Untitled Document

Remembering Rusty 2007
Has anything changed?

In May 2004 Rusty was found dying on a Welsh hillside ... his injuries were so great, he soon died. Rusty had been given to Andrew Gough to "dispose" of ... which he did by shooting Rusty in the head and hacking off his ears to hide his racing tattoos (so he couldn't be traced). The owners paid Gough a paltry £10 ... seemingly the worth of a greyhound's life in the UK.

At the time this gained massive coverage and it was hoped that this might be a wake up not only to the civil authorities (who sentenced Gough to 6 months in prison), but also to the greyhound owners themselves who always denied that this sort of thing could happen ... at last they were forced to confront the issue ... or so it was hoped.

So 3 years later ... what has changed? Well the sad answer is nothing ... only a few months ago mass killing fields for ex-racing greyhounds were discovered in the North West and the North East ... one man David Smith was prosecuted ... but unlike Gough he only recieved a fine despite killing many thousands of greyhounds and that fine was only for burying thousands of dogs without a permit ... it is not illegal to shoot a dog in the head in this country ... as long as the "owner" allows it.

So it is clear that the civil authorities have done nothing in the last 3 years to stop the mass killing of greyhounds ... in fact if anything they have taken a softer approach to the perpetrators ... witness the fine for Smith compared to Gough's imprisonment.

But what about the industry? When Rusty was discovered it was widely claimed to be an isolated case ... so did the industry act to stamp out this sort of thing? The answer is clearly no ... they did nothing and recent the discovery of the mass killing fields has shown this quite clearly ... thousands of dogs are believed to be buried at these sites (remember these are only the ones that have been found) and that means many, many people must have been aware of what was going on there over a period of years ... tellingly these sites continued to operate after the Rusty controversy ... they only stopped when exposed ... so this shows people had been killing many dogs before Rusty and they have continued ever since.

But somethings have changed ... GA has run effective campaigns across the country and our support is higher than ever before while the numbers attending races has fallen and tracks have shut.

Remember there is no justice ... just us! contact GA and help us stop the killing ... because everyone else is in denial or covering it up.

Read on for past history:
Remembering Rusty Weekend 2006
April 29th - 30th
Street stalls, demos, other events nationwide...

It is almost two years since poor Rusty was mutilated and left to die, because he was no longer fit to race. On the last weekend of this month, we will be remembering him, and all the other dogs that have suffered and died at the evil hands of the greyhound racing industry.

On April 29th - 30th, to mark the second anniversary of his suffering and death, we will be holding a Remembering Rusty Weekend, in memory of Rusty and of all the other dogs who have suffered and died at the hands of the greyhound racing industry.

It is hoped that Greyhound Action supporters throughout the country will organise/take part in street stalls, demos outside greyhound tracks etc. to mark Remembering Rusty Weekend by persuading the public to boycott greyhound racing.

If you're interested in organising an event in your local area for Remembering Rusty Weekend, please contact Greyhound Action as soon as possible at info@greyhoundaction.org.uk or on 01562 745778, so we can send you leaflets, posters and other campaign materials and give you advice regarding contacting the media etc.

Unfortunately this is not a rare case ... click here for more details of similar cases.

... or keep reading down for the full history ...

Rusty Remembered 2005
Parc Cwm Daran, near Bargoed, South Wales

On Sunday, May 2nd 2004, a black male greyhound (later found to have been called Rusty) was discovered by a dog walker, who heard him whimpering in agony in a rubbish tip on Fochriw Mountain in the Rhymney Valley, South Wales.Rusty had been injured in several ways, including being shot in the head with a captive-bolt pistol, and his ears had been hacked off (presumably, because they contained tattoos that could identify him). Despite this appalling torture, Rusty was still alive - and wagging his tail - but his injuries were so extensive that he was later "put to sleep" by a vet. At Caerphilly Magistrates Court on December 22nd 2004, greyhound "executioner" Andrew Gough was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment for torturing Rusty and banned from keeping animals for life. It emerged during Gough's trial that Rusty's owner and trainer had handed him over to Gough to kill, after a toe injury had ended the greyhound's racing career.

