IN the wake of the recent 'Kenyon Confronts' television programme, which exposed the ill treatment of dogs by some members of the greyhound racing fraternity, greyhound protection group Greyhound Action has launched a scheme to enable members of the public to give practical help to former racing greyhounds.

Sadly, many thousands of are killed when their racing days are over and, of those that survive, hundreds end up living out their days in rescue centre kennels because not enough homes are available for them.

The kindly people who run these centres often struggle to make ends meet and cannot usually afford the cost of coats to keep the greyhounds warm in winter, greyhounds beinghave little body fat and are thereforebeing particularly susceptible to the cold.

We would like to appeal to readers to take part in our project to provide coats for rescue centre greyhounds. These can be made quite easily from old or unwanted blankets and we are urgently in need of volunteers to make them.

If you can help, please contact us as soon as possible and we will send you a pattern and full instructions. If you already have any greyhound coats to spare, let us know and we will provide you with details of local rescue centres that need them. Please do not send any coats to us, as they need to go direct to the rescues.

You can write to Greyhound Action, PO Box 127, Kidderminster DY10, 3UZ, phone us on 01562 745778, e-mail us at greyhoundaction@blueyonder.co.uk or fax us on 0870 138 3993. You can also help with a donation or by offering a home to a retired greyhound.

TONY PETERS, Greyhound Action.