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So I'm playing devils advocate on this one. they are most looked after dogs in NZ...... Until they are not wanted, then they are rehomed or killed. if they are not dog/cat friendly......so you are saying this is the only reason they are killed. So you know that no one in NZ kills their greyhounds because they are not just not wanted anymore, even the commercial trainers. Any other breed. ...... Not the focus of this discussion. However, no other breed is bred to race, be bet on, win money on and then disposed of when it can't earn money and disposed of, many of them are. easy targets.. Absolute rubbish. Greyhound breeding, betting and racing and killing is unique. Do I agree with other shite that happens with dogs and other animals, abuse etc. nope. i guess im trying to have many, some, maybe a few of you realise the depth of feeling in the general public there is about the state of greyhound racing. Sure some are misinformed, some are activists but many already believe these dogs are rescues or require rescuing. It has been a common question at events over the years. Are these the rescued greyhounds. It does not mean they are welfare cases but can simply be people think they have been"rescued" from the horrible greyhound racing industry. Right or wrong or just different it is their opinion. What has happened over the last few weeks only converts more people to this view further jeopardising your loved greyhound racing.

Not sure what the wow moment is there. Nope I haven't invited any.. Why not? As stated earlier I don't know who they are and how to find them. I did think your point was that most trainers cared so much they would come forward anyway. How would they be aware of these events? They would go to the gap website and look at all the events listed, or ask to join their local gap Facebook group, or contact the local regional coordinator who are listed on the gap website or send an email to the national coordinator or even contact GRNZ .... If they really really wanted to they could find a way of getting involved, they could. I don't see how paranoia comes into it, it's not paranoid to state facts about trainer partipation in gap events. Finally as none are currently attending I can't see how what I thought of them would make any difference......and by the way all are welcome, trainers, public, greyhound owners etc. cause it's about homing greyhounds, not what we may think of each other. getting back to my trainers don't give a shit comment. I'm glad it evoked a response,it was meant to because the public don't see xxx amount of trainers being good and xxx amount being bad. They see all trainers as one collective group responsible for xxxx amount of greyhounds being killed. I'm not saying that's right but that's the reality. The challenge is how you change the public perception and that's going to be very hard to do.

I'll answer these one at a time (after my attempt at humour obviously failed). - Nope, Taranaki is not a large area. About one hour to anywhere from anywhere. We recently attended the Stratford A&P show, smack damn in the middle of Taranaki. Probably 30 minutes drive maximum for 100,000 people. - one trainer or 10 trainers none have made contact and attended in 5 or 6 years. Zero is zero. - Virtually all events are on weekends and virtually all volunteers work fulltime and they make it, so again nope. Many of them over and over again. So over 5 to 6 years you would think maybe one trainer would volunteer to join a GAP roster at a Taranaki event. - Not sure what you mean by not knowing the subject matter and therefore being inflammatory . I have been involved in every GAP event in Taranaki in the last 5 to 6 years and can quite genuinely say no Taranaki trainer has volunteered to join in on a GAP event in Taranaki during that time. So inflammatory no, factual correct. I say this will full openness and it being my current knowledge and understanding. If I am incorrect, and I sincerely believe I am not, then please feel free to correct me. Having said that if one has, than even one is not a good number over that many years but I know the other volunteers well so would be mighty surprised. - not misleading. The issue is about trainers attending GAP events in Taranaki and I sincerely believe none have in Taranaki. Nothing in my comments is about trainers not supporting people who have adopted their hounds directly or through other rehoming agencies. If that's what you have done, awesome. and if I have self outed myself by answering these questions in the way I have so be it (which was probably the intent of E.) then so be it.

