End the nightmarish greyhound industry and let the greyhounds have their lives back - Read John Fitzgerald's Letter to the Editor in today's Irish Independent...
RTÉ understated level of abuse in greyhound racing
Irish Independent, 8th July 2019
I’ve been reading comments on pro-greyhound industry sites and it seems that the racing/coursing fans are hoping that the controversy over the ‘RTÉ Investigates’ programme on greyhound racing will die down after a few weeks.
I think they’re mistaken.
The horrifying truth exposed by that first-rate piece of investigative journalism has severely eroded the credibility of an industry that depends heavily on over-breeding of dogs, massive culling (whether by gunshot, humane killing, or the whack of a shovel), and State hand-outs that could be diverted to worthy causes or projects.
People who talk about “a few bad apples” giving the industry a bad name are missing the point. The industry exists for profit and gambling…not for the benefit of greyhounds. If anything, the RTÉ programme may have understated the level of abuse in the industry.
An issue not covered, for example, was blooding, the practice whereby greyhound trainers feed live animals to greyhounds to enhance their performance on the track or coursing field.
In 1994, an undercover reporter filmed leading greyhound industry figures attending a blooding session at a track in Co Tipperary.
The footage has recently been posted to YouTube so I had another look at it.
Listening to the screams of the tethered rabbits as the trainers used them to tease the greyhounds, you’d have to ask: has this industry learned anything?
The man interviewed in the clip is today a successful, well-known greyhound trainer.
Though I’d like to see more blooding culprits caught on camera, I’d much prefer to see an end to this nightmarish industry.
Let the greyhounds have their lives back. They are not “raw materials” or “commodities”, as high-flying industry honchos call them. They are dogs.
Man’s best friend, remember?
John Fitzgerald
Campaign for the Abolition Of Cruel Sports
ACTION ALERT
URGE SPONSORS TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND END ALL SPONSORSHIP
Please get in contact with Glanbia and ask it to permanently end all sponsorship/support of greyhound racing and hare coursing.
Jim Bergin
CEO, Glanbia
Glanbia House,
Kilkenny, Ireland
Telephone: +353 (0)56-777 2200
Email: corporatecomms@glanbia.com, info@gainanimalnutrition.com
Tweet to: @GlanbiaPlc
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GAINpetnutrition/
Urge Boylesports and Ladbrokes to immediately end their sponsorship
BoyleSports
Tel: 1800 22 00 66
Email: care@boylesports.com
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boylesports/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BoyleSports
Ladbrokes
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ladbrokes/
Twitter @Ladbrokes ?@LadbrokesCare
Appeal to the Kerry Group (the company behind Pure sunflower/soya spread, Dairygold, LowLow, etc) to stop sponsoring greyhound racing.
Phone Kerry Group: (066) 718 2000
Last September, ICABS identified 30 Supervalu supermarkets around Ireland which had sponsored greyhound racing over the past decade - https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/1857546281027588 We contacted Supervalu Head Office with information about all the dog injuries and deaths in greyhound racing and urged the company to act. We received no response. It's time for Supervalu to take action to stop its local stores from supporting greyhound racing again. See sickening footage from Enniscorthy track of a greyhound suffering a bad fall at the end of a race sponsored by a Supervalu supermarket - https://www.igb.ie/videos/videos/?raceid=ECY_2018_08_23_02 (forward to 30 seconds)
SuperValu Head Office
Musgrave Limited,
Ballycurreen, Airport Road, Cork
Email: supervalu@musgravegroup.com
Comment on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SuperValuIreland/
Tweet to @SuperValuIRL
ALSO CONTACT THESE COMPANIES WHICH SUPPORT GREYHOUND RACING IN 2019
(Source: Irish Greyhound Board)
https://www.igb.ie/talking-dogs/igb-finalises-classic--feature-events-calendar-for-2019/
Marshes Shopping Centre Dundalk
www.facebook.com/MarshesShoppingCentre/
Tweet to: @MarshesShopping
Telephone: (042) 939 5250
Flaherty Markets Galway
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Flaherty-Markets-230607914545890/
Email: info@flahertymarkets.com
Telephone: (091)756000
Dublin Coach
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DublinCoach/
Tweet to: @DublinCoach1
Email: info@dublincoach.ie
Telephone: (01) 465 9972
QuickPark.ie (car park at Dublin Airport)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/quickparkDublinAirport/
Email: info@quickpark.ie
Telephone: (01) 8621977
Kasko dog food
Email: information@kasko.ie
Telephone: (062) 61240
Thurles Fresh Milk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thurlesfreshmilk1/
Telephone: 0504 22657 / HQ: 0504 91900
Speedrite dog food
Facebook: www.facebook.com/NuttsAboutPets/
Email: sales@nuttsaboutpets.ie
Telephone: (057) 915 3572
Casey's Caravan and Camping
Telephone: (058) 41919
Lee Strand
www.facebook.com/leestrandmilk/
Tweet to: @LeeStrandMilk
Email: info@leestrand.ie
Telephone: (066) 712 1084
Kerry Group
Telephone: (066) 718 2000
Best Car Parks
Tweet to: @bestcarparks
Email: info@bestcarparks.ie
Telephone: (01) 878 2074
Comerford Cakes (Comerford Brothers Ltd.)