Below is a report from the Western Mail of the Remembering Rusty ceremony. In addition, a full-page article, with several photos, appeared in the local edition of the South Wales Echo.

Approaching 100 people, many of them accompanied by rescued greyhounds, lurchers and other dogs, attended this very moving event on Sunday, May 1st.

After gathering at the nearby Parc Cwm Darran, the participants travelled in a convoy of vehicles to Fochriw Mountain, where the ceremony was held.

Following the laying of flowers, wreaths and tributes at the spot where Rusty was found, Tony Peters, Greyhound Action's UK co-coordinator, explained the reasons for the ceremony and his wife Louise, the organisation's founder, gave a short speech in which she called for an end to dog racing, stating that what had happened to Rusty was "only part of a much bigger sickness called the greyhound racing industry" and that "all this suffering, misery and death" only occurred "because a minority of saddos want to place a bet on dogs running round a track".

A minutes silence was then observed, after which the Reverend James Thompson, founder of Christians Against All Animal Abuse, conducted a service of prayer and animal protection related hymns in memory of Rusty and of all dogs and other animals that have suffered and died at the hands of the human species.

This was followed by a speech from Alain Thomas of Greyhound Rescue Wales, who played a major part in the bringing of Andrew Gough to justice for Rusty's torture. Alain explained how the concern and furore surrounding the case had "created a watershed" and blown open the traditional secrecy of the greyhound racing industry in the area, inevitably leading to better treatment for the dogs.

Helen from South Devon Greyhound Action (SDGA) then gave a Gaelic blessing for Rusty and read a poem in his memory. She was followed by Mindy from SDGA and Vanessa from South Wales Greyhound Action, who read poems and messages sent by supporters unable to attend the ceremony.

The participants then returned to Parc Cwm Darran, where the Reverend Thompson gave individual blessings to many of the dogs that had been brought along.

South Wales was not the only place where Rusty was remembered, as ceremonies were also held in his memory at several greyhound rescue fundraising events in other parts of the UK including a Remembering Rusty stall at the Greyhound Gap Fun Dog Show in Walsall (see below).

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all those who attended the ceremony or who sent cards, poems and donations towards the event. You all helped to make it an extremely moving and successful day, which was a fitting tribute to Rusty and all other greyhounds that have suffered and died at the hands of their exploiters.

The campaign is now being continued by our South Wales branch, who will be lobbying the relevant local authorities and the Welsh National Assembly to do all in their powers to close the region's three dog tracks. Special leaflets and posters will need to be produced in order to gain public support. Any donations towards the cost of these would be very gratefully received. Please make cheques/POs payable to Greyhound Action (write Justice for Rusty on the back) and send to Justice for Rusty, Greyhound Action, PO Box 127, Kidderminster, DY10 3UZ.

The first target of the campaign will be to get John Hurley and Mark Emmett, the owner and trainer of Rusty who handed him over to Andrew Gough to be killed, banned from racing greyhounds at the Bedwellte track. The other two South Wales tracks have banned them but, disgracefully, Bedwellte has allowed them back.

We've been informed by Greyhound Rescue Wales, who paid for Rusty's body to be cremated, that his ashes have been scattered on a mountain called "The Waun" in the Rhondda Valley, where Rusty used to enjoy being taken for a walk, before he fell into the evil hands of Hurley and Emmett.

Memorial for abused greyhound

May 2 2005
Gareth Morgan, Western Mail

A MEMORIAL has been held for a greyhound found mutilated and abandoned on a Welsh mountain this time last year.

The black male greyhound, later found to have been called Rusty, was discovered by a dog walker who heard him whimpering in agony in a rubbish tip on Fochriw Mountain in the Rhymney Valley.

Rusty had been injured in several ways, including being shot in the head with a captive-bolt pistol, and his ears had been hacked off because they bore tattoos that could identify him.

Remarkably, Rusty was still alive, and wagging his tail, but his injuries were so extensive that he was later put to sleep by a vet.

Yesterday a special Remembering Rusty ceremony was held at the place on Fochriw Mountain where he was found.

The Reverend James Thompson, founder of Christians Against All Animal Abuse, officiated at the ceremony and laid flowers in the dog's memory.

