A big THANK YOU to Clayton Hotels for this week deleting Irish greyhound racing pages from its website.
Responding to an appeal from the Irish Council Against Blood Sports, the company “removed all content relating to [Shelbourne Park and Curraheen Park] greyhound stadiums”
The pages presented the tracks as local attractions and included contact details.
In our appeal, we highlighted the suffering and death at the two tracks. Shelbourne Park and Curraheen Park are two of the worst tracks in Ireland for dog injuries and deaths. At least 167 greyhounds suffered injuries and 39 were killed by a track vet at Shelbourne Park over the past five years alone. At Curraheen Park, 120 suffered injuries and 44 were killed. At tracks around Ireland in the same period, 1,813 greyhounds were injured and 592 were killed. Among the victims are greyhounds who collapsed after races and died of heart attacks, greyhounds who suffered broken legs and severed spine and one who was carried away bleeding with a leg bone “popped out”.
We also pointed out that Tourism Ireland and Failte Ireland have both stopped promoting greyhound racing, due to fears that it damages Ireland's reputation as a tourist destination https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/ireland/shane-ross-immoral-dog-racing-will-deter-tourists-982nwhwb9
The horrors of greyhound racing were exposed in the "RTE Investigates: Greyhounds running for their lives" which revealed that around 6,000 dogs are killed every year simply because they are not fast enough to win races. It included shocking scenes of dogs being delivered to a knackery 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
Thumbs up to Clayton Hotels for its compassionate response. It becomes the latest in a growing list of companies that have rejected cruel greyhound racing. They include Dublin Bus, Air France, Eir Sport, Lonely Planet, Tesco Ireland, Toyota Ireland, Electric Ireland, Applegreen, Groupon, Barry's Tea, FBD Insurance, Botanica International, Hyde Irish Whiskey, Thomas Cook/Jet Tours, Galway Crystal, Wilton Shopping Centre, Le Guide Irlande, Trip101, etc.
Find out more about Clayton Hotels around Ireland and the UK and how to make future bookings at https://www.claytonhotels.com/ Looking for car parking near Dublin Airport? Check out the long and short-term parking offers at Clayton Hotel Dublin Airport (with 24-hour complimentary airport shuttle bus) https://www.claytonhoteldublinairport.com/airport-parking/
ACTION ALERT
Say NO to cruel greyhound racing - don't attend races or fundraisers/hen parties/office parties 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, Fianna Fail and Labour (who back the grants every year) to stop the funding.
Leo Varadkar
Leader, Fine Gael
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
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
Alan Kelly TD
Leader, Labour Party
Tel: 067 34190
Email: alan.kelly@oir.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alankellytd/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alankellylabour