Agriculture Minister Michael Creed has revealed that greyhounds are suffering injuries of "a very serious nature" at tracks around Ireland and vets are killing them by "lethal injection" Responding to a 13th June Dail Question from Clare Daly TD, Minister Creed outlined that "where a greyhound is seriously injured at a racetrack and a decision is made that the animal should be put to sleep, the duty veterinary surgeon euthanises the greyhound by the intravenous administration of a lethal injection." That was the awful fate of 124 greyhounds last year - more than one in three of the 357 who suffered injuries at tracks throughout 2017. Deputy Daly also asked "if greyhounds with treatable injuries are euthanised". Minister Creed was vague in his response, referring to veterinary advice to the owners/trainers about "treatment options" for injured dogs "with the intention of the dog returning to fitness for racing". Greyhounds with treatable injuries are indeed being killed at tracks. As highlighted by ICABS previously, one Irish greyhound trainer is on record as saying: "My greyhound broke her hock in the race. The first reaction of the track vet was to offer to euthanise her". Irish Greyhound Board statistics show that over a thousand greyhounds have suffered injuries (including treatable injuries) at tracks over the past three years. 385 of these were killed by a track vet. Minister Creed acknowledged that greyhounds are suffering injuries of a "very serious nature" during races, saying that "in the interest of the long term welfare of the animal, the veterinary surgeon with the owner's permission will decide to euthanise the greyhound." ACTION ALERT Say NO to the greyhound industry - don't attend races or fund-raisers held at greyhound tracks (these are a significant source of funding for the greyhound industry). Distribute our "6 reasons to say NO to greyhound racing" leaflet outside greyhound tracks to encourage people to show compassion and boycott greyhound racing. You can download the leaflet at http://www.banbloodsports.com/ln170616.htm or order copies by emailing info@banbloodsports.com Encourage your local animal protection groups to join calls for an end to greyhound racing, given the cruelty and killing involved. 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, Minister Michael Creed and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe to end funding to the greyhound industry and instead direct the money to charities 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/ Michael Creed TD Minister for Agriculture Department of Agriculture Agriculture House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Email: michael.creed@oir.ie Tel: 01-607 2000 or LoCall 1890-200510. Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaelcreedtd Tweet to: @creedcnw 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 other petitions Stop supporting the cruel greyhound industry https://www.change.org/p/stop-supporting-the-cruel-greyhound-industry GAA: Stop club fundraisers at greyhound tracks https://www.change.org/p/gaa-stop-club-fundraisers-at-greyhound-tracks DAIL QUESTION AND ANSWER 13/06/2018 QUESTION Clare Daly TD: To ask the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine the various methods used to euthanise injured greyhounds at tracks; if greyhounds with treatable injuries are euthanised; and his views on the number of greyhounds injured and killed at tracks (details supplied). (Details Supplied) (over a thousand injuries and 385 killings in the past three years alone) REPLY Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed TD: Bord na gCon [Irish Greyhound Board] is a commercial State Body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. Bord na gCon is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I have made enquiries with Bord na gCon on your behalf and have been informed that where a greyhound is seriously injured at a racetrack and a decision is made that the animal should be put to sleep, the duty veterinary surgeon euthanises the greyhound by the intravenous administration of a lethal injection. Greyhounds injured during racing are examined at the track by the veterinarian on duty. Invariably the vet advises the owner/trainer on the treatment options be it with the intention of the dog returning to fitness for racing or in the case of more serious injuries that the greyhound will be kept as a pet by the owner or rehomed through an agency. However, where injuries are of a very serious nature, and in the interest of the long term welfare of the animal, the veterinary surgeon with the owner's permission will decide to euthanise the greyhound. In the period between July 2014 to the end of December 2017 there were over 336,000 starters at the Bord na gCon controlled tracks in Ireland. As with any sport where speed is a major element, injuries do occur. The numbers injured in this period averaged at 0.45% of starters. Bord na gCon endeavours to minimise the risk of injury to racing greyhounds and is proactive in ensuring that best practice in track maintenance is followed, with inspections by Bord na gCon racing/maintenance and project manager overseeing the work of local track groundsmen.