Greyhound breeder appeals drugs finding
West Cork-based Tom Tanner disputes the findings of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain’s (GBGB) disciplinary committee after two inquiries, details of which were published in its publication, Calendar, on June 3.
“I dispute the findings, I am appealing, and I am confident of overturning both decisions,” Mr Tanner said.
He said he has secured evidence which supports his appeal which is due to be heard in Britain on June 27.
In one case, traces of the muscle-building anabolic steroid, stanozolol, were found in the urine sample of one of his greyhounds, Collateraldamage, which he had brought to Kinsley Stadium in West Yorkshire to sell at auction in July 2015. Mr Tanner said he bought the greyhound weeks earlier and the substance must have been administered before the animal came be in his care.
But the committee said he changed aspects of his evidence during the hearing process which cast “considerable doubt” on his credibility. It imposed a £1,000 fine and warned him off for six months.
In the second case, the committee fined him £5,000 and warned him off indefinitely after finding him to be in breach of GBGB animal welfare rules and of EU regulations on the transport of animals in his care between January 21 and 22 last.
Mr Tanner travelled to Kinsley Stadium to sell 24 greyhounds in private deals but track managers and trainers expressed concerns about the condition of the dogs. The track vet inspected 15 and found all were infested with fleas, five were dehydrated, seven had open wounds, lesions, or pressure sores, and five were significantly underweight.
The committee said Mr Tanner accepted the veterinary evidence but expressed no remorse, and seemed to be concerned only that he was left ‘several thousand pounds’ out of pocket.
The committee said it was profoundly concerned by the welfare of the dogs and that it “cannot and will not tolerate callous and wilful cruelty of this sort”.
