While the testing has been adequate, failure to publish negative results leaves unanswered questions, writes Barry O'Halloran.
Bord na gCon began testing for the banned substance EPO early last year, and was the first body of its kind in the world to take this step. It was this step, designed to copperfasten the sport's integrity, that has at least partly led to a row that could have the opposite effect.
Amid a row connected with doping dogs, the board sacked its chief executive, Aidan Tynan, on Thursday. Minister for Sport John O'Donoghue is demanding an explanation for this and for the board's decision not to publish details of tests on two dogs which found they had been given EPO.
EPO is supposed to make dogs run faster, an attractive edge in a sport that attracted an estimated €90 million in on-course betting last year. Last November, Bord na gCon's control committee interviewed two trainers, Paul Hennessy and John Kiely, after dogs which they trained tested positive for the drug. Theirs were the first two cases of their kind.
Paul Hennessy's dog, Barefoot Jenny, was tested after a race in Shelbourne Park, Dublin, in which she finished fourth. She has run several times since and won a race at Clonmel on Monday night, when she was a well-fancied favourite.
Officials tested Westmead Rumble after an appearance at Harold's Cross in June. He finished second three times at that venue during that month. However, he won a race in Cork in May. He was 6 to 1 that night, quite large odds in greyhound terms. He has not appeared since July.
Neither trainer challenged the test results and both had explanations which centred on the fact that the EPO was part of treatments both dogs were receiving for various ailments.
Mr Hennessy's vet actually administered the substance and advised him not to run the dog for some time. He subsequently said that he decided to "take a chance" on going against this advice.
Mr Hennessy is one of the State's most successful greyhound trainers. He handled The Late Late Show, a successful dog that helped to boost the sport hugely, for RTÉ's Pat Kenny. He also trained Lotto Princess for the Leinster Lawn syndicate, a group of TDs whose membership included John O'Donoghue.
Mr Kiely and Mr Hennessy were fined €1,000 and had to hand back substantial prizemoney. Bord na gCon and control committee chairman, Paschal Taggart, said they were warned that they would lose their licences if they were caught again.
But it's not clear why an example of the board clamping down on something that threatens the sport was not published in the trade papers. That is the normal practice. Instead, the board opted to take out advertisements warning that it had begun testing for EPO and that dire consequences would follow for anyone whose dogs tested positive.
Mr Tynan, who was unavailable for comment yesterday, wanted details published as normal, and criticised the board's decision in a letter to Mr O'Donoghue last week. On Thursday, he was sacked. There are already unconfirmed reports that he intends to go to court. If he does, it can only damage the sport's image further.