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Speech in Milan by Trudy Baker, founder and spokesperson of Greyt Exploitations, at our International Conference “Freedom for Greyhounds”

Here is the speech that Trudy Baker, founder and spokesperson of the British group Greyt Exploitations, did at the Conference ‘Freedom for Greyhounds – CloseTheCanidrome and all Race Tracks Worldwide’, organised by Pet Levrieri in Italy on the weekend of the 23rd-24th-25th September.

A speech that shows the determination, courage, strength and sensitivity of one woman, Trudy Baker, and tells of the extraordinary work carried out by Greyt Exploitations to investigate and expose the industry and raise awareness, based on data and evidence. A must read.

The aims and achievements of Greyt Exploitations in the context of the British antiracing movement, and the situation of racing greyhounds and lurchers in the UK”.

Good morning, 

I’d like to firstly thank Massimo, Stefania and all at Pet Levrieri for inviting me to this very important event where not only will we be celebrating the joy of 20 greyhounds and lurchers meeting their new families for the first time but also where we will have the opportunity to discuss with fellow advocates from around the globe on how best we can strengthen the greyhound protection cause and close down the industry – period.

I was born with an inherent love for animals and as a child had numerous small companions but we were an army family – so having dogs was always discouraged by my parents to avoid any trauma if we couldn’t take the dog with us to the next posting.

Once leaving home – I then had the opportunity to care for dogs in my own home and over the years have had the fortune to enjoy many rescued dogs as wonderful companions.

I was first exposed to the cruelty and secrecy surrounding greyhound racing when 30 years ago I went to Walthamstow stadium. We used to go for a night out in the belief that the dogs loved racing and we saw no harm in having what we thought was an enjoyable evening for both hounds and humans.

The enjoyment for both soon evaporated when one evening a poor injured greyhound was carried screaming off the track after a fall. I followed in hot pursuit to comfort the dog and make sure they were being treated. I was confronted by track officials and abruptly told the dog was ‘ok’ but was refused access to the kennels to check for myself. The next morning I phoned the track for assurances but yet again was basically told ‘it was none of my business’.

By this time – the alarm bells were ringing loud and clear. Why were they being so rude to someone who had clear concerns for the injured greyhound?

We never did go to greyhound racing again but the events of that night lead me to look into dog racing further. Greyhound Action were Britain’s only campaign group in the 1990s’ that called for a ban on dog racing. I began to follow their website and read about the thousands of dogs that were killed each year just to supply a betting product for the gambling industry. They carried the slogan ‘You Bet – They Die’ which perfectly describes the industry in just four simple words.

My first encounter with a companion greyhound was in 1999 at a friend’s house who had invited me to meet her beautiful brindle boy Bryn. I was in awe of his strength but also his gentleness. From that moment on I desperately wanted to give a home to a redundant greyhound and it wasn’t until I retired in 2001 to the North East of England and while volunteering for a local greyhound rescue did I eventually adopt an ex racing greyhound that had been dumped on the streets.

He was a beautiful white and brindle boy with the undignified racing name of Ringwaxy. Archie as I called him – was my first greyhound love and from that moment on I was smitten with these beautiful hounds.

The stream of abandoned – injured – abused – unwanted and unloved greyhounds that came into the rescue was endless and it wasn’t long before I realised that it would be impossible to home them all and always in the back of my mind I was questioning how many more never even made it to the rescue.

Then in 2006 a national newspaper exposed a man – living not far from me – who had been systematically slaughtering greyhounds and burying them on his land for over 15 years. It was estimated that he had killed 10,000 greyhounds but at last – the industry’s conveyor belt of mass destruction was now well and truly exposed!

Greyhound racing in the North East of England was and still is quite popular, having 3 large commercial tracks and 3 smaller independent tracks all within a 50 mile radius of each other. It was very difficult to gain support for local protests and more out of frustration and the need to do something – anything – I founded the group Greyt Exploitations with the intention of doing more online research and investigation.

Our first investigation was hugely successful, and following national media coverage the largest greyhound breeder in the country – who had been selling non chaser puppies to Liverpool University for research and dissection – was closed down.

The covert investigation however took its toll mentally and very near destroyed my soul. The suffering and cruelty I saw – and more importantly had to leave behind – will forever be etched in my mind, and it was a number of years before I gained the strength to undertake 3 more kennel exposures.

Although we obtained national media coverage, the highly commercial kennels still remain in operation today but the evidence we obtained helped to expose the industry and raise public awareness and contributed to the Government’s recent consultation on greyhound welfare.

Greyt Exploitations’ campaign now focuses on four cruel practices that the industry depends on for its profits.

