Thursday, July 1, 2010

General thoughts on the World

The recent controversy about the proposed dog breeding bill has demonstrated that few people bother to research anything before making public comment. I am thinking specifically of the public statements of Bord na gCon chiefs Adrian Neilan (for which he had to apologise to the Agriculture minister) and Dick O'Sullivan, who made an impassioned speech to a captive audience in Shelbourne Park recently apparently claiming that the bill would finish greyhound racing were it introduced. This is patent nonsense. The bill was drafted after extensive consultation with the veterinary profession and its main aims are the safeguarding of animal welfare and the prevention of unregulated puppy farming, both surely in the interests of any well-run animal sport. I for one would welcome the cessation of indiscriminate breeding for profit which does occur and for which there is no legal censure at present. The initial draft did have some anomalies, namely the requirement for anyone with 4 bitches of breeding age to register as a breeder and the proposal to limit bitches to one litter per year but both of these have been addressed. The revised bill looks to hold few fears for responsible greyhound owners and triners to me.
Messrs Neilan and O'Sullivan would be better occupied with building safer greyhound tracks to reduce injury levels, but that's another discussion...