A “serious substance that has the potential to slow a greyhound down” has been found in a greyhound who finished last in a race at Tralee stadium.

As revealed in the Irish Greyhound Board’s February 2020 “Adverse Analytical Findings” report, “Propranolol returned from a urine sample obtained from the greyhound Yesterdays News at Tralee Greyhound Stadium on the 22nd September, 2019”.

The IGB report states: “Mr John Gleeson [Muckenaugh, Lixnaw, Co. Kerry], registered owner of the greyhound Yesterdays News, was not in attendance. Mr. Kevin Gleeson appeared before the Control Committee representing his son, Mr. John Gleeson. Mr. Pat Herbert, Head of Regulation, Bord na gCon [Irish Greyhound Board], represented Bord na gCon in this matter. The Control Committee, having considered all of the evidence in this matter was satisfied the case presented by Bord na gCon was proven. The Control Committee noted the explanation tendered by Mr. Kevin Gleeson that a family member may have inadvertently administered medication to the greyhound Yesterdays News on the day of the race in question. The Committee noted that the substance Propranolol is a serious substance that has the potential to slow a greyhound down. The Committee further noted that no absolute explanation was tendered for the detection of the substance in the urine sample obtained from the greyhound in question.”

John Gleeson was fined €500 and the prize money of €30 won by the greyhound was forfeited. https://www.igb.ie/globalassets/rescource-centre/reports/control/february---2020.pdf

Yesterdays News is the latest in a growing list of greyhounds testing positive for prohibited substances at tracks around Ireland.

Previous IGB “Adverse Analytical Findings” reports show that…

- Carprofen was detected in greyhound Looney Mctoe at Shelbourne Park on 19 November 2019. On the night, the 2-year-old dog finished third in the “Barking Buzz A6/A7 525 Semi-Final” race.

- The active ingredient in Viagra was detected in a greyhound at Limerick stadium during the summer. Sildenafil, was found in greyhound Makingtherunning according to the Irish Greyhound Board’s November 2019 “Adverse Analytical Findings” report. The detection was made at Limerick stadium on 24th August 2019 after the greyhound finished third in the “Bet Into Shelbourne Park S7 Lower 350” race. https://youtu.be/tuRD_iQ4CFw

- Amphetamine was found in a urine sample taken from greyhound Night Time Mammy at Newbridge track on 31 May 2019. The IGB website shows that the greyhound finished first in the “Troy Electrical & NTSC Tri Distance A3/4 Final” race, with winnings of €1,600. Appearing before the Control Committee, the greyhound’s owner, Donal Brennan, “stated at the outset that he was taking full responsibility for the adverse analytical finding”. He was fined just €500.

- Acepromazine was found in a sample taken from greyhound Confey Bay at Mullingar stadium on 16th February 2019. The greyhound was “an extremely nervous and ‘hyperactive’ greyhound” and a tablet, containing the prohibited substance, was given to the greyhound “to calm her down”. The owner/trainer was fined just €300 and the €50 prize money was forfeited.

- Acetaminophen and Codeine were found in a sample taken from greyhound Our Ellas Prince at Shelbourne Park stadium on 25th June 2019. “The Control Committee noted that [owner] Mr Houston stated in his evidence that he had administered Paracetamol tablets to the greyhound as pain relief medication. He was unaware at the time that Paracetamol was a prohibited substance...The Control Committee accepted the explanation tendered by Mr Houston and the Committee was satisfied Mr Houston did not administer the medication to the greyhound to enhance the greyhounds [sic] performance. Having taken all the circumstances into consideration, including the excellent level of co-operation received from Mr Houston, the Control Committee decided not to impose a fine on Mr Houston. The prize money of €255 won by the greyhound Our Ellas Prince in the event in question is forfeited.”

Ibuprofen has also been found in samples taken from greyhounds in the past year. The Control Committee noted that “Ibuprofen is a therapeutic human medication which is not licenced [sic] for canine veterinary use”.

- Ibuprofen was found in a sample taken from greyhound Finnery Loch at Lifford stadium on 16th March 2019. The owner, from whom there was a “lack of co-operation” was fined just €300

- Ibuprofen was found in a sample taken from greyhound Slippy Ned at Tralee stadium on 29th March 2019. The owner was fined just €200 and the €200 prize money was forfeited.

- Ibuprofen was found in a sample taken from greyhound Beaming Rainbow at Dundalk stadium on 16th March 2019. The owner was fined just €200 and “the prize money of €50 won by the greyhound Beaming Rainbow in the event in question is forfeited”. According to the IGB website, the prize money for Beaming Rainbow at the race was not €50 but €0.00.

- Ibuprofen was found in a sample taken from greyhound Some Ginger at Dundalk stadium on 8th February 2019. According to owner Adrian Markey, “the greyhound was being treated for a muscle injury with Ibuprofen Gel the week before the race. On changing the greyhound’s bedding the week after the race, Mr Markey said he found a tube of Ibuprofen Gel that the greyhound had chewed on unknown to Mr Markey”. The owner was fined just €200.