Campaigners, who brought along rescued dogs, said the greyhound racing industry is too cruel and want the three dog tracks in South Wales closed.

Tony Peters, Greyhound Action's UK co-ordinator, said, "Sadly, this case is just the tip of a very large iceberg. Reports by both the All Party Group for Animal Welfare in the Welsh National Assembly and Greyhound Rescue Wales suggest that hundreds of greyhounds are discarded and killed, often by shooting, in the region every year, when no longer required by the racing industry.

"We are asking the public not to attend or bet on dog racing, so it dies out through lack of financial support."

At Caerphilly Magistrates Court on December 22, Andrew Gough was sentenced to six months imprisonment for torturing Rusty and banned from keeping animals for life.

It emerged during Gough's trial that Rusty's owner and trainer had handed him over to Gough to kill, after a toe injury had ended the greyhound's racing career.

Read on for the background of this campaign:

!!!Gough still guilty!!!
Greyhound torturer loses appeal
"We can't conceive of a very much worse case of animal cruelty" - Judge

Although the dog is referred to as "Charlie", we prefer to call him "Rusty", as that was his name before he fell into the hands of Hurley and Emmett, who handed him over to Gough to be slaughtered.

We welcome the verdict of the court, as we have no doubt that Gough was guilty of this horrific act. Sadly, six months is the maximum sentence that can be imposed on a charge of cruelty to an animal. In our opinion a sentence of life imprisonment would have been more appropriate in this case.

It is also deplorable that Hurley and Emmett could not be charged, tried or imprisoned, but it is, sadly, not illegal for a person to arrange for their own dog to be shot.

Greyhound Action has received information that Gough was one of several greyhound "executioners" in South Wales, who kill dogs for other owners and trainers, so they can avoid the cost of having them "put to sleep" by a vet.

Reports by both the All Party Group for Animal Welfare in the Welsh National Assembly (see http://tinyurl.com/thfl ) and Greyhound Rescue Wales (see http://www.greyhoundrescuewales.co.uk/deaths.htm ) suggest that hundreds of greyhounds are discarded and killed, often by shooting, in the region every year, when no longer required by the racing industry.

Greyhound Action is calling on the Welsh National Assembly and the relevant local authorities to do all in their powers to close the three greyhound tracks in South Wales and so put an end to this annual slaughter.

We have also renewed our call for the general public to boycott greyhound racing, as it is not just certain wicked individuals who are responsible for this appalling cruelty, but the greyhound racing industry as a whole, for creating a situation where dogs are regarded merely as money-making commodities and racing machines to be ruthlessly disposed of when considered no longer fit for the purpose.

Andrew Gough and the owner and trainer involved in this case were associated with independent or "flapping" tracks in South Wales and the Midlands. There is no doubt that those involved in the running of the larger licenced tracks will seek, as they so often do, to pin the blame for the abandonment and slaughter of greyhounds on the independent tracks and refuse to take any responsibility for the appalling treatment of these dogs. However, it is the licensed tracks that must shoulder most of the blame, because, as much larger operations, they create the bulk of the demand for greyhounds to be bred, and most of the dogs running on independent tracks are those disposed of by licensed track trainers.

Below is a report from the South Wales Echo.

Man jailed for dog cruelty loses appeal
March 1 2005

A man who mutilated a greyhound and left it on a mountainside to die had his appeal against his conviction dismissed today.

Andrew Gough was jailed for six months in December and banned from keeping animals for life after he shot the five-year-old dog, Charlie.

The shot, probably fired with a mechanical device used to put down animals, left a gaping hole in the animal's skull but failed to kill it.

He then hacked off the dog's ears to prevent identification and dumped him, still alive, by a footpath on Fochriw Mountain, near Merthyr Tydfil.

A woman walking her dog on May 2 last year discovered Charlie, who also raced under the name Last Hope, after she heard him whimpering. The greyhound had to be put down immediately due to his distressed state.

Gough, 28, of Tiryberth Street, Tiryberth, South Wales, appealed on the grounds that the principal witnesses against him were inconsistent in their accounts of what happened.

