owners (they aren't - it's less).

This means the number missing each year is 11,000 - (3 x 1,167) = 7,499.

This does not take into account dogs from flapping tracks, or those killed before they reach the tracks. Adding in those takes the total to over 12,000 at a very conservative estimate.

Chris Yates, Northampton, England

And what about all the race horses that don't make the grade? More of them find alternative careers than greyhounds no doubt, but nevertheless there is still a large surplus which makes horsemeat. No complaints there.

Filey, Scarborough, England