There are renewed calls on the Irish public to boycott greyhound racing after shocking statistics released this week confirm that greyhounds are continuing to suffer and die at tracks around the country.
The sickening Irish Greyhound Board stats - obtained by Clare Daly TD - show that between January and September 2018, 283 greyhounds suffered injuries and 93 were destroyed by track vets.
Injuries to hocks, wrists, legs, necks and tails were among those suffered by the dogs. Dogs also died from “suspected heart attack” - one at Curraheen Park on 29th June and another on 4th May at Clonmel track.
Greyhounds sustained injuries at all 16 tracks, with Limerick stadium (headquarters of the Irish Greyhound Board), being the worst with 39 injuries. This was followed by Shelbourne Park (37 injuries), Galway (26 injuries), Mullingar (26 injuries), Enniscorthy (23 injuries), Curraheen Park (22 injuries), Tralee (20 injuries), etc - see full list below.
The track with the highest number of dogs destroyed was Mullingar where 12 dogs were “put to sleep” by a track vet. At Cork’s Curraheen Park, 11 greyhounds were destroyed (exactly half of those injured), while at Limerick stadium, another 10 lost their lives. Thurles Park track had the highest injury to death rate, with two thirds of injured greyhounds killed (i.e. 6 injured and 4 destroyed).
The latest figures bring to 1,489 the number of greyhounds injured and 478 the number of greyhounds killed at Irish tracks in the past four years.
The figures are based on "reported" injuries and deaths, suggesting that the actual number could be even higher. This does not include the greyhounds injured at tracks and later killed elsewhere, or the thousands of greyhounds who go missing each year - presumed killed when found to be too slow to win races.
It's time for the government to bring the cruel greyhound industry to an end by stopping the millions of euros in funding that is keeping it afloat. Nearly a quarter of a billion euros of taxpayers' money has been handed over to greyhound racing since 2001, including €16.8 million for 2019.
ACTION ALERT
Don't attend greyhound races or fundraisers/hen parties/office parties held at greyhound tracks.
Join us in an appeal to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe to stop funding the cruel greyhound industry.
An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar
Government Buildings,
Upper Merrion St, Dublin 2
Telephone: +353 (0)1-6194020
Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie; leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.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
GAA: Stop club fundraisers at greyhound tracks
https://www.change.org/p/gaa-stop-club-fundraisers-at-greyhound-tracks
Greyhound injuries and deaths (January to September 2018)
Clonmel 15, 06
Curraheen Park 22, 11
Dundalk 10, 06
Enniscorthy 23, 00
Galway 26, 06
Kilkenny 08, 02
Lifford 12, 06
Limerick 39, 10
Longford 07, 00
Mullingar 26, 12
Newbridge 14, 07
Shelbourne Park 37, 08
Thurles 06, 04
Tralee 20, 07
Waterford 08, 04
Youghal 10, 04
REPORTED GREYHOUND INJURIES AND DEATHS AT IRISH TRACKS
2018 (January to Sept) Injuries: 283. Deaths 93
2017 Injuries: 357. Deaths: 124
2016 Injuries: 427. Deaths: 139
2015 Injuries: 422. Deaths: 122