Cardiff Crown Court this week heard that the prosecution's original case was that Gough, who kept and raced greyhounds for 20 years, had been paid £10 to dispose of Charlie after he became lame and could not race any more.

Richard Ace, prosecuting, said owner John Hurley had decided that Charlie should be destroyed and asked trainer Mark Emmett to organise for the dog to be taken to a local farmer to be put down.

Gough promised, said Mr Ace, to use a tool known as a humane killer and took payment of £10 for his services.

But the former registered kennel hand denied that he had been asked to put down the animal.

He told the court today that he had no knowledge of the methods used to put down greyhounds and had never seen a humane killer.

Giving evidence, Gough, who was known as Muppet on the racing circuit, told the court: "They are trying to stitch me up. They think that I'm dull but I'm not as dull as I look."

Defending, Kate Broadhurst said: "It is simply not possible to say who caused the injuries to the dog and the only person who knows is the person who did it.

"It could have been Mark Emmett. He could have caused the injuries, perhaps with a nail gun, and tried to pin it on Mr Gough, believing him to be perhaps less intelligent."

After the greyhound was discovered, a local animal welfare group issued posters appealing for information and Mr Emmett confronted Gough.

Mr Emmett told the court that Gough "swore on his kids' lives that he had the dog put down tidy".

But today Judge Treverton-Jones rejected Gough's appeal, saying: "This was an appalling attack on a defenceless animal in a bungled attempt to kill it."

He said that he found the evidence of Mr Emmett and another greyhound owner, Stephen Morris, reliable and accurate. He admitted that the evidence of Mr Hurley was less accurate but still reliable.

"We consequently reject the assertion of the appellant that he had nothing to do with the injuries to the dog."

He added that he was further persuaded of Gough's guilt by his denials of any knowledge of the humane killer machine or of the posters appealing for information about the incident.

He also dismissed an appeal against Gough's sentence and ban and said: "We can't conceive of a very much worse case of animal cruelty than this."

He did, however, reject a prosecution application for more than £2,000 costs and, "as a small act of mercy" ordered Gough to pay just £250.

Campaign History:
Read on to discover the history of the "Justice for Rusty!" campaign

Justice for Rusty???
Monster caged for Rusty torture!
Gough imprisoned for maximum term
But it's only 6 months!

Evil animal abuser Andrew Gough (right) has been jailed for 6 months for the horrific torture and mutilation of Rusty the greyhound and banned from keeping animals for life ... but with good behaviour, he'll be out in 3 months!

The penalties were imposed by Caerphilly Magistrates on December 22nd, when Victor Watkins, chairman of the bench, said: "This was a deliberate and odious attack on a vulnerable dog, to end its life, and to render its identity unrecognisable" and he described Gough's actions as being "totally unacceptable in a civilised society."

Gough's solicitor announced that his client intended to appeal to the Crown Court against his cruelty conviction, but the magistrates refused to grant bail to the torturer pending appeal and sent him straight into custody.

Gough had been convicted of cruelty to Rusty at Blackwood Magistrates Court, South Wales, a month earlier, when a hushed court heard how, on May 2nd, a black male greyhound (later found to have been called Rusty) was discovered by a dog walker, who heard him whimpering in agony in a rubbish tip on Fochriw Mountain in the Rhymney Valley.

Rusty had been injured in several ways, including being shot in the head with a captive-bolt pistol, and his ears had been hacked off (presumably, because they contained tattoos that could identify him).

Despite this appalling torture, Rusty was still alive - and wagging his tail - but his injuries were so extensive that he was later "put to sleep" by a vet.

In their evidence to the court, both Rusty's owner, John Hurley, and trainer, Mark Emmett, admitted they called Gough in to kill him after he performed badly at the Warwick track on April 25th, due to a toe injury, which ended his racing career. The following Saturday, the trio went to race dogs at Hinckley, where Hurley paid Gough £10 for the killing while they were drinking in the bar.

After being shown photographs of Rusty's body by police, Hurley and Emmett admitted they had asked Gough to kill Rusty and that the dog in the photos was him.

It emerged from the evidence that Gough had mutilated Rusty on either the Friday or the Saturday, and he had lain, suffering on the mountain, until being discovered on the Sunday.