- Ibuprofen was also found in a sample taken from greyhound Cricket Field at Dundalk stadium on 12th July 2019. The greyhound finished last in the “Fanfruit Ltd Open 600” race. The owner was fined just €200.

Propranolol - a “serious substance that has the potential to slow a greyhound down” was found in greyhound Yesterdays News who finished last in the “Tote Trio Pool 525” race at Tralee Greyhound Stadium on the 22nd September, 2019.

For more details about these and other detections, read the reports at https://www.igb.ie/Resource/adverse-analytical-findings/

ACTION ALERT

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

STOP THE STATE FUNDING FOR GREYHOUND RACING

Another €84 million of scarce public funds has been approved for horse and greyhound racing for 2020. Since 2001, the two gambling industries have received more than one and a quarter billion euros of taxpayers' money.

Urge the leaders of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail (who back the grants every year) to stop the funding.

Leo Varadkar
Leader, Fine Gael
Government Buildings,
Upper Merrion St, Dublin 2
Telephone: 01-619 4020
Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie; leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Tweet to: http://www.twitter.com/@LeoVaradkar
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar

Micheál Martin
Leader, Fianna Fail
Constituency Office
137 Evergreen Road,
Turner’s Cross, Cork
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie
Phone: 021-432 0088
Leinster House: 01–618 3000
Leave a comment on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD

SAMPLE LETTER
(If you have time, please write your own personal letter)

Dear Deputy,

I am writing to urge you to please stop supporting the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations.

The regulations will channel another €84 million of taxpayers’ money into the horse and greyhound racing gambling industries in 2020, bringing to more than one and a quarter billion euros the amount handed over since 2001.

Much of the money given to horse racing ends up as prize money in the pockets of wealthy horse owners and trainers, while the funding for greyhound racing continues despite plummeting attendance at tracks due to shocking revelations about cruelty and killing.

If you saw the "RTE Investigates: Greyhounds running for their lives" documentary, you will understand why there should be absolutely no support given to this shameful industry. The programme revealed that 6,000 greyhounds are killed every year simply because they are not fast enough to win. We were shown horrifying scenes of greyhounds being delivered to knackeries to be shot in the head. One dog was seen writhing on the ground in agony as his merciless owner drove away https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM

The programme also highlighted the illegal practice in the greyhound industry of doping dogs to make them run faster or slower to influence the outcomes of races. Also shown were greyhounds with their ears chopped off or burned with acid (to remove identity tattoos before being dumped) and the hellholes that await Irish greyhounds exported to China and Pakistan.

The Irish public is shocked and disgusted at the revelations, which have sparked multiple, ongoing protests outside tracks and calls for a ban on greyhound racing.

A RED C opinion poll commissioned by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports and Greyhound Action Ireland shows that two out of every three Irish adults agree that the government should stop funding greyhound racing [66% Agree, 16% Disagree, 18% Don't Know, Of those stating an opinion, 80% of these agree that the Irish Government should stop funding greyhound racing while 20% disagree.] An opinion poll conducted by TheJournal.ie also found that an 80 per cent majority want the government to permanently end the grants. Petitions urging the government to stop the funding have been signed over 300,000 times.

It is COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE that scarce public funds have been pumped into these gambling industries. It is time for this to be stopped and for the money to be redirected to the many deserving causes crying out for funding.

Please stop supporting the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations.

Thank you. I look forward to your positive response.

Yours sincerely,

[Name/Address]

Join us in urging Swiss travel agent, Clubilis (Email: info@clubilis.com / Tel: +41 22 7317700) to remove greyhound racing ("courses de levriers") from its Ireland tour itinerary https://www.clubilis.com/voyages-sorties/grand-tour-dirlande-du-16-au-27-juillet-2020/?fbclid=IwAR3aTGC6l-8JagsS68AvWIuPOsOCdUNgo0MymZXHyl6-10-iw5an_bMhJfc

Urge Viator’s CEO Barrie Seidenberg (Email: barrie@viator.com) to remove greyhound racing from the company’s website. Describing greyhound racing as “a slice of traditional entertainment”, it is currently selling tickets to Shelbourne Park and to the Newbridge and Drumbo Park tracks.

Urge discounts website, Groupon, to scrap its greyhound racing offers - Please sign and share the petitions. Don’t use Groupon until it stops promoting greyhound racing.

https://www.change.org/p/groupon-uk-groupon-scrap-your-greyhound-racing-discounts

https://www.thepetitionsite.com/336/797/911/groupon-stop-promoting-the-greyhound-racing-industry/

Please sign and share petitions

Stop supporting the cruel greyhound industry
https://www.change.org/p/stop-supporting-the-cruel-greyhound-industry

Ban Blood Sports in Ireland Now
https://www.change.org/petitions/ban-blood-sports-in-ireland

Ireland - Ban cruel hare coursing
www.change.org/p/ireland-ban-cruel-hare-coursing

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

Sinn Fein: Support a ban on cruel hare coursing
https://www.change.org/p/sinn-fein-support-a-ban-on-cruel-hare-coursing