“If we really care about the welfare of animals, we should begin dismantling the entire greyhound industry” - Read John Fitzgerald’s Letter to the Editor in today’s Irish Examiner...

Truly caring about welfare of animals
Irish Examiner (July 30th, 2019)

Bord na gCon’s proposal to provide “care centres” for old and injured greyhounds will not address the chronic problem within the industry, which is drastic over-breeding that results in so many dogs being culled, whether by vets, knackeries, or the whack of a shovel.

While it might cater for some dogs, many others would still face a death sentence if they under-perform or fail to show promise on the track.

And what of that other, even shadier wing of the industry? I wonder if coursing clubs will now come up with a project for applying TLC to hares. They might take their well-known affection for these animals further by setting up day care centres for them, where tastier food could be given to the fleet-footed runners before they square off against pairs of salivating dogs.

Specially trained therapists could console them before each coursing match, and afterwards too if they returned to the care centre in one piece if somewhat traumatised.

Currently, dispatchers are sent onto the field to put a hare out of its misery if it is injured during a chase. These could be trained to offer words of comfort and consolation to each hare as it is mauled, forcibly struck by a dog, or sent somersaulting into the air like a rag doll.

And purpose-built crèches could be provided for the baby hares, so they could be looked after when their parents are keeping those caring hare-loving humans amused.

If we really care about the welfare of animals, we should begin dismantling the entire industry. A dog belongs on the couch or in your garden, not on a murky old track to facilitate gambling; and hares should be let run free in the countryside, under an open sky, as nature intended.

John Fitzgerald
Callan, Co Kilkenny

URGENT ACTION ALERT

Say NO to the cruel greyhound industry - don't attend greyhound races or fundraisers/hen parties/office parties held at greyhound tracks

STOP THE STATE FUNDING FOR GREYHOUND RACING

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. Contact Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe now.

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: @LeoVaradkar
Leave a comment on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar

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

Email “I support an end to all state funding to the cruel greyhound industry and a ban on hare coursing” 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 and a ban on hare coursing” 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

Contact the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan, and urge her to refuse a licence for another season of cruel hare coursing.

Email "Stop the cruelty. Stop licensing cruel coursing" to
josepha.madigan@oireachtas.ie or
Phone: +353 (0)1 631 3800
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://facebook.com/JosephaMadiganFG
Tweet to: @josephamadigan

Sign the petition: IRELAND BAN CRUEL HARE COURSING
www.change.org/p/ireland-ban-cruel-hare-coursing

TELL SPONSORS TO STOP THEIR SPONSORSHIP.
Boycott businesses which continue to support cruel greyhound racing and/or coursing

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 or Tel: 1890 321 321
More phone numbers at: https://greyhound.gainanimalnutrition.com/contact-us/
Email: corporatecomms@glanbia.com; info@gainanimalnutrition.com; jfox@glanbia.ie; seantraynor64@outlook.com; rigneyfam@iolfree.ie; imaunsell@glanbia.ie; jimtracy@glanbia.ie
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.

Kerry Group
Phone: +353 (0)66 718 2000
Prince’s Street, Tralee, Co. Kerry
Email VIA: https://www.kerrygroup.com/help/contact-form/

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
Tel +353 (0) 21 4522100
Email: supervalu@musgravegroup.com; group@musgrave.ie; mrpi@musgrave.ie
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

Galway Crystal
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/galwaycrystal/
Email: mailorder@galwaycrystal.ie
Tel: (091) 757 311

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

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