A Wirral racing greyhound owner and trainer was given a lifetime ban and a four month suspended custodial sentence by the Birkenhead Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to eleven charges brought under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

The landmark prosecution against Mr Ian Street by Wirral Council, with support from Greyhound Rescue West of England (GRWE), followed the severe mistreatment of 29 greyhounds.

GRWE, supported by Wirral Council’s Enforcement Officer and local police, undertook a mammoth rescue operation to remove all the 29 dogs to safety from the damaged, rusty and blood-stained wire kennels, the garden shed and loose-run compound.

The kennelled dogs were kept in near-total darkness with an open, clogged drainage channel containing stinking brown sludge. The walls of several of the kennels were stained with blood. Many of the dogs were kept muzzled, and none had dry bedding; all of these dogs were stained with urine with five completely saturated.

Witnesses described how the dogs were found in extremely poor physical condition and seemed unused to human contact. A number of the greyhounds had severely damaged and bleeding tails, several with old breaks. Almost all the dogs showed evidence of heavy flea, mite and worm infestations. The dogs had very poor skin and coats that were caked in mud, urine and faeces.

For more details view the GWRE press release.