The industry will always over breed and destroy puppies that are too slow or are disinterested in chasing the mechanical lure – to protect profits. The industry will always make the commercial decision to destroy injured dogs – to protect profits. The industry will always destroy greyhounds when deemed of no further use as a betting product rather than finance their homing – to protect profits, and the industry will always race dogs on dangerously configured tracks in order to supply an exciting betting ‘product’ for both punters and bookmakers.

The problem in the UK is further exacerbated because our Government have given the industry the right to self regulate and police itself. Despite the overwhelming evidence of the industry’s failure to apply the most basic welfare standards – our Government seem more predisposed in protecting the taxes generated from the gambling revenue rather than protecting the welfare of greyhounds.

So what are Greyt Exploitations currently doing to expose the industry , raise awareness and lobby for laws to ban greyhound racing?

We have invested heavily in equipment so as to monitor and record all the racing that is transmitted via satellite to the internet and to the bookmakers shops. We also record and monitor racing through the normal TV channels.

We have developed an injury data base spanning 8 years that contains details of dogs that were involved in incidents on the track highlighting a potential injury. A search facility allows you to indentify which of these dogs never race again after sustaining an injury thereby evidencing the wastage of these gentle souls – the majority not even 2 years old.

In 2013 there were over four and a half thousand greyhounds injured on British tracks and for at least one and a half thousand it was to be their last race – fate unknown. Our figures have been published in well respected newspapers and magazines and in parliamentary reports – helping to raise awareness and influence lawmakers.

Having personally been involved in the greyhound protection cause for 10 years, over that time I have seen it grow from strength to strength gaining momentum every year, while the industry continues to rapidly decline – lingering on death row in a manner similar to the life they bestow on so many greyhounds imprisoned in barren kennels just waiting to be raced to death.

I don’t know whether I will ever see dog racing banned in the UK in my lifetime. It matters not – what is important is that we try our best to do what we can – wherever we are – with passion and determination to bring an end to the horrific abuse of what must be the most exploited yet most beautiful breed of dog in the world.

Greyt Exploitations can only continue with your help – to fight for the greyhounds until all are free. Thank you for your time, care and compassion for the greyhounds

Trudy Baker Greyt Exploitations

©petlevrieri

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Presidente e socio fondatore di Pet levrieri dalla data di fondazione. Nella vita svolge la professione di psicologa e psicoterapeuta e di formatrice. E’ laureata in filosofia e in psicologia. Per crescita personale si è formata e diplomata come educatrice cinofila presso la scuola SIUA. Ha svolto il corso professionalizzante per la gestione della ricerca e del soccorso di animali smarriti, organizzato da Pet Detective. Ha iniziato a scoprire quello che accade ai greyhound nel racing in seguito all’adozione della sua prima grey, Silky, nel 2008. Da qui il suo impegno civile antiracing e anticaccia in difesa dei greyhound, dei galgo e dei lurcher. Sposata con Massimo Greco, altro socio fondatore di Pet levrieri, condivide con lui questo impegno.

Insieme condividono la loro vita con un gruppo di levrieri rescue e una segugia. Svolge questo ruolo in maniera totalmente gratuita.

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Vice presidente di Pet levrieri. Nella vita è Direttore delle Risorse Umane di una multinazionale del settore IT. 
Per passione personale nel 2020 ha conseguito il titolo di educatore cinofilo presso la scuola cinofila Il Mio Cane.
Ha partecipato al corso di gestione della ricerca e del soccorso di animali smarriti organizzato da Pet Detective.
Nel marzo 2014 adotta “per caso” Sandy, greyhound irlandese, e scopre la dura realtà dei levrieri sfruttati nelle corse e nella caccia decidendo così di impegnarsi concretamente nell’Associazione.
Coordina il gruppo di ricerca dei levrieri smarriti, è membro del Gruppo Adozioni e partecipa come portavoce di Pet levrieri ad eventi di informazione e divulgazione delle attività dell’associazione. 
Vive tra Milano e la Valsassina con il marito Massimiliano, ha due figli ormai adulti, Giorgia e Marco, e tre lurcher irlandesi: Robin, Coco e Lucy – e Sandy sempre nel cuore.
Svolge i suoi incarichi in Pet levrieri a titolo assolutamente gratuito.
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Vice Presidente e socio fondatore di Pet levrieri, laureata in scienze politiche internazionali, gestisce un’impresa di consulenze turistiche. In Pet Levrieri si occupa in particolare delle relazioni con la Spagna e dei profili dei galgo e si reca più volte all’anno nei rifugi spagnoli per conoscere i cani e stilarne i profili. Fa parte del team che amministra sito e pagine Fb dell’associazione.
Ha adottato la galga Debra nel 2011. Venire a contatto con la realtà dei levrieri rescue l’ha spinta ad approfondire il discorso e a impegnarsi attivamente a favore dei grey, galgo e lurcher sfruttati e maltrattati in tutto il mondo. Oltre a Debra vive con due cani meticci, salvati da situazioni di abbandono.
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Membro del consiglio direttivo e socio fondatore di Per levrieri, dove si occupa dell’organizzazione logistica degli eventi e del merchandising. Nella vita è titolare di un laboratorio odontotecnico dal 1990. Da sempre appassionato di cani, il suo primo cane è stato un setter irlandese. Sposato con Marianna Capurso, anche lei socia fondatrice di Pet levrieri, condivide con lei l’impegno antirancing e anticaccia in difesa dei levrieri. Accanto al presidente di Pet levrieri, ha partecipato alla prima conferenza mondiale sui greyhound in Florida nel 2016. Ha partecipato a molti corsi organizzati da Think Dog e Siua. Perle è stata la sua prima greyhound. Nella sua vita ora ci sono Peig e Inta, due lurcher, e Karim, greyhound salvato dal cinodromo di Macao, e Ricky, un pinscher, che è la mascotte di tutto il gruppo. Svolge i suoi incarichi in Pet levrieri in maniera totalmente gratuita.