Despite their despicable behaviour in handing over Rusty to be killed, Hurley and Emmett could not be prosecuted, as it is not actually illegal for a person to have their own dog shot.

Greyhound Action has received information that Gough was one of several greyhound "executioners" in South Wales, who kill dogs for other owners and trainers, in order that they can avoid the cost of having them "put to sleep" by a vet.

Reports by both the All Party Group for Animal Welfare in the Welsh National Assembly (see http://tinyurl.com/thfl ) and Greyhound Rescue Wales (see http://www.greyhoundrescuewales.co.uk/deaths.htm ) suggest that hundreds of greyhounds are discarded and killed, often by shooting, in the region every year, when no longer required by the racing industry.

Greyhound Action is calling on the Welsh National Assembly and the relevant local authorities to do all in their powers to close the three greyhound tracks in South Wales and so put an end to this annual slaughter.

We have also renewed our call for the general public to boycott greyhound racing, as it is not just certain wicked individuals who are responsible for this appalling cruelty, but the greyhound racing industry as a whole, for creating a situation where dogs are regarded merely as money-making commodities and racing machines to be ruthlessly disposed of when considered no longer fit for the purpose.

Andrew Gough and the owner and trainer involved in this case were associated with independent or "flapping" tracks in South Wales and the Midlands. There is no doubt that those involved in the running of the larger licenced tracks will seek, as they so often do, to pin the blame for the abandonment and slaughter of greyhounds on the independent tracks and refuse to take any responsibility for the appalling treatment of these dogs. However, it is the licensed tracks that must shoulder most of the blame, because, as much larger operations, they create the bulk of the demand for greyhounds to be bred, and most of the dogs running on independent tracks are those disposed of by licensed track trainers.

We applaud the Caerphilly Magistrates for giving Gough the maximum prison term they could impose and for banning him for life from keeping animals. However, we feel it is appalling that the maximum jail sentence for cruelty to an animal is only 6 months. The government's Animal Welfare Bill proposes to increase this to 51 weeks, but that will still be woefully inadequate, especially when one considers that Criminal Damage (to inanimate objects) carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.

We will be calling upon the government to make provision within the Animal Welfare Bill to allow courts to impose sentences of up to Life Imprisonment for the worst cases of cruelty to animals, such as that carried out by Andrew Gough, and will be shortly launching a campaign to gain the support of the public and other animal protection organisations for much stiffer penalties for animal abuse.

It is totally appalling that a worthless individual like Gough should receive a paltry 6 months (of which he will probably serve only 3) for an horrific act of cruelty to an innocent dog, when animal liberationists are given far longer sentences just for damaging property and Dave Blenkinsop, a dedicated vegan, sanctuary worker and animal protection campaigner was handed a 3 year term for an attack on Brian Cass, head of the notorious Huntingdon Life Sciences animal torture laboratory, in which the evil vivisection boss received only minor injuries.

On the Sunday nearest to May 2nd every year, we intend to hold a Remembering Rusty event, consisting of a solemn remembrance ceremony at the place where he was found and an education day (with stalls etc.) at a nearby park. Next year this will be May 1st - and more details about the event will be available shortly.

Evil "executioner" must be jailed!
Demo 9.30am, Wednesday, December 22nd, Caerphilly Magistrates Court

Evil animal abuser Andrew Gough (right) is to be sentenced for the brutal torture of Rusty the greyhound at 10am this coming Wednesday (December 22nd) at Caerphilly Magistrates Court, Mountain Road, Caerphilly, South Wales.

Greyhound Action will be staging a demo outside the court, starting at 9.30am, calling for Gough to be given the maximum jail term for this horrific crime, for the closure of the three Welsh greyhound tracks and for commercial dog racing to be banned.

If possible, please bring banners and placards - and rescued greyhounds are welcome.

Maps of the location can be found at http://tinyurl.com/3tvgf and http://tinyurl.com/47tj3

Gough fined for jumping bail
More bullshit from the greyhound torturer
We reproduce (below) an article from the South Wales Argus.

If Gough (left) is so keen to prove his innocence, why did he not turn up for his trial on November 22nd?