Telephone: (045) 431 203
MORE CONTACT DETAILS FOR SPONSORS
(Thanks to Greyhound Awareness Cork)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RcaLYDWxuVAjLnF1N4q-twxK5jfixk7NZ_BTA_AvIow/edit?fbclid=IwAR3R9Yg_U_EVNBjFPHmUc9crRblncNDfflrUD21ZIXSo4TvzaQdyGtSa4MI#gid=0
URGE THE ROSE OF TRALEE TO DISASSOCIATE FROM GREYHOUND RACING
Contact the Rose of Tralee festival committee and urge them to show compassion and permanently disassociate from cruel greyhound racing - no more acceptance of sponsorship from a greyhound track and no Rose events at tracks.
Tel: +353 (0)66 712 1322
Email: info@roseoftralee.ie
Comment on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/roseoftraleefestival
Tweet to @RoseofTralee_
STOP THE STATE FUNDING FOR GREYHOUND RACING
Demand an immediate end to all state funding to the cruel greyhound industry, in which 6,000 dogs are killed every year because they're not fast enough to win.
Since 2001, the Irish Government has paid out around a quarter of a billion euros of taxpayers' money to greyhound racing, including €16.8 million for 2019. Following the shocking RTE Investigates revelations about cruelty and killing, it is time for these grants to be finally ended. Not a single cent more of public funds should end up in this shameful industry.
Email “I support an end to all state funding to the cruel greyhound industry” to all Fine Gael TDs
maria.bailey@oireachtas.ie; sean.barrett@oireachtas.ie; pat.breen@oireachtas.ie; colm.brophy@oireachtas.ie; richard.bruton@oireachtas.ie; peter.burke@oireachtas.ie; catherine.byrne@oireachtas.ie; Ciaran.Cannon@oireachtas.ie; joe.carey@oireachtas.ie; corcorankennedy@eircom.net; Simon.Coveney@oireachtas.ie; michael.creed@oireachtas.ie; michael.darcy@oireachtas.ie; Jim.Daly@oireachtas.ie; john.deasy@oireachtas.ie; Pat.Deering@oireachtas.ie; Regina.Doherty@oireachtas.ie; Paschal.Donohoe@oireachtas.ie; andrew.doyle@oireachtas.ie; bernard.durkan@oireachtas.ie; damien.english@oireachtas.ie; Alan.Farrell@oireachtas.ie; frances.fitzgerald@oir.ie; peterm.fitzpatrick@oireachtas.ie; charles.flanagan@oireachtas.ie; Brendan.Griffin@oireachtas.ie; Simon.Harris@oireachtas.ie; Martin.Heydon@oireachtas.ie; Heather.Humphreys@oireachtas.ie; paul.kehoe@oireachtas.ie; enda.kenny@oireachtas.ie; Sean.Kyne@oireachtas.ie; josepha.madigan@oireachtas.ie; helen.mcentee@oireachtas.ie; joe.mchugh@oireachtas.ie; Tony.McLoughlin@oireachtas.ie; Mary.MitchellOConnor@oireachtas.ie; Dara.Murphy@oireachtas.ie; Eoghan.Murphy@oireachtas.ie; hildegarde.naughton@oireachtas.ie; tom.neville@limerick.ie; michael.noonan@oireachtas.ie; kate.oconnell@oireachtas.ie; Patrick.O'Donovan@oireachtas.ie; fergus.odowd@oireachtas.ie; JohnPaul.Phelan@oireachtas.ie; michael.ring@oireachtas.ie; noel@noelrock.ie; david.stanton@oir.ie; leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie
Email “I support an end to all state funding to the cruel greyhound industry” to all Fianna Fáil TDs
billykelleher@eircom.net;sean.haughey@oireachtas.ie;Bobby.Aylward@oireachtas.ie;brendan.smith@oireachtas.ie;johncurranff@gmail.com;Charlie.McConalogue@oireachtas.ie;michael.mcgrath@oireachtas.ie;sean.ofearghail@oireachtas.ie;john.brassil@oireachtas.ie;darragh.obrien@oireachtas.ie;eamon.ocuiv@oireachtas.ie;jackie.cahill@oireachtas.ie;john.mcguinness@oireachtas.ie;mattie.mcgrath@oireachtas.ie;micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie;michael.moynihan.td@oireachtas.ie;niall.collins@oireachtas.ie;coper@eircom.net;Robert.Troy@oireachtas.ie;thomas.byrne@oireachtas.ie;timmy.dooley@oireachtas.ie;barry.cowen@oireachtas.ie;fiona@fiona.ie;declan.breathnach@oireachtas.ie;mary.butler@oireachtas.ie;kevin.okeeffe@oireachtas.ie;dara.calleary@oireachtas.ie;escanlonmcc@eircom.net;sean.fleming@oireachtas.ie;niamh.smyth@oireachtas.ie;james@jameslawless.ie;shane.cassells@oireachtas.ie;willie.odea@oireachtas.ie;margaret.murphyomahony@oireachtas.ie;anne.rabbitte@oireachtas.ie;eugene.murphy@oireachtas.ie;jack.chambers@outlook.com;james.browne@oireachtas.ie;john.lahart@oireachtas.ie;lisa.chambers@oireachtas.ie;marc.macsharry@oireachtas.ie;jim.ocallaghan@oireachtas.ie;pat.casey@oireachtas.ie;aindrias.moynihan@oireachtas.ie;frankorourke1@gmail.com
Visit the Oireachtas website for more telephone numbers and other contact details for TDs
https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/tds/?term=/ie/oireachtas/house/dail/32
Watch the full "RTE Investigates Greyhounds Running for Their Lives" programme on the RTE Player
https://www.rte.ie/player/movie/rt%C3%A9-investigates-greyhounds-running-for-their-lives/104051751967
or on Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM