A greyhound suffered a “haemorrhage into the abdomen from a rupture of the aorta” and died at Shelbourne Park Stadium in December, sickening Greyhound Racing Ireland documents reveal.
The newly released documents show that the dog - one of many victims at the Dublin track - “collapsed and died at the end of a race” on 4th December.
Greyhound Racing Ireland will not disclose the name of the greyhound who died.
Details were also revealed about another fatality which occurred the previous month at Limerick Stadium (headquarters of Greyhound Racing Ireland).
On 7th November at the track, a greyhound “collapsed and died” at the end of a race. The cause of death was “suspected heart attack”.
These two greyhounds are among the 90 who lost their lives at Irish tracks in 2020 (the 88 others were destroyed by track vets after sustaining injuries). More than a third of the 255 greyhounds reported injured at tracks last year were killed.
The shocking information about the two fatalities came to light following two Dail Questions from Joan Collins TD (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change).
However, Greyhound Racing Ireland did not release the details in response to the first parliamentary question or a follow-up question.
Further to Deputy Collins’ initial 13 January 2021 Dail Question to Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue - in which she sought details about the numbers injured and killed and “the cause of each injury and death by greyhound track” - GRI provided figures for the injuries and the numbers destroyed by track vets. Its data showed that there were two additional fatalities but details about the cause of the fatalities and the locations were omitted.
A subsequent Dail Question on 28th January 2021 put an emphasis on greyhounds who “died as a result of racing fatalities” but, again, GRI did not supply the requested details, instead referring back to the previously published incomplete data.
Only after a third request for the information by Joan Collins TD were the details finally released this week.
In a statement published earlier this year - further to Deputy Collins’ first Dail Question - GRI referred to the 255 greyhounds injured at tracks and the 88 “put to sleep” but made no mention of the two greyhounds who collapsed and died after races.
This is the latest example of Greyhound Racing Ireland attempting to hide details about dog deaths.
For example, GRI tried to hide the August 2019 death of greyhound Ballymac Syd at Shelbourne Park. The death was highlighted on 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.” In contrast, a notice posted on the GRI website three days after Ballymac Syd died listed the greyhound among three “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.
It 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
Shelbourne Park and Limerick stadiums are among the worst in Ireland for injuries and deaths.
At Shelbourne Park, at least 196 greyhounds suffered injuries and 46 were killed by a track vet over the past six years alone. In the same period at Limerick stadium, 277 greyhounds were injured and 82 killed.
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
Please sign and share other petitions
Stop supporting the cruel greyhound “industry”
https://www.change.org/p/stop-supporting-the-cruel-greyhound-industry
GAA: Stop club fundraisers at greyhound tracks
https://www.change.org/p/gaa-stop-club-fundraisers-at-greyhound-tracks
Tell Gain Pet Nutrition to Stop Sponsoring Greyhound Racing
https://www.change.org/p/jimtracy-glanbia-ie-tell-gain-pet-nutrition-to-stop-sponsoring-greyhound-racing
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