Fires Take Their Toll On Local Greyhound Communities & Meetings
Yesterdays intense fire conditions have impacted on the whole Victorian community with tragic consequences and large losses.
Local greyhound communites in several areas have been severely impacted as have today's Healesville and Sale greyhound meetings.
The Healesville Greyhound Association and Sale Greyhound Racing Club's race meetings scheduled for today have been cancelled due to the bushfires in Victoria.
The Country Fire Authority (CFA) has advised that travel within the state should be kept to a minimum to allow fire crews full access to roads.
Further information regarding these cancellations will be forwarded in due course.
Australian Racing Greyhound is trying to determine the impact on local greyhounds communities in many regions including the Bendigo areas of Eaglehawk, Maiden Gully and Long Gully as well as in the Heathcote area.
At this early stage we have unconfirmed reports of large dog losses at a “breakers” property and well known “muscleman” Evan Keene is beleived to have lost his house to fire but is safe.
Fears are also held for popular large commercial rearing establishment “Blue Gums” at Neerim South with the Bunyip Ridge fire burning in their direction and possibly 100 greyhounds on the property.
And with many greyhound people in and around Drouin and surrounding areas, concern is held for many in that community, allthough we beleive Warragul Greyhound Club has opened the kennels for emergency accomodation to allow greyhound evacuations from endangered properties. Although despite our efforts we cannot confirm that at the moment and we advise anyone intending to evacuate their greyhounds to the Warragul Club to make every effort to confirm this advice firstly.
We will bring you more news at it comes to hand.
If you have any first hand reports to pass on or requests for help and assistance please leave comments and we will attempt to do everything we can to help those in need.
This map is the latest one Australian Racing Greyhound could obtain showing where the fires are burning : Victorian Bushfire Overview