Hmmm. My responses to this are one of the following - are you trying to out me on the forum?? - There must be 5 or 6 but I don't know because I wouldn't know how to find out and they've never made contact or tried to join the local group. - Its irrelevant, there is a perfectly good road, a lovely drive and lots of trainers just a couple of hours down the road. Sorry I forgot, availability is dictated by physical location. What is the maximum distance a trainer will travel to attend a gap event?. Then I can draw a circle on the map and figure out how many trainers are in the circle and invite them. Not that I should have to invite them because many will call up as they are keen to attend. - Emotive. I actually think we are on the same side but jeez somebody needs to say something to wake them from their slumber. After all the debacle in Australia over the last three years you'd have thought the industry on this side of the tasman would be onto it by now, but the comments on this forum by some indicate that's clearly not the case. - Emotive. I feel like I should know you. - Emotive, you should be more emotive!! By the way, someone made a comment that they hadn't seen a bad comment about volunteers. Not that I should be reading the GPL Facebook page or take them seriously but one David Lloyd has called GAP the scum of greyhound rehoming outfits. Nice!!

Fantastic!! That's great. However I can tell you quite authoritively in the area I am that I have never had a trainer participate in a GAP organised event in the years I have been involved. You talk about physical location. The only event that I have been to that a trainer was at was when I travelled 3 hours to attend.

GOM, Play the victim ?? The hounds that are euthanized are the victim, not volunteers. However, Its very difficult to feel volunteers aren't being used by trainers when either they continue breeding them or euthanize them while we work bloody hard to get each and every hound homed .... I'll correct that so as not to offend...some trainers.....none of the ones on here of course. All the trainers on here are the good ones!!, none of the bad ones are on here, they are all out there somewhere where no one can get to them........ To be fair, I know there are good trainers, probably more good ones than bad ones . I know some of them. I converse with some of them. I have had some of them help me with problem greyhounds. However the general public perception is that it is all trainers, all the industry, all greyhound racing and we all know that perception is a persons reality. You get enough with that same reality and any cause is in serious trouble. I totally understand that "you all" want to protect your industry but cmon guys it doesn't matter whether its 1800 euthanized over 4 years or 300 in one year, 50, 20, 10, 01 is still too many. Don't go looking at other breed euthanisation figures. That is just so disingenuous. The issue is greyhounds, bred to race, bred to win stakes, bred to bet on, bred to be disposed of when no longer needed. This is your issue, deal to it. Speak up and make a stand against euthanizing greyhounds . Finally, what would happen if I challenged all trainers on this forum to post that they have never euthanized a greyhound for other than medical, injury or dangerous to humans reasons ?. While at it include live baiting as well. Flagship. It is nice to be appreciated, just sorry we can't home more :(. We are working hard to find homes.

They are recorded in the GAP database of activities.

Many of the public already consider gap a rescue organisation. Maybe we should just admit that it is. It rehomes dogs that people don't want and if not rehomed has a reasonable chance of being euthanised. From another view what would have happened to the 2000 greyhounds that GAP has rehomed if Gap didn't exist? Seems like it meets the criteria for a rescue organisation.

As a volunteer rehoming greyhounds for 6 or 7 years I feel I have been kicked in the teeth by all this. Why do we bother spending hour after hour of our own time trying to find them homes when "trainers" in general don't give a shit about them. You have had your chances, now you will have things forced on you. Also trying to blur things by talking about other dogs. Shame on you, that is disgusting. Look after your own back yard first before looking elsewhere. How many trainers have I seen attending gap events trying to help get hounds adopted........one!! Over so many years.

If it is flawed present facts as to why it is flawed. Certainly GRNZ have never been able to produce numbers.

