Greyhound Racing Ireland is continuing to hide video footage of greyhounds suffering falls at its tracks.
The latest instance of footage being withheld relates to a race at Shelbourne Park yesterday (Tuesday, 9th March 2021). The video for Race 13 at the Dublin track is unavailable on the GRI website. In that race, Cashmere Gigi was knocked over.
Similarly, no footage has been published for Race 1 - the “Welcome To Shelbourne Park A2 525” race on Saturday (6th March 2021) - during which greyhound Southside Bandit was knocked over at the first bend. He “did not finish” the race.
It was the 2-year-old greyhound’s 15th race (all at Shelbourne Park). It is unknown if he suffered an injury in the fall.
Also recently withheld by Greyhound Racing Ireland is footage for Race 1 at Limerick stadium on 4th March 2021. In that race, greyhound Garryowen Batman was knocked over at the first bend.
Hidden too are videos for 6th March races 7 and 10 at Galway Stadium where greyhounds Puck Out and Come On Charlie were knocked over.
These are the latest of numerous examples of Greyhound Racing Ireland (formerly the Irish Greyhound Board) hiding footage of races in which dogs suffer falls.
Previously, the IGB also tried to hide the fact that a greyhound (Ballymac Syd) collapsed from a heart attack and died at Shelbourne Park in August 2019. The death was revealed by the Greyhound Star website which reported: “The poor dog was having a heart attack. We managed to get him to the van and I started compressions but the tongue had already gone blue. He died shortly afterwards.” There was no mention on the IGB website of the heart attack or the dog dying. Incredibly, in a notice posted on the IGB website three days after Ballymac Syd died, the dog was listed among three dogs "withdrawn from the second round of the Boylesports Derby”. “In Heat 3, Ballymac Syd will be a non-runner from trap four,” the IGB website stated.
The IGB also attempted to hide a damning report which revealed that around 6,000 greyhounds are killed every year in Ireland because they are not fast enough to win races. The report’s contents were featured on the “RTE Investigates: Greyhounds Running for Their Lives” documentary, which can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM
The report estimated that a total of 17,962 greyhounds were culled in 2013, 2014 and 2015. They were killed for “failure to produce qualifying times”, “failure to produce desired entry level times” and for an “unacceptable decline in performance”. Read the report at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X94XJGXdHtxLvraoya5rP8NE48FkwxqQ/view
ACTION ALERT
STOP THE STATE FUNDING FOR GREYHOUND RACING
Another €19.2 million of scarce public funds has been granted to greyhound racing for 2021. 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 oppose the 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, the Green Party, Sinn Fein and Labour to stop the funding and back a ban on cruel greyhound racing
Micheál Martin TD
Leader, Fianna Fail
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Phone: 021-432 0088
Leinster House: 01–618 3000
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Leo Varadkar TD
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: 01-619 4020
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Eamon Ryan TD
Leader, Green Party
Tel: 01 618 3894
Email: eamon.ryan@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EamonRyanGP/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EamonRyan
Mary Lou McDonald TD
Leader, Sinn Fein
Tel: (01) 727 7102
Email: marylou.mcdonald@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryLouMcDonald
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Alan Kelly TD
Leader, Labour Party
Tel: 067 34190
Email: alan.kelly@oir.ie
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/alankellylabour
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