INDIA: Despite ban, Greyhound races held

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From www.indianexpress.com

Despite ban, Greyhound races held

Raakhi Jagga http://www.indianexpress.com/columnist/raakhijagga/> :
Ludhiana, Sun Feb 03 2013, 01:55 hrs

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Despite a ban, greyhound races were conducted with much fanfare during the
third day of the Kilaraipur Rural Sports festival on Saturday. The Animal
Welfare Board of India (AWBI) had banned these races and communicated this
to the state government through a letter to the animal husbandry department
in December 2012.

For a while after that, the ban had been enforced but there were no such
rules at the rural games on Saturday as participants came with dogs worth
lakhs to take part in the competition. In all, 32 greyhounds took part in
the event that sees the canines chase fast moving artificial rabbits.

When contacted, the director of the animal husbandry department Dr H S
Sandha said: "There is no rule in our act to stop the races. The letter from
AWBI had asked us not to encourage these races and we had not not made them
a part in the livestock competitions organised by us. But we cannot stop the
races in any private competition. At the same time, however, we are not
encouraging such races."

The AWBI authorities, however, disagreed. "The ban on such races still
stands and the department should make efforts to stop them even in private
competitions as well. Once such animals get old, their condition is
pitiable," said Dr Sandeep Jain, member, AWBI.

Meanwhile, the organisers say that they had informed authorities well in
advance. Jagbir Singh Grewal, president of Grewal Sports Association, which
is organising the games, said: "We had intimated the animal husbandry
department well in advance about our programme schedule and no one raised
any objections. The games have been conducted and no cruelty to animals was
done during its course. Not even a single animal welfare organisation raised
any objection."

Fitness certificate for bulls

Meanwhile following the last year's ban, this year the organisers charged Rs
20 each for giving fitness certificate to the bulls before the start of the
race and also did check ups to see as whether the bull was ready for the run
or not.