Actor Rachel Pilkington has joined calls for an end to the massive state grants that are keeping cruel greyhound racing afloat.
“It is outrageous and completely unethical that greyhound racing is still funded by the government, despite prevalent animal welfare concerns and blatant cruelty,” Rachel commented this week.
The actor, best known for her work on The Clinic, Fair City and Glenroe, has previously expressed support for a ban on greyhound racing and hare coursing and campaigned for an end to fur farming.
She has also spoken out against foxhunting, saying "I'm totally opposed to hunting. Why should any creature run in terror for the cheap thrill of any human being?! It's utterly barbaric."
Greyhound racing has received more than a quarter of a billion euros of taxpayers' money since 2001, including €16.8 million for 2020 (€9 million of which is paid out as prize money). Petitions urging the government to stop the funding have attracted over 395,000 signatures to-date.
Others calling for the grants to be scrapped include Oscar-nominated director, Lenny Abrahamson (Room, Normal People) who last year stated: “Irish government support of the greyhound racing ‘industry’ is a national moral stain and an appalling waste of public money”.
Greyhound racing is responsible for the premature deaths of huge numbers of greyhounds. As revealed in the "RTE Investigates: Greyhounds Running For Their Lives" documentary, around 6,000 greyhounds are killed every year simply because they are not fast enough to win races. Secretly filmed footage showed greyhounds being delivered to a knackery where they were mercilessly shot in the head and dumped in a skip.
Watch “RTE Investigates: Greyhounds Running For Their Lives” on the RTE Player https://www.rte.ie/player/movie/rt%C3%A9-investigates-greyhounds-running-for-their-lives/104051751967 or on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM
Many greyhounds also die at tracks. In the past five years alone, at least 1,813 greyhounds suffered injuries at tracks and 592 were killed. More are injured at tracks and later killed elsewhere.
While greyhound racing receives millions in state grants, charities, health bodies, homeless shelters, animal rescue centres and environmental groups are crying out for funding. There are renewed calls on the government this week to scrap the funding.
ACTION ALERT
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
PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE THE PETITIONS
Nearly 6,000 Greyhounds Were Killed Here Because They Were "Too Slow"
https://www.thepetitionsite.com/en-gb/184/794/470/?TAP=1732
Sign the DSPCA's "Stop Greyhound Racing" petition at
https://www.change.org/p/the-department-of-agriculture-stop-greyhound-racing