There are renewed calls on RTE to permanently remove greyhound racing from its "sports" coverage. The fresh appeal comes after the channel’s "Greyhounds: Running for Their Lives" documentary - which exposed the horrors of greyhound racing - won a “Best Current Affairs” Torc Award for Excellence at this month’s Celtic Media Festival.

The disturbing documentary revealed that 6,000 dogs are killed in Ireland every year simply because they are not fast enough to win races. The damning details had been kept hidden by the Irish Greyhound Board.

Despite the disgusting revelations, RTE went ahead and broadcast the semi-final and final of the BoyleSports greyhound derby race in September, insisting that this was in accordance with “the terms of the contractual agreement with Bord na gCon [Irish Greyhound Board] dated June 2018”. A spokesperson for the channel stated at the time that “no decision has been made regarding future coverage” and that this would be “subject to review by RTÉ”.

Viewers watching “Greyhounds Running For Their Lives” were horrified to witness secretly filmed footage of unwanted greyhounds being delivered to a knackery where they were shot in the head and dumped in a skip. One of these frightened greyhounds was delivered to his death by a merciless owner who sat in his car while the dog was shot in the head. Not until the lead and collar had been pulled from the dog’s convulsing body and returned to him did he drive away.

The programme also highlighted the injuries and deaths at greyhound tracks and the illegal practice 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.

Cruel hare coursing was also exposed, prompting renewed calls for a ban on the bloodsport.

The documentary sparked multiple protests outside tracks, the withdrawal of several sponsors and nationwide boycotts of tracks.

Appeals to politicians to bring greyhound racing to an end have continued to grow. Opinion polls conducted by RED C and TheJournal.ie confirmed that a majority want the Irish government to permanently stop the state grants which are keeping greyhound racing and its associated animal cruelty alive. Petitions urging the government to scrap the funding have been signed over 400,000 times.

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

ACTION ALERT

It’s time for RTE to join the growing list of companies which are rejecting greyhound racing.

Contact RTE’s Director General Dee Forbes and the head of RTE Sport, Declan McBennett, and urge them to drop greyhound racing.

Tel: +353 (0)1 208 3111
Email: Dee.Forbes@rte.ie; Declan.mcbennett@rte.ie
Comment on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ExploreRTE/
Tweet: @RTE @RTE2 @RTESport @RTEmcbennettd @deeforbes_dee Please drop cruel greyhound racing from your "sports" coverage

Please sign and share the 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