A GAA club in Clonmel is being urged to say NO to the cruel greyhound industry and scrap plans to hold a fundraiser at a local track where dogs suffer and die.
St Mary's Hurling and Camogie Club has announced a fundraiser at Clonmel track later this month https://twitter.com/StMarys_HC/status/1024715274300399616
In a message to the club, ICABS has highlighted the suffering and death of greyhounds at Clonmel stadium - including a 1-year-old dog who died after a heart attack at the finish line. In the past 4 years alone, 53 dogs suffered injuries and 16 were killed at Clonmel track. Nationwide, 1,369 greyhounds have suffered injuries, with 438 destroyed.
Despite upsetting scenes of dogs falling, crying out in pain and dying and the fact that Clonmel track is a gambling venue, the hurling/camogie club is promoting the event as "family friendly".
Given recent revelations about gambling addiction problems among GAA players, it is inappropriate for GAA clubs to choose gambling venues as fundraising locations.
In an email to the GAA, we stated: "The GAA has a duty to protect its players and this must include prohibiting club fundraisers at greyhound tracks. Allowing GAA clubs to expose children to a gambling environment is at odds with the GAA's stated concerns about the growing problem of gambling in Ireland and it undermines efforts to educate players about gambling addiction.
Last year, the GAA promised to address the issue of children attending fundraisers at tracks, saying "we have guidelines in place for clubs in relation to juvenile club members attending events in public houses/licensed premises."
Fundraisers at greyhound tracks are helping to keep the cruel greyhound industry afloat - the track takes a 30-40 per cent commission from ticket sales and also profits from gambling and food/drink sales on the night. We are continuing to appeal to individual GAA clubs to show compassion for the dogs and reject an industry in which greyhounds are injured, doped, mutilated, dumped and killed.
ACTION ALERT
Join us in urging St Mary's Hurling and Camogie Club Clonmel to show compassion for the dogs and choose an alternative fundraising venue.
Email: pro.stmarysclonnmel.tipperary@gaa.ie, secretary.stmarysclonmel.tipperary@gaa.ie, secretarybng.stmarysclonmel.tipperary@gaa.ie
Tweet to @StMarys_HC
Don't attend or sponsor fundraisers at greyhound tracks. If you wish to support a club, make a direct donation and appeal to the fundraising committee to reject greyhound racing.
Urge the GAA to tell member clubs to reject greyhound racing as a form of fundraising.
Email: queries@gaa.ie
Leave a comment on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/officialgaa
Tweet to @officialgaa
The cruel and crumbling greyhound industry has received nearly a quarter of a billion euros of taxpayers' money since 2001 (including €16 million for 2018). Urge Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe to end funding to the greyhound industry and instead direct the money to charities, animal rescue centres, sports clubs, health groups and other deserving causes. Email "Stop funding the cruel greyhound industry" to taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie, leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie, paschal.donohoe@oireachtas.ie, minister@per.gov.ie
An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar
Department of the Taoiseach,
Government Buildings,
Upper Merrion St, Dublin 2
Telephone: +353 (0)1-6194020
Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie, leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie
Tweet to: @campaignforLeo
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campaignforleo/
Paschal Donohoe TD
Minister for Finance
Email: paschal.donohoe@oireachtas.ie, minister@per.gov.ie
Phone: +353 (0)1 6045810
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaschalDonohoe/
Tweet to @Paschald
Please sign and share our petitions:
Irish Government: Stop Giving Millions of Euro to Cruel Greyhound Industry
https://www.change.org/p/irish-government-stop-giving-millions-of-euro-to-cruel-greyhound-industry
Stop supporting the cruel greyhound industry
https://www.change.org/p/stop-supporting-the-cruel-greyhound-industry