RTE has shamefully ignored calls for it to remove cruel greyhound racing from its “sports” coverage and is set to broadcast greyhound racing again this month.
 
A report in today’s Irish Examiner confirms that RTE is poised to feature greyhound racing in its schedule, despite the recent “RTE Investigates: Greyhounds Running For Their Lives” documentary revealing the horrors of greyhound racing, including the shooting of unwanted dogs in the head.
 
The Irish Examiner report, which relates to the All-Ireland final replay on 14th September, states: “The 6pm throw-in for the replay was confirmed by the GAA on the basis of consultation with RTÉ who already had a busy live TV sports schedule with day one of the Irish Champions weekend in Leopardstown and the semi-finals of the Irish Greyhound Derby taking place in Shelbourne Park.” https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/gaa/rte-will-not-review-booking-panelists-from-competing-counties-in-gaa-coverage-948050.html
 
RTE has aired the greyhound derby semi-final and final in recent years, despite appeals to the station to ditch the cruel activity which is responsible for the deaths of thousands of dogs every year.
 
Calls have been growing on RTE to do the right thing and reject greyhound racing, after its shocking “Greyhounds Running for Their Lives” revealed that 6,000 greyhounds are killed in Ireland every year because they are not fast enough to win races. Others are injured, doped, mutilated and dumped. There were further disturbing revelations on RTE’s Liveline programme about the use of cats, rabbits and hares to illegally blood greyhounds and offers by men at tracks to take unwanted greyhounds and shoot them in the head.
 
The Irish public is shocked and disgusted at all the latest revelations broadcast on RTE, which have sparked multiple, ongoing protests outside tracks and calls for a ban on greyhound racing and a boycott of sponsors. An opinion poll conducted by TheJournal.ie shows that a 80 per cent majority want the government to permanently end the state grants which are keeping greyhound racing and its associated animal cruelty alive. Petitions urging the government to stop the funding have been signed over 250,000 times.
 
RTE is being urged to reverse any decision to broadcast greyhound racing this month and follow Barry's Tea, FBD Insurance, Botanica International, Hyde Irish Whiskey, Tesco Ireland, Toyota Ireland, Electric Ireland, Applegreen, Thomas Cook and other companies, in rejecting greyhound racing. This would be widely welcomed by TV licence fee payers across Ireland.
 
ACTION ALERT
 
Contact RTE’s Director General Dee Forbes and the head of RTE Sport, Declan McBennett, and urge them to cancel any plans they have to feature greyhound racing in “sports” coverage this month.

Tel: +353 (0)1 208 3111
Email: Dee.Forbes@rte.ie; Declan.mcbennett@rte.ie
Comment on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ExploreRTE/
Tweet: @RTE @RTE2 @RTESport @RTEmcbennettd Please drop greyhound racing from your "sports" coverage

Please sign and share the 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
 
Tell Gain Pet Nutrition to Stop Sponsoring Greyhound Racing
https://www.change.org/p/jimtracy-glanbia-ie-tell-gain-pet-nutrition-to-stop-sponsoring-greyhound-racing