Noel shows no leadership and very poor communication skills. He has divested work to the Regional Coordinators (think Website updating, obtaining grants from trusts) who are essentially volunteers doing their GAP work as, at best a part time job and at worst volunteers, whilr maintaining fulltime jobs. He recently went to Victoria, Australia on GAP business but informed none of his RCs or Kennel Managers that he was going and would be out of the country for just about a week. Some RCs found out he was overseas when they received his out of office email reply. He missed a great opportunity to meet some of his volunteers by missing the Levin Home Checkers training day. He seldom interacts with his volunteers. He was repeatedly been asked to confirm a date for next years annual street appeal so that applications to councils could be made and Regional Coordinators plan this in and around other regional activities. He did not answer emails on this subject over several months. He then advised the date for the Wellington appeal day but again refused to explain what the rest of the country would do. A Regional Coordinator advised that, due to not being able to get a date from Noel for the appeal, the RC had decided to fit the appeal around other events in the Feb – March period. In response to this Noel finally declared the month of February as the appeal period (a month never done before) and the RC must conform. In the same email the RC was told that the RC was responsible for all events in the region and “Obviously the penny hasn’t dropped yet that our RC’s are no longer spoon fed and are now responsible for managing all the promotional activity in their region.” And “If you don’t like this way of working just let me know and we can make alternative arrangements”. Noel also said that “If you need help then you can refer it to me” even though there had been plenty of requests for information on a wide range of subjects by various volunteers which were either not answered or vague responses were received. This is all verifiable as I have seen the emails. While GAP volunteers do a great job and should be respected and thanked for their contribution Noel Brown needs to go.

Ref. I'm not sure who you think you're chatting with but I'm not an employee of GAP. I have a fulltime job elsewhere.

Its interesting what is getting responded to and whats not. 1/. No one has posted taking the challenge of helping out at a gap event. 2/. No details on the dog that had a broken a leg at GAP. You are presenting the information that South island dogs are in the Levin kennel (and on the surface what is the problem with that as GAP is about rehoming greyhounds). You are stating that so you back it up with the facts, I'm not going chasing. I really want discussions to be made based upon fact. If you present a problem present the facts that support it. I do talk to Trainers. I have never said GAP is perfect. I just reacted to the emotive GAP is crap sentiments being expressed. There are problems with any organisation and it is very difficult to keep everyone happy when there are so many stakeholders. In my opinion, from what I have seen and heard across the board, Greyhound racing is on a slippery slope and if GRNZ, their clubs and trainers do not move rapidly and strongly to reform and be transparent then its not going to end well. I am not anti racing!! GAP is an organisation that in one context is helping your industry survive, and we need to work together to ensure as many as possible are rehomed. Incidentally, GAP Victoria has recently been handed just over $3 million to further develop their kennels and structure and they already have extensive kennelling in Victoria. I am obviously aware the size comparisons are the not the same before anybody says anything, but still. Yes, there may be individual situations that occur which are frustrating and make the blood boil but it is not intentional and overall GAP does a mighty fine job. Many of you would have absolutely no idea how much time many people are giving up to rehome your dogs and in many cases spend their own money which does not get reimbursed. While I don't want to be a prick about it but it needs to be said: These are dogs which you have bred or bought and no longer want. You can put as much sugar around it as you like about loving your dogs (and I'm not doubting that you do) but at the end of the day you don't want them anymore. GAP rehomes them for you in many cases. Be a little bit grateful to everyone who gives up their time, money and effort to do this for you (be it GAP or NIghtrave or anyone else).

"come on ref", which greyhound broke its leg in GAP care?. Give a name and approximate date, I'd be interested to find out more. Also, maybe qualify your statement about trainers don't trust Levin Gap. The kennels there seem pretty full with a lot of dogs being rehomed so someone still trusts them.

Constructive criticism yes "...they are all useless" is not constructive and "all" means everyone. Your original criticism makes no distinction between employees and volunteers. And how would you expect GAP to stop a Trainer racing a dog once they have applied for it to be rehomed. If you can tell me how that's meant to happen please reply. Would you like us to send people to the races to check on which dogs are being raced. Cmon get real. Thank you "alltheway", some sense appreciated, that's all I want. It seems to me GAP is stuck in the middle between Trainers and the antis and getting hammered from both sides. If you want to help, volunteer for a GAP event to tell people how good of a pet a greyhound makes. As a test, each of you can reply and let me know which one you are volunteering for. By the way, please remember when you do volunteer you are representing GAP and not your own views/occupation.