There are renewed calls for a ban on greyhound racing after shocking new statistics reveal that another 119 greyhounds were killed at tracks around Ireland last year. Among the victims are greyhounds who suffered BROKEN NECKS AND LEGS and others who COLLAPSED AND DIED OF HEART ATTACKS.
The sickening Irish Greyhound Board (IGB) stats show that 332 greyhounds suffered injuries at tracks in 2019 and 112 of these were killed by a vet. Another 7 fatalities were also recorded.
The fatalities included a greyhound who fell at the end of a race at Mullingar stadium and suffered a broken neck and a greyhound who “collided with in-field light pole - broke neck” at Thurles track. Another five greyhounds died of a “heart condition” or “suspected heart attack” at Shelbourne Park, Curraheen Park, Longford, Dundalk and Waterford tracks.
The figures - obtained by Joan Collins TD (Independents 4 Change, Dublin South Central) and Holly Cairns TD (Social Democrats, Cork South West) via Dail Questions - confirm that greyhounds suffered and died at ALL tracks in 2019, with Limerick Stadium (the headquarters of the IGB) the worst with 54 injuries and 19 reported killings. The next worst were Tralee track (37 injuries, 12 deaths) and Shelbourne Park (32 injuries, 7 deaths) - see full list below.
The latest deaths bring to 1,891 the number of greyhounds injured and 625 the number killed at tracks here in the past five years.
The nature of the injuries suffered by greyhounds in 2019 were revealed to be: hock (125), muscle (50), stifle/front leg (38), wrist (29), spike (23), neck (20), shoulder/back leg (17), toe (9), tail (8) and metacarpal (7). Another 6 injured greyhounds were described as showing “no visible injury”.
The track with the highest injury to death rate was the now closed-down Lifford stadium where 73 per cent of injured greyhounds were killed by a track vet (11 injuries, 8 deaths). More than half of injured dogs were also killed at Mullingar (62%), Youghal (60%), Thurles (56%), Dundalk (55%) and Waterford (54%).
The IGB figures are based on "reported" injuries and deaths, suggesting that the actual number could be even higher. It should be noted that they relate only to injuries and deaths that occurred at tracks and do not include the greyhounds injured at tracks and later killed elsewhere. The figures represent only the tip of the iceberg - thousands more greyhounds are mercilessly killed every year because they don’t make the grade.
As revealed in the "RTE Investigates: Greyhounds running for their lives" documentary last year, around 6,000 greyhounds are killed every year simply because they are not fast enough. It included shocking scenes of dogs being delivered to a knackery where they were shot in the head and dumped in a skip. One shot dog was seen writhing on the ground in agony as his merciless owner drove away. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM
How many more dogs have to suffer and die before the government stops the massive state grants that are keeping nasty greyhound racing afloat? A RED C opinion poll commissioned by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports confirms that a two-thirds majority want an end to the grants, while petitions urging the government to stop the funding have attracted more than 390,000 signatures.
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
Contact Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and demand an end to state funding for 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
Urge the leaders of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Labour (who back the grants every year) to stop the funding and back a ban on cruel greyhound racing
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
TELL SPONSORS TO STOP THEIR SPONSORSHIP.
Please get in contact with Glanbia and ask it to permanently end all sponsorship/support of greyhound racing.
Jim Bergin
CEO, Glanbia
Glanbia House,
Kilkenny, Ireland
Telephone: +353 (0)56-777 2200
Email: corporatecomms@glanbia.com, info@gainanimalnutrition.com
Tweet to: @GlanbiaPlc
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GAINpetnutrition/
Appeal to the Kerry Group (the company behind Pure sunflower/soya spread, Dairygold, LowLow, etc) to stop sponsoring greyhound racing.
Kerry Group
Phone: +353 (0)66 718 2000
Prince’s Street, Tralee, Co. Kerry
Email VIA: https://www.kerrygroup.com/help/contact-form/
Please sign and share petitions
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
Greyhound injuries and deaths at tracks in Ireland (2019)
Clonmel: 12 injuries, 4 deaths
Curraheen Park: 29 injuries, 11 deaths
Dundalk: 11 injuries, 6 deaths
Enniscorthy: 30 injuries, 4 deaths
Galway: 29 injuries, 8 deaths
Kilkenny: 16 injuries, 3 deaths
Lifford: 11 injuries, 8 deaths
Limerick: 54 injuries, 19 deaths
Longford: 10 injuries, 3 deaths
Mullingar: 13 injuries, 8 deaths
Newbridge: 16 injuries, 8 deaths
Shelbourne Park: 32 injuries, 7 deaths
Thurles: 9 injuries, 5 deaths
Tralee: 37 injuries, 12 deaths
Waterford: 13 injuries, 7 deaths
Youghal: 10 injuries, 6 deaths
Percentage of injured dogs killed by track vets
Clonmel: 33%
Curraheen Park: 38%
Dundalk: 55%
Enniscorthy: 13%
Galway: 28%
Kilkenny: 19%
Lifford: 73%
Limerick: 35%
Longford: 30%
Mullingar: 62%
Newbridge: 50%
Shelbourne Park: 22%
Thurles: 56%
Tralee: 32%
Waterford: 54%
Youghal: 60%
Download the related 2019 documents from
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PFfsv8mlKSSyNeXPg4jbsjXOwQQE6N-5
Find out more about injuries and deaths at greyhound tracks at
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2019/03/27/greyhound-injuries-and-deaths-at-irish-greyhound-tracks/
SEE ALSO:
Disturbing video footage has surfaced showing a greyhound being carried away injured after suffering a bad fall at a track https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/2971489162966622
The Irish Greyhound Board has deleted from its website a shocking video of a greyhound falling at the start of a race and crying out in agony
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/2963507253764813
Newly elected Fine Gael TD, Alan Dillon has called for a review of the massive government grants that are keeping cruel greyhound racing afloat
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/2954061488042723
Attendance at greyhound tracks around Ireland has continued to plummet in 2020 and the decline is predicted to "CONTINUE OR ACCELERATE", a new report has revealed
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/2903522683096604
Please support our campaign with a donation
https://www.paypal.me/banbloodsports