Greyhound trainer fed his dogs VIAGRA to make them run faster
Last updated at 10:57 AM on 12th July 2011
Anthony Gregory Fowler, 61, told an RSPCA inspector his greyhound Jake, would ‘run his head off’ when given the Viagra.
Fowler, of Stockton-on-Tees, would also give Jake and other dogs cannabis to slow them so they would be beaten in races, Hartlepool Magistrates' Court was told.
When the odds lengthened due to their slow running Fowler would place bets on the same greyhound then give it Viagra or a testosterone-based drug to help it win.
Fowler was affecting the odds at unlicensed dog race meetings, the court was told yesterday.
John Ellwood, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said police interviewed Fowler in September last year after receiving reports he was involved in selling cannabis.
Fowler told the officers he was drugging his dogs and police informed the RSPCA.
Mr Ellwood said: ‘He admitted in interview that he fed his greyhounds cannabis when he wanted them to lose races. He did so by boiling the cannabis.
‘When he wanted the dog to win the race he injected it with a drug which turns out to be nandrolone, which is a testosterone derivative.
‘He explained that the nandrolone and travel sickness pills which he had would affect the way the dogs would run and in particular he showed the officer Viagra tablets which according to him make them "run their heads off’".’
Fowler was interviewed by an RSPCA inspector at a later date but by this time Jake was dead.
Race fixing: Fowler would also give dogs cannabis to slow them so they would lose races, a court heard (File picture)
Fowler said the dog had injured its shoulder at a race meeting and a vet said fixing the shoulder would be costly.
Mr Ellwood said cannabis could cause convulsions and hallucinations in dogs.
Viagra could cause inflammation of the blood vessels.
Fowler had initially denied charges against him but he changed his plea to guilty yesterday to two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a dog and two counts of administering drugs to a dog knowing it to be poisonous or injurious.
No mitigation was given, and Fowler will be sentenced next Tuesday, after a probation report has been prepared.
He declined to comment at his home last night.
Trudy Baker, founder of a greyhound protection group Greyt Exploitations, said: ‘I've never heard of Viagra being used but there's been eight cases of dogs testing positive for cocaine in the last three years.
‘The industry is self-regulating and it's just not done properly.’
================================================dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2013806/Greyhound-trainer-fed-dogs-VIAGRA-make-run-faster.html#ixzz1RszSolhS
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