Resident Vet At Wessie

[Vicky]

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Was reading the other day on Flappers that Wessy will now have a vet on site for all race nights / trailling days, apparently the guy's van is fully kitted out and he's able to perform surgery in the back.

Big :thumbsup: to Rod for going out of his way to get this sorted, great peace of mind for if you went to trial a dog and it got injured.

 

[Tony Taylor]

It's great that there is a vet at wessy for trials and race nights however there is a sting in the tail. It maybe a requirement for all race meetings that a vet is in attendance. The cost of trials have risen 50p as a result of this and entrance price to the stadium for punters and bookies has also been increased.

Problem is if we are required to have a vet in attendance on a thursday night with the whippets we probably couldn't afford it. Similarly if open race meetings require the attendance of a vet then the cost of staging these could be prohibitive.

Apparently the rules come into force in April. I'm not sure whether it's a legal requirement or a gentlemans agreement betweeen the flapping tracks. Anyone shed any light on this?

 

[BeeJay]

Isn't it part of the gov's new animal welfare bill which effects greyhound stadiums/racing? My understanding is that whippet racing is exemption.

Whilst I can't remember when the bill becomes law (it's on it's 2nd reading at the mo) there's a free vote on it in the house around the end of Feb.

 

[wild whippies]

Yeah your right Barbara, I've heard that they are planning to enforce in April (hearsay) From the links to documents I've read, Defra seem to also have plans for internet sales of dogs and are working with the KC and it's accredited breeder scheme too.

What obviously concerns me, is what interest will whippet racing have to them and maybe lure coursing too?

It appears first hand that their main focus with greyhound racing is the suggestion of betting possibly being of detriment to the welfare of the dogs although they admit they have no proof to substantiate that. So it would seem that whippet racing may not be on their agenda for the future purely because we don't bet with our dogs?

 

[Mark Roberts]

Isn't it part of the gov's new animal welfare bill which effects greyhound stadiums/racing? My understanding is that whippet racing is exemption

Hi Barbera.

The 1st draft of the bill stated that places were dog racing took place would have to have a vet in attendance at race/trial meetings, The Whippet club/Kennel Club and WCRA have worked hard (along with other organisations) and the wording of the bill has now been changed to "places where Greyhound Racing takes place" (or words to that effect) this is so that whippet racing that takes place as we run under WCRA rules will now not be effected by the bill due to it being an amature sport due to no prize money or gambling being alowed.

This item was descussed at the talk in on Saturday and Marcus brought all the club reps up to date with the latest info on the matter.

Forgot to say, at the meeting a rep suggested holding Ped opens on greyhound tracks (flapping tracks) but Marcus said that we would then be included under the bill and so would need a vet in attendance.

 

[Smiffy@VeronnaV]

The Whippet Club on behalf of its racing fraternity had presented an excellent case for pedigree whippet racing to be excluded, and at present, this is the case as the whippets are not racing within a stadium, are family pets and live with the family, are with the family from puppyhood to old age, that the racing is a family activity etc etc.

As I understand it, if stadia are used for dog racing, then a vet must be in attendance. That is how I interpreted it and those to whom I have spoken to about this are of the opinion that this covers whippet racing which is held in a stadium. Perhaps the Whippet Club was content with the result as the Club knows that ped whippet racing does not take place in stadia?

As Barbara said, the bill is in its second reading now, but you can access the proposed legisation via the government uk portal if you would like to know what they are proposing. :wacko:

 

[BeeJay]

That explains why whippet racing at Wessie is being affected. Also this is going to affect some/a lot of the non peddie racing isn't it as they run their bends on greyhound tracks I thought? Has this been discussed on the non peddie forum?

 

[wild whippies]

Yes a thread's been started in the non-ped forum and at our Northern BWRA AGM there was mention of Defra and it's powers and what we understood of these so I suspect the powers that be are already looking into the matter.

 

[Lolcoe]

I suppose, honestly speaking that there should at least be a vet 'on-call' whilst any racing is going on anywhere. Imagine 3pm on a Sunday, your dog needs emergency treatment and your miles away from home and all you have is people saying 'well such and such on the High Street might come out'. If whoever is running the event, as is done at dog shows, can contact a vet immediately, then all the better.

As far as having a vet in attendance at Whippie racing at Wessy, well are there enough dogs to warrant it? Fair enough on greyhound race nights. I have seen people take an injured greyhound home, to sort it out themselves (or probably not).

If a vet is there first hand to see the extent of an injury and treat it, then i can see where this welfare bill is coming from.

 

[wild whippies]

I'd posted recently about obtaining details of appropiate vets and their locations for racing events after I'd seen them pinned up on a board at Westhoughton as I was concerned about the possibillity of being somewhere unfamiliar and my dog receiving an injury. However it was pointed out that theoretically there will be a vet present at non-ped racing events anyhow due to drug testing? If this is the case then we'd be covered at our events even the ones not run on greyhound tracks.

 

[gina]

Will this vet in a van pts the unwanted dogs that have just broke a leg after a race or whatever, saving the owners/trainers the petrol taking it to their own vet i wonder...

BTW has racing restarted at Wessie i've not been for ages, will maybe try to get down in the next few weeks