When the scandal about the treatment of low grade dogs exported to Spain was exposed, people were shocked and saddened at the conditions the dogs endured. There is still great concern for these dogs especially since Bord na gCon has decided to resume its involvement in the export trade to that country. While there is a racing and coursing industry and dogs still travel abroad in the name of free trade and private enterprise, we must work for better conditions for their care and transport as, for so many, their racing, coursing, or breeding career will be the only life they know. Over the years greyhounds have faced yet another problem area. The athletic greyhound's calm nature, manageable temperament, and familiarity with being kenneled along with the ease with which unwanted dogs can be obtained, has made them the ideal candidates for vivisection.
Greyhounds are special dogs.
They have a reduced capacity to metabolize barbiturates in the liver. Their low body fat contributes to this. Greyhounds are principally used for respiratory and cardiovascular research purposes as well as surgical work, and the effectiveness of anesthetics. Queen's University in Belfast has, in the past, used greyhounds in large numbers for research. Greyhounds are used legally and illegally as EU Commission investigators confirmed after a two year investigation in Spain.