Following horrific revelations of widespread animal cruelty in Ireland’s greyhound industry in a 2019 contained in an award-winning investigative documentary, the country’s national TV broadcaster, RTE, ceased covering the cruel “sport.”

Now, a commercial TV company Virgin Media, plans to resume TV coverage of greyhound racing, despite being aware that over 6,000 greyhounds disappear in Ireland every year and that dogs are routinely abandoned or killed after they underperform or their careers end.

Shallow graves have been unearthed all over Ireland containing the sad remains of greyhounds shot thorough the head or beaten to death with shovels. The animals are also exported to jurisdictions where they are hanged from trees or, worse of all, boiled alive.

Please ask Virgin Media NOT to cover greyhound racing, and especially not to televise the so-called “Derby semi-finals and finals” at Shelbourne Park stadium in Dublin next month.

You can compos your own letter or use this sample one.

Address your message to:

paul.farrell@virginmedia.ie,  Tony.Hanway@virginmedia.ie

Attn: Paul Farrell,

Managing Director, Virgin Media Television

Tony Hanway

CEO, Virgin Media Ireland

Dear Sirs,

It has come to my attention that Virgin Media intends to accord full TV coverage to a major greyhound racing event next month.

As you know, the national broadcaster, RTE, ceased coverage of greyhound racing following revelations by an investigative documentary of extreme cruelty and malpractice in the industry, including doping, the unexplained disappearance of over 60,000 dogs from the industry every year, the cruel killing of unwanted or underperforming dogs, and the export of dogs to jurisdictions with minimal animal welfare laws or none at all.

You have undoubtedly seen pictures of the shallow graves from which greyhound carcasses have been unearthed…these animals were rewarded for their loyal service to humankind with a bullet in the head or the whack of spade. Ears with ID tags were hacked off to by the criminals involved to p avoid detection.

This utterly discredited industry is in terminal decline, kept alive only by State subsidies without which it would fold tomorrow morning.

Please reverse your decision to cover, and thus legitimize, this cesspit of animal cruelty. Abandon your plans to televise the races at Shelbourne Park and refrain from according ANY coverage whatsoever to greyhound racing

Thanking you,

Signed…

·         Alternatively, you can phone Virgin Media and let them know you object to their proposed coverage of greyhound racing.  Telephone Virgin Media: +353 (0)1 245 8000

Thank you.