Drinks company Diageo has confirmed that its Guinness brand DOES NOT SUPPORT cruel greyhound racing.
The company was responding to concerns about a Guinness advertisement banner at Curraheen Park track - one of the worst in the country for dog injuries and deaths.
“Guinness no longer has any association with Curraheen Park and does not sponsor greyhound racing anymore,” a Diageo spokesperson told ICABS. “The billboard is an historic remnant, but is no longer maintained or funded by Guinness.”
Diageo was told that in the past six years alone, 134 greyhounds suffered injuries at Curraheen Park and 50 were killed by a track vet. Among the victims was a dog who died of a “suspected heart attack”.
Last month, Heineken Ireland acted to have a Murphy’s Irish Stout ad banner taken down at Curraheen Park. A banner advertising Cummins Sports in Cork was also removed.
The horrors of greyhound racing were exposed in the award-winning "RTE Investigates: Greyhounds running for their lives" documentary which revealed that around 6,000 dogs are killed every year simply because they are not fast enough to win. It included shocking scenes of greyhounds being delivered to knackeries to be shot in the head. One dog was seen writhing on the ground in agony as his merciless owner drove away. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM
Diageo/Guinness joins an ever growing list of companies which have disassociated from greyhound racing. These include Dublin Bus, Air France, Eir Sport, Lonely Planet, Tesco Ireland, Toyota Ireland, Electric Ireland, Applegreen, Heineken/Murphys, Groupon, Voucher Cloud, Barry's Tea, FBD Insurance, Botanica International, Hyde Irish Whiskey, Thomas Cook/Jet Tours, Galway Crystal, Permanent TSB, Wilton Shopping Centre, Le Guide Irlande, Trip101, Maldron Hotels, Clayton Hotels, North Star Hotel Dublin, Metropole Hotel Cork, Treacy's Hotel Waterford, etc.
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
Urge the leaders of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour (who support 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; info@fiannafail.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
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.
GAIN ad banners continue to be displayed at greyhound tracks. Please get in contact with Glanbia and ask it to stop advertising its brand at tracks where dogs suffer and die.
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/