The greyhounds, bought at a sale in Ireland, were on their way to Spain to be sold on for greyhound racing in Barcelona. The RSPCA and ISPCA mounted a joint operation in Ireland. The greyhounds were then trailed by RSPCA Special Operations Unit (SOU) officers from Roscoff to Barcelona.

Hidden away
The greyhounds were placed in 20 cages and travelled for 38 hours by ferry and road, only stopping for a water break once. Hidden from public view by a thick tarpaulin, only four of the dogs were taken out during a stop in France to be exercised, leaving the other 32 caged for the entire trip.

Temperatures during the journey reached in excess of 40C. The size of the cages meant that the majority of dogs could not stand properly, and as many shared a cage it also meant that dogs were unable to sit or lie down at the same time.

Live 'freight'
Current legislation states that dogs and cats transported for commercial purposes are required to be watered once every 12 hours and fed every 24 hours. There is nothing in the legislation that stipulates when they should be rested or exercised.

Under ferry company guidelines, dogs and cats transported for commercial purposes are considered as 'freight' when travelling and cannot be checked during the duration of a journey.

Officers from the Spanish National Civil Guard Police, together with collaboration from local Barcelona greyhound rescue group SOS Galgos and a local veterinary surgeon, were waiting for the dogs' arrival at Barcelona. The vet was disgusted at the confined conditions the dogs were kept in.

Dreadful conditions
Inspector John Wilkins, from the SOU, who took part in the surveillance operation, said: "The laws for transporting dogs for commercial purposes must be urgently looked at in order to address these very serious welfare concerns. We would also strongly urge ferry companies to immediately reassess their regulations and look to classing cats and dogs as livestock. By doing so these animals will have access to better welfare conditions when travelling by sea.

"These poor animals have had to endure nearly a day and a half of travel in the most uncomfortable and dreadful conditions imaginable."

Spanish police have reported the driver of the vehicle for a number of breaches of Spanish and EU regulations. They include not having a journey plan, having a vehicle that was not registered for the transport of animals and for failing to disinfect the vehicle prior to transporting the animals.

They are also looking at prosecuting for welfare breaches due to overcrowding and size of the cages.