A greyhound suffered a "TERRIBLE FALL" at Shelbourne Park on Saturday during the "Irish Greyhound Derby" final and sustained what the Racing Post has described as “a serious injury”. 2-year-old Pestana could be seen tumbling to the ground after a collision at the first bend. The Irish Greyhound Board website shows that he "did not finish" the race.
According to a Racing Post report, “initial suggestions [were] that he had suffered a bad break” before he was carried off the track.
Among those reacting to the incident was an individual who commented: “Seeing that Pestana incident has put me off dog racing for life, I think”
Other comments posted online included:
- "That was an horrendous fall"
- “Hope to God Pestana is okay but completely ruined the race and night. Absolutely sick and, no, I didn’t bet on the race...What a cruel way to end a brilliant but way too brief career.”
- "Horrific Knock"
- "Pestana unlikely to ever race again"
- "Terrible news for Pestana who was injured and unlikely to run again"
The derby final - shamefully sponsored by Boylesports - went ahead despite an appeal to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and the HSE to stop it, It was pointed out to them that racing at Shelbourne Park was apparently in breach of the newly declared Level 3 of the “Living with COVID-19” plan for County Dublin.
The Minister was told that greyhound racing would breach the “Sports” section of the Level 3 COVID-19 plan which states: "No matches or events to take place. Exemption: professional/elite/inter-county/club championship/horse-racing can take place behind closed doors". Greyhound racing is not included in the exemptions.
It also constituted a breach the domestic travel restrictions which state: "Do not come to County Dublin except for education, work and other essential purposes." Greyhound racing does not qualify as education, work or in any way essential.
We understand that none of the greyhound owners/trainers linked to the derby final are based in Dublin and that the dogs were brought to Shelbourne Park from outside the County.
ACTION ALERT
STOP THE STATE FUNDING FOR GREYHOUND RACING
Another €16.8 million of scarce public funds was 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; info@fiannafail.ie
Phone: +353 (0)1–618 4350 or +353 (0)21-432 0088
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Leo Varadkar, Tánaiste
Telephone: +353 (0)1-704 3630 OR +353 (0)1-640 3133
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
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Ireland - Ban cruel hare coursing
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