68 greyhounds suffered injuries and 27 were destroyed by vets at tracks around Ireland so far this year, newly released documents show.
The sickening Irish Greyhound Board statistics were obtained by Joan Collins TD further to a Dail Question to the Minister for Agriculture.
They show that between January and June, dogs continued to suffer and die. Injuries occurred at all of the country’s remaining tracks, with the highest number at Waterford stadium (10), Tralee (9) and Curraheen Park (8). Curraheen Park, Enniscorthy, Mullingar, Thurles and Tralee were worst for dog deaths, with three “put to sleep by vet” at each of the tracks.
The injuries sustained by dogs were revealed to be: hock (26), wrist (4), front leg (8), back leg (4), hip/neck/shoulder/stifle (3), back/tail (1), tendon/muscle (9), toe/claw (7), wound/spike (5). Another injured greyhound was described as showing “no visible injury”.
At Thurles and Youghal tracks, all injured dogs were destroyed, i.e. three at Thurles (2 hock injuries and one wound/spike injury) and one at Youghal (injury to front leg).
The latest stats exclude the end of March, all of April and May and the first half of June when tracks were closed due to COVID19 restrictions.
The latest figures bring to 1,959 the number of greyhounds injured and 652 the number killed at tracks in Ireland since 2015.
They come just weeks after the Irish Greyhound Board released the 2019 injury and death data which confirmed that 332 greyhounds suffered injuries at tracks in 2019 and 112 were killed by a vet. A further seven fatalities were also recorded - five greyhounds died of a “heart condition” or “suspected heart attack” at Shelbourne Park, Curraheen Park, Longford, Dundalk and Waterford tracks and two greyhounds suffered broken necks and died at Mullingar and Thurles tracks.
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 award-winning "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 400,000 signatures.
ACTION ALERT
Say NO to cruel greyhound racing - don't attend races or fundraisers/stag and 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 Micheal Martin and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and demand an end to state funding for greyhound racing.
Leo Varadkar
Telephone: 01-6194000
Email: 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
Micheál Martin
Leader, Fianna Fail
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie
Phone: 021-432 0088
Leinster House: 01–618 3000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Leo Varadkar
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: 01-619 4020
Email: leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Tweet to: http://www.twitter.com/@LeoVaradkar
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
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 that its GAIN Pet Nutrition brand ends 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 (Jan-June 2020)
Clonmel: 4 injuries, 1 death
Curraheen Park: 8 injuries, 3 deaths
Dundalk: 1 injury, 0 deaths
Enniscorthy: 5 injuries, 3 deaths
Galway: 4 injuries, 1 death
Kilkenny: 4 injuries, 2 deaths
Limerick: 3 injuries, 1 death
Longford: 2 injuries, 1 death
Mullingar: 4 injuries, 3 deaths
Newbridge: 4 injuries, 2 deaths
Shelbourne Park: 6 injuries, 1 death
Thurles: 3 injuries, 3 deaths
Tralee: 9 injuries, 3 deaths
Waterford: 10 injuries, 2 deaths
Youghal: 1 injuries, 1 death
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
Download the January to June 2020 statistics
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SgWQGVjXUZlJ6IuYDFuTGQvXb2taPrY8/view?usp=sharing
Download the 2019 statistics
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PFfsv8mlKSSyNeXPg4jbsjXOwQQE6N-5
Greyhound injuries and death at Irish tracks:
2020 (January to June): 68 injuries. 27 deaths.
2019: 332 injuries. 119 deaths
2018: 353 Injuries. 121 Deaths
2017: 357 Injuries. 124 Deaths
2016: 427 Injuries. 139 Deaths
2015: 422 Injuries. 122 Deaths
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