The Irish Greyhound Board is continuing to hide video footage of greyhounds suffering bad falls at tracks around the country.
The latest attempt by the IGB to keep footage from the public relates to a race at Curraheen Park stadium on 21 February.
During the "The Irish Retired Greyhound Trust 525 " race, greyhound Delighted stumbled and “did not finish” (suggesting an injury was sustained).
Video footage capturing the moment the 3-year-old dog fell has been withheld.
In November, Agriculture Minister Michael Creed was questioned about the withholding of race footage by the Irish Greyhound Board.
Maureen O'Sullivan TD asked Minister Creed “if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Irish Greyhound Board is attempting to hide incidents involving dogs falling and suffering injuries by withholding race footage from its website [and] if he will direct it to publish the footage”.
Responding, Minister Creed stated: “Bord na gCon [Irish Greyhound Board] have informed the Department that, although it broadcasts all races at Bord na gCon licensed stadia, there is no regulatory or legislative requirement on Bord na gCon to make all racing footage available on its website.” https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2019-11-26a.945
Previously, the IGB attempted to hide a damning report which revealed that around 6,000 greyhounds are killed every year in Ireland because they are not fast enough to win races. The report’s contents were featured on the “RTE Investigates: Greyhounds Running for Their Lives” documentary, which can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM
The IGB also tried to hide the fact that a greyhound (Ballymac Syd) collapsed from a heart attack and died at Shelbourne Park in August. The death was revealed by the Greyhound Star website which reported: “The poor dog was having a heart attack. We managed to get him to the van and I started compressions but the tongue had already gone blue. He died shortly afterwards.” There was no mention on the IGB website of the heart attack or the dog dying. Incredibly, in a notice posted on the IGB website three days after Ballymac Syd died, the dog was listed among three dogs "withdrawn from the second round of the Boylesports Derby”. “In Heat 3, Ballymac Syd will be a non-runner from trap four,” the IGB website stated.
Among the footage unavailable on the IGB website:
Race 6 - Curraheen Park, 21 February 2020 - Greyhound Delighted stumbled and “did not finish”
Race 7 - Tralee stadium, 16 February 2020 - Greyhound Manhattan Field fell at the third bend and "did not finish"
Race 2 at Enniscorthy track, 16 January 2020 - Greyhound Rathbally Rory "did not finish" the race
Race 5 at Enniscorthy track, 16 January 2020 - Jovial Bob and Harriestown Star Were knocked over at the first bend
Race 8 at Shelbourne Park, 21 December 2019 - Greyhound Knocknarea Run was impeded and "did not finish" the race
Race 9 at Shelbourne Park, 21 December 2019 - Greyhounds Spots Trend, Knight Rocker and Boyhero were knocked over at the first bend
Race 5 at Shelbourne Park, 7 December 2019 - Greyhound Mags Angel “did not finish” the race.
Race 12 at Shelbourne Park, 7 December 2019 - greyhound Catunda Logan was knocked over at the first bend and “did not finish” the race.
Race 6 at Limerick stadium, 5 December - greyhound Gurtnacrehy Leah did not finish the race.
Race 9 at Limerick stadium, 5 December - greyhound Clounanna Gilt was knocked over at the first bend and did not finish the race.
Race 4 at Limerick stadium, 5 December - greyhound Rockalong Xpress was knocked over at the first bend and did not finish the race.
Race 4 at Mullingar stadium, 1 December 2019 - greyhound Lingrawn Pearl “did not finish” the race.
Race 6 at Shelbourne Park on 15 November 2019 - greyhound Oakview Brae reportedly broke a hock. She has not been raced since.
Race 8 at Shelbourne Park, 12 November 2019 - Greyhound Nebula was knocked over and did not finish the race. She has not been raced since.
Race 12 at Shelbourne Park on 16 November 2019 - greyhound Droopys Oomph was knocked over at the first bend and “did not finish” the race. He has not been raced since.
Race 2 at Newbridge stadium on 11 October 2019 - greyhound Blacksmith Cardi knocked over and did not finish the race. She has not been raced since.
Race 7 at Shelbourne Park on 31 August 2019 - Three greyhounds were knocked over at the first bend during a Boylesports-sponsored race - one of them, LAUGHIL JOSH, “did not finish”.
Race 4 at Enniscorthy track, 30 September 2019 - Greyhound Likeable Quiff was knocked over and "did not finish" the race. The 2-year-old greyhound has not been raced since. A week after the fall, she was run in a trial at Shelbourne Park and again, she "did not finish"
Race 1 at Enniscorthy track, 21 December 2018 - Gortin Shift was knocked over at the first bend and "did not finish" the race. He has not been raced since.
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
Another €16.8 million of scarce public funds has been approved for greyhound racing for 2020. Since 2001, greyhound racing has received more than a quarter of a billion euros of taxpayers' money. Please contact your local TDs and demand that they vote against this funding. Visit the Oireachtas website for contact details for TDs https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/tds/?term=/ie/oireachtas/house/dail/33
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/