Greyhound Racing Ireland is continuing to hide video footage of greyhounds suffering falls at its tracks.
Footage of three races at Mullingar Stadium on Sunday (21 March 2021) has been withheld by GRI. No videos are available for Race 1, in which Aughaboy Evie fell at the third bend or Race 2 which saw Sallagh Buick falling at the fourth bend. Footage for Race 7 is also unavailable to view - in that race, greyhound Across The Sky was knocked over at the first bend and “did not finish” (suggesting an injury).
In Race 8, Trapper Louise also fell and “did not finish”. The fall is not visible in the GRI’s race footage.
These are the latest of numerous examples of Greyhound Racing Ireland (formerly the Irish Greyhound Board) hiding from the public footage of races in which dogs suffer falls.
Previously, GRI also tried to hide the fact that a greyhound (Ballymac Syd) collapsed from a heart attack and died at Shelbourne Park. 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in a notice posted on the GRI website three days after Ballymac Syd died, the dog was listed among three dogs "withdrawn from the second round of the Boylesports Derby”.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 GRI website stated.
Greyhound Racing Ireland 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
It’s time for the Irish Government to stop funding this cruel, dog-killing gambling activity. Please respond to the action alert below and help bring greyhound racing to an end in Ireland.
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
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