Shocking statistics recently released by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain reveal that In greyhound racing in the UK last year, 4,970 dogs suffered injuries and 710 died or were destroyed. Around 80 per cent of greyhounds used in UK racing are Irish.
The sickening GBGB death data shows that 123 of the injured greyhounds were killed due to “TREATMENT COSTS”. Another 207 were destroyed at racecourses on “humane grounds” after sustaining injuries, while 142 were killed away from racecourses “on veterinary advice”. A further 91 greyhounds suffered sudden death and 64 died as a result of “terminal illness/natural causes/other”.
An additional 83 greyhounds were killed because they were “designated unsuitable for homing”.
A leading greyhound rescuer in the UK has previously challenged the idea that some greyhounds are unsuitable for rehoming. “I have yet to meet a greyhound who is not suitable for homing,” Ann Shannon stated last month. “It just needs understanding, patient people and the new environment of a home and interests, away from kennel life and racing (and how can it be decreed unsuitable for homing if it has never had one?!)”
According to the Department of Agriculture, around 80 per cent of greyhounds used for racing in the UK were born in Ireland, with thousands exported every year.
Greyhounds also suffer and die at tracks around Ireland. Since the beginning of 2020, 68 greyhounds sustained injuries and 27 were destroyed by track vets. The latest figures bring to 1,959 the number of greyhounds injured and 652 the number killed at tracks in Ireland since 2015.
The Irish Greyhound Board statistics reveal 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 Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and demand an end to state funding for greyhound racing.
Micheál Martin, Taoiseach
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie
Tel: 021-432 0088
Leinster House: 01–618 3000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Leo Varadkar, Tánaiste
Tel: 01-6194000
Email: leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Tweet to: @LeoVaradkar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
Paschal Donohoe TD
Minister for Finance
Email: paschal.donohoe@oireachtas.ie; minister@per.gov.ie
Tel: 01 6045810
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaschalDonohoe/
Tweet to @Paschald
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
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
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
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