Greyhound owners are continuing to abandon racing “in their droves”, a greyhound breeders group has this month revealed.
Pointing to reduced prize money, the Greyhound Owners and Breeders Federation group said that “with the level of prize money that is being paid at the moment, there is no incentive for anyone to buy a greyhound”.
“Owners are leaving the sport in their droves. Reduced prize money is not helping the situation,” the group stated.
This is the latest indication that interest in greyhound racing is dramatically declining.
As previously highlighted by ICABS, the number of “active owners of racing greyhounds” dropped by nearly 50% between 2007 and 2015. Figures published in the past by Greyhound Racing Ireland (then the Irish Greyhound Board) have shown that there were 7,265 fewer owners of racing greyhounds in 2015 than in 2007. The numbers fell every year from 14,869 in 2007 to 7,604 in 2015.
With an ongoing drop in those involved in greyhound racing, added to massive pre-Covid falls in attendance at tracks, there should be no hesitation within the government to end all state funding to greyhound racing.
A May 2020 Indecon report commissioned by Greyhound Racing Ireland confirmed that more and more people are staying away from tracks. It predicted that the "greyhound industry is likely to experience a continued decline in attendance levels".
"The greyhound racing industry in Ireland has witnessed a significant decline in attendance over the last decade," the report outlined. "While 1.1 million attended races in 2008, this fell by 55% to just over 0.5 million by 2018...2019 has also shown a further negative impact which is likely to exacerbate the pre-existing long-term decline".
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
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Leo Varadkar TD
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
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
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MaryLouMcDonaldTD
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
Please support our campaign with a donation
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Watch RTE’s award-winning "Greyhounds Running For Their Lives" documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM