I AM writing regarding your article Greyhound Racing: Trainer Wills suspended (Oxford Mail July 9).

By failing to disclose details of the disciplinary matter which resulted in Ian Wills’ suspension, the dog racing industry confirms the shroud of secrecy in a system that polices itself. This contributes to a negative perception of greyhound racing.

Greyhound racing is inherently cruel and inhumane. It is inhumane for greyhounds to endure lives of confinement in sub-standard conditions. The cruelty doesn’t end when they are lined up to race, knowing they then risk suffering broken limbs, broken necks, paralysis and death by cardiac arrest. Short-term investments, and over-bred so there is always another greyhound to use as a replacement, the greyhounds are valued only as long as they generate a profit. According to the RSPCA, UK greyhounds that are injured or are not fast enough disappear at the rate of 20 per day.

I have personally adopted gentle, beloved ex-racing greyhounds since 1997 and I am a board member of GREY2K USA, a national non-profit organisation that works to end the cruelty of dog racing. For more information, including injury records and undercover video footage, please visit www.grey2kusa.org.

CARYN WOOD GREY2K USA