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Membro del consiglio direttivo di Pet levrieri. Nella vita è una pasticciera. Dal 2014 a seguito dell’adozione di Rosie, una greyhound irlandese ha conosciuto la realtà dello sfruttamento dei levrieri. Da qui l’impegno in associazione. Coordina il gruppo facebook di Pet levrieri, gestisce il canale istituzionale Twitter, ed è membro del gruppo adozioni. Condivide la vita con il compagno Stefano, socio e volontario di Pet levrieri, James greyhound salvato in Irlanda e Jasmine greyhound sopravvissuta al cinodromo di Macao, nel cuore portano Rosie e Mags greyhound salvate in Irlanda. Svolge i suoi incarichi in Pet levrieri in maniera totalmente gratuita.

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Socio fondatore di Pet levrieri, si è occupato in associazione, a titolo puramente gratuito, di trasporti, rapporti con le autorità veterinarie e della comunicazione esterna, curando numerosi articoli sulla situazione dei greyhound e dei galgo nel mondo. Ha partecipato a numerose manifestazioni antiracing in Irlanda e Gran Bretagna. Dal 2022 fa parte del Board di GREY2K USA Worldwide, la più importante organizzazione antiracing mondiale. 
Laureato in filosofia e in Psicologia della comunicazione, insegna filosofia e storia nella scuola superiore di secondo grado; per crescita personale si è formato e diplomato come educatore cinofilo presso la scuola SIUA. 
Appassionato di musica, in particolare rock e irlandese, dal 2008 condivide le sue giornate, insieme alla moglie Stefania Traini, con levrieri rescue e un “pizzico” di segugi. Perché nella varietà si fanno più esperienze.
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Membro del consiglio direttivo di Pet Levrieri.
Dopo il liceo linguistico inizia a lavorare in banca ma dopo la nascita della terza figlia decide di volersi dedicare esclusivamente alla sua numerosa famiglia.
Il suo primo cane è stato Otello, un mix labrador-alano, poi è arrivata Gina, un bovaro svizzero.
Viene a conoscenza dello sfruttamento dei levrieri per caso attraverso un articolo trovato in rete e nel novembre 2015 partecipa ad un arrivo di Galgo di Pet Levrieri. Christa, una galga ancora senza famiglia, si butta tra le sue braccia per farsi coccolare. Dieci giorni dopo andrà a prenderla presso la famiglia foster e la porterà a casa. Da questo incontro speciale nasce il suo impegno concreto all’interno dell’Associazione.
Fa parte del gruppo adozioni e si occupa prevalentemente delle richieste estere (Svizzera, Austria, Germania).
A settembre 2018 si reca, insieme a Stefania Traini, a Macau per fotografare e stilare i profili dei cani che verranno in Italia. Qui, incrocia lo sguardo di Tamoko, che decide di adottare appena sarà pronto per il volo che lo porterà a Milano.
Vive a Lugano, Svizzera, con il marito Andrea e i figli Giulia, Alyssa, Cecilia e Tommaso. Membri della numerosa famiglia, oltre a Tamoko, sono anche Harry e Bob, lurcher irlandesi e Paco un meticcio salvato dalle strade di Napoli.
Ama trascorrere le giornate tra montagne e boschi oppure con un bel libro in mano.
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