In our opinion, the story about his van breaking down is blatant bullshit, a view obviously shared by the magistrates, who fined him £50 for jumping bail.

Rusty the greyhound was raced under various names, such as Last Hope, Charlie and Mystique. We prefer to call him Rusty, as that was his name before he fell into the hands of Hurley and Emmett.

Emmett knew that Gough intended to shoot Rusty, so whether that can be considered as disposing of him "humanely" is open to question.

Yet more bullshit regarding Gough surrendering to police "at the first available opportunity".
He would have known they were looking for him immediately following his conviction on November 22nd.

More info on this case coming soon, including details of planned demo outside Caerphilly Magistrates Court on December 22nd, when Gough is due to be sentenced there.

And we find it somewhat amusing that a solicitor should be named "Costley"!

Tony Peters, Greyhound Action

South Wales Argus November 30th, 2004
Greyhound man to launch appeal

A man convicted of leaving a mutilated greyhound to die on a mountainside said he intends to launch an appeal.

But Andrew Gough was warned by magistrates yesterday that he could face jail.

Gough told Caerphilly magistrates court he is innocent of mistreating a greyhound, called Last Hope, and wants an opportunity to prove it.

Gough, aged 28, of Tir-y-berth Street, Tir-y-berth, but formerly of Blackwood, surrendered at Blackwood police station earlier in the day because a warrant for his arrest was issued when he failed to appear for his trial last week.

(GA Note: It is our policy to publish the addresses of all persons charged or convicted of cruelty to greyhounds or lurchers, so that people living in the area are made aware of the possible threat to their own dogs posed by such individuals.)

Gough pleaded not guilty to failing to surrender to custody. He told the magistrates he was left stranded in Bristol on the morning of the trial when the battery in his works van went flat.

But chairman of the magistrates Roy Gwinnutt found Gough guilty of failing to surrender and fined him £50.

The RSPCA-prosecuted trial, which proceeded last week in Gough's absence, shocked the whole of Gwent when it emerged that Last Hope, also called Charlie, was left with horrific head injuries and with his ears cut off to prevent him from being identified.

Vet Timothy Ingham examined the dog after he was found on the mountainside, but was left with no choice but to put him down due to the extent of his injuries. He said something mechanical had been used to penetrate the dog's skull, which caused brain trauma.

The court heard that John Hurley, the dog's owner, asked Charlie's trainer, Mark Emmett, to put Charlie down after he suffered a recurrence of a leg injury.

Mr Emmett said he asked Gough to dispose of the dog humanely, which he agreed to do for £10.

Andrew Costley, defending, told Caerphilly magistrates yesterday that the defendant was deeply unhappy that he was unable to contest the charge.

"Mr Gough is emphatic in his reply that he will not allow the conviction to stand without a fight," said Mr Costley.

"He is absolutely adamant it was not he who was responsible for causing the brutal death of the animal."

Mr Costley added that Gough surrendered to police at the first available opportunity because it takes seven days for a warrant for arrest to be processed.

Andrew Gough ... convicted greyhound mutilator and murderer.

Greyhound torturer hands himself in
Gough to be sentenced on December 22nd

We have been informed by one of our supporters in South Wales that Andrew Gough (left), on the run since being convicted on November 22nd of the brutal torture of Rusty the greyhound, has handed himself in to police and will be sentenced on December 22nd at Caerphilly Magistrates Court.

Dog race ban for men who sent Rusty to his death

GA says "Too little, too late"
Welsh dog tracks know who the killers are

According to a press release issued by Greyhound Rescue Wales (see http://tinyurl.com/6cvgl ), John Hurley and Mark Emmett, owner and trainer of Rusty, who sent him to his death at the hands of greyhound "executioner" Andrew Gough, have been banned from racing dogs at all three greyhound tracks in South Wales.

Gough (pictured right and above), who was on the run from police after being convicted on November 22nd of the brutal torture of Rusty, has also been banned.

Although welcoming the ban, Greyhound Action regards it as too little too late. The tracks have only banned these three despicable characters because the publicity surrounding Gough's case has forced them to do so.

The shooting of ex-racing dogs is rife in South Wales and there is little doubt that those who run the tracks know exactly who is responsible and, in some cases, are involved in the killings themselves. Gough, himself, worked as a groundsman at one of the tracks.

