A big thank you to Our Lady’s Hospice in Dublin for rejecting a fundraiser at Shelbourne Park - a greyhound track where dogs suffer and die.
Responding to an appeal from ICABS in which we highlighted the cruelty and killing inherent in greyhound racing, the hospice stated that “the fundraiser in question is not run by Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services but by a third party who wished to donate to us. However, given the circumstances, we agree that it is not appropriate for us to be associated with this event.”
“Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services does not condone cruelty to animals,” it added. “While we are grateful for the strong support from our community, we also feel it is important for us to take this stance.”
Thumbs up to Our Lady’s Hospice for this compassionate response and saying NO to an activity that causes so much pain and suffering to animals.
Please visit https://olh.ie/ to find out more about Our Lady’s Hospice, its work and how you can donate.
As revealed on the recent "RTE Investigates: Greyhounds Running For Their Lives" documentary, 6,000 dogs are killed every year simply because they are not fast enough to win races. It showed horrifying scenes of dogs being delivered to knackeries to be shot in the head. One shot dog was seen writhing on the ground in agony as his merciless owner drove away. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM
In addition to the thousands of dogs mercilessly killed every year, many more suffer injuries and are killed at tracks. Shelbourne Park is one of the worst tracks - since 2015, at least 146 greyhounds were injured there and 36 were killed by a track vet, including 41 injuries and 12 deaths last year. Among the victims was Ballymac Syd who collapsed after a Boylesports-sponsored race last month and died from a heart attack.
It’s an outrage that Our Lady’s Hospice and other charities providing vital services are forced to fundraise while the cruel and crumbling greyhound industry, which the public is increasingly rejecting, enjoys massive state funding.
Our Lady’s Hospice is the latest charity to say NO to cruel greyhound racing. Yesterday, Pieta House was thanked for disassociating from a fundraiser at Kilcohan Park stadium in Waterford, stating “we do not condone greyhound racing”. Previously, Parkinson's Ireland, The Hope Foundation, Cara Projects, St Vincent de Paul, Movember, Family Carers Ireland and Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind have rejected greyhound racing. As have companies such as Barry's Tea, FBD Insurance, Botanica International, Hyde Irish Whiskey, Tesco Ireland, Toyota Ireland, Electric Ireland, Applegreen, Thomas Cook/Jet Tours and Galway Crystal.
Growing numbers of people are staying away from tracks due to the inherent cruelty and killing. Attendances have been falling year after year and plummeted even further following recent RTE Investigates documentary - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM The Irish Times reported a drop of 20 per cent in attendance at tracks around the country, while a Newstalk journalist reported that there has been a 40 per cent fall at Shelbourne Park in Dublin since the broadcasting of the programme.
Fundraisers at tracks help to keep the cruel and crumbling greyhound industry afloat - tracks take a 30-40 per cent commission on ticket sales and profit from food/drink/gambling on the night.
The Irish Council Against Blood Sports is renewing an appeal to the government to stop squandering taxpayers' money on funding greyhound racing and instead redirect the money to charities, health and homeless groups, sports clubs, environmental campaigns and animal rescue centres, all of which are crying out for funding. Since 2001, the government has paid out around a quarter of a billion euros to greyhound racing, including €16.8 million for 2019. It emerged at a Public Accounts Committee meeting this month that the Irish Greyhound Board is expecting the annual hand-out to increase over the next three years to 20 million euro.
This must not happen. Not a single cent more of scarce public funds must go to greyhound racing. An opinion poll conducted by TheJournal.ie shows that an 80 per cent majority want politicians to permanently end the massive state grants that 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.
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
Contact Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe now and demand an end to state funding to greyhound racing.
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
Please sign and share these other petitions
Ireland - Ban cruel hare coursing
www.change.org/p/ireland-ban-cruel-hare-coursing
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
Contact the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan, and urge her to permanently stop licensing cruel hare coursing.
Email: josepha.madigan@oireachtas.ie or
Phone: +353 (0)1 631 3800
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://facebook.com/JosephaMadiganFG
Tweet to: @josephamadigan