It is commercial greyhound racing itself that needs to be banned, for as long as it continues, there will always be Emmetts, Hurleys and Goughs quite happy to slaughter dogs that can no longer make them money at the tracks.

We are renewing our call to the Welsh national assembly and the relevant local authorities to do all in their powers to close the three South Wales dog tracks.

We do not share the view of Greyhound Rescue Wales that the dog racing industry can somehow be reformed so that it operates at an acceptable level, but GRW must be praised for their poster campaign that led to the arrest and eventual conviction of Andrew Gough, for their excellent rescue work, and for their revealing report on the killing of greyhounds in South Wales (see http://www.greyhoundrescuewales.co.uk/deaths.htm ).

Previous Court news: 22nd November 2004

Gough (pictured left) failed to turn up for his trial at Blackwood Magistrates Court, South Wales, on Monday, November 22nd and the case went ahead in his absense, with the magistrates issuing a warrant for his arrest after finding him guilty.

A hushed court heard how, on May 2nd, a black male greyhound (later found to have been called Rusty) was discovered by a dog walker, who heard him whimpering in agony in a rubbish tip on Fochriw Mountain in the Rhymney Valley.

Rusty had been injured in several ways, including being shot in the head with a captive-bolt pistol, and his ears had been hacked off (presumably, because they contained tattoos that could identify him).

Despite this appalling torture, Rusty was still alive - and wagging his tail - but his injuries were so extensive that he was later "put to sleep" by a vet.

In their evidence to the court, both Rusty's owner, John Hurley, and trainer, Mark Emmett, admitted they called Gough in to kill him after he performed badly at the Warwick track on April 25th, due to a toe injury, which ended his racing career. The following Saturday, the trio went to race dogs at Hinckley, where Hurley paid Gough £10 for the killing while they were drinking in the bar.

After being shown photographs of Rusty's body by police, Hurley and Emmett admitted they had asked Gough to kill Rusty and that the dog in the photos was him.

It emerged from the evidence that Gough had mutilated Rusty on Friday, April 30th and he had lain, suffering on the mountain, until being discovered on the Sunday.

Despite their despicable behaviour in handing over Rusty to be killed, Hurley and Emmett could not be prosecuted, as it is not actually illegal for a person to have their own dog shot.

Read on for the background:

On April 30th a black male greyhound (later found to have been called Rusty) was discovered by a dog walker who heard him whimpering in agony in a rubbish tip on Fochriw Mountain in the Rhymney Valley, South Wales.

Rusty had been injured in several ways, including being shot in the head with a nail-gun, and his ears had been hacked off (presumably, because they contained tattoos that could identify him).Despite this appalling torture, Rusty was still alive - and wagging his tail - but his injuries were so extensive that he was later "put to sleep" by a vet.

In his last week of life, Rusty had been raced at all three greyhound tracks in South Wales and it is no coincidence that he was mutilated and dumped just a few miles away from two of those tracks.

It is not just certain wicked individuals who are responsible for this appalling cruelty, but the greyhound racing industry as a whole, for creating a situation where dogs are regarded merely as money-making commodities and racing machines to be ruthlessly disposed of when considered no longer fit for the purpose.

It is our hope that the campaign for Justice for Rusty will help bring about the closure of the three Welsh dog tracks and an end to greyhound racing in Wales.

Last October a report entitled The fate of racing greyhounds and working lurchers in Wales, commissioned by the All Party Group for Animal Welfare in the Welsh National Assembly, looked at what happens to racing greyhounds and lurchers after their active lives are over and uncovered a catalogue of cruelty and neglect, suggesting that, every year, as many as 600 greyhounds in Wales could be killed or discarded at the end of their "racing careers". You can read more about the report (and download a copy) at http://tinyurl.com/thfl

A recent report by Greyhound Rescue Wales, (Greyhounds being killed by their owners in South Wales - Key Points http://www.greyhoundrescuewales.co.uk/deaths.htm ) suggests that between 100 and 300 greyhounds are shot in South Wales each year, when considered no longer good enough for racing.

GA UK