Exported Irish greyhounds in a "horrific condition" have been rescued in Spain.
The greyhounds were shamefully sent to Spain despite it being well documented that dogs are dumped, thrown down wells and hung from trees when they are no longer wanted there.
In a Facebook post on Friday, Kerry Lawrence of Greyhound Protection UK named the greyhounds as Stary Pop, Loafers Panda, Naylors Lulu and Dingle Black.
“As you can see by the photos, these dogs are in horrific condition,” she wrote. “Loafers Panda has Glaucoma of the eyes which, left untreated, means he will go blind. This has been caused by trauma of some kind. He also has babesia tick fever which can be very, very serious. The ticks basically attack the red blood cells. He had 57 ticks on him and all the other dogs had over 40. They are all having bloods ran over the next few days. They are covered in scars and all currently very hand shy and worried.” https://www.facebook.com/kerry.elliman/posts/pcb.10223093590840693/
She added that the greyhounds “are NOT registered in Spain and still registered in Ireland under the Irish Greyhound Board”.
There is no indication on the Greyhound Racing Ireland (Irish Greyhound Board) website that any of these greyhounds were exported.
The GRI website shows that before ending up in Spain, 3-year-old Stary Pop was used in 21 races around Ireland, with the final race here being in March of this year at Waterford track. Loafers Panda was used in 7 races at Newbridge track, including a final one on 3rd March when he finished second last. Total prize money is listed as €73.
2-year-old Naylors Lulu, meanwhile, was used in six races at Waterford track, with total prize money of €35. Her final race in Ireland before export to Spain was on 15 April 2021 when she finished third in a “Barking Buzz” race. Dingle Black (who is less than two years old) was trialled three times at Newbridge track in January and February.
ICABS last month urged the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue to act to stop the export of Irish greyhounds to Spain, a country where dogs suffer horrendous cruelty.
Brought to Minister McConalogue’s attention was a disturbing documentary broadcast on TG4 which featured shocking scenes of cruelty to greyhounds in Spain.
“Horrific footage in the documentary showed greyhounds hanging from trees, bloodied greyhounds dead on the ground, emaciated greyhounds who were rescued and a large group of greyhounds held in filthy conditions, some of them chained to a wall,” we stated in our appeal to Minister McConalogue.
Featured in the documentary was a spokesperson for rescue group, SOS Galgos, who described how the greyhounds are used in hunting and coursing for a few seasons and then abandoned or brutally killed when no longer wanted.
Methods of killing include hanging and shooting, while others are thrown down wells to die a slow death.
“This treatment of dogs is appalling and every possible step should be taken to prevent Irish greyhounds ending up in this country,” we told Minister McConalogue. “Please show compassion and take action to stop the export of Irish greyhounds to Spain.”
Shame on those who export greyhounds to Spain and on the Irish Government for continuing to prop up greyhound racing with millions of euro of taxpayers’ money. Since 2001, Greyhound Racing Ireland has been granted more than a quarter of a billion euros of scarce public funds. It’s time for this to be stopped and for a ban on greyhound racing which is responsible for so much suffering and death.
ACTION ALERT
Urge Minister Charlie McConalogue to stop greyhound exports to Spain and end the funding of greyhound racing.
Charlie McConalogue
Minister for Agriculture
Tel: (01) 618 3199
Email: charlie.mcconalogue@oireachtas.ie; minister@agriculture.gov.ie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CharlieMcConalogue
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@McConalogue
STOP THE STATE FUNDING FOR GREYHOUND RACING
Since 2001, Greyhound Racing Ireland (formerly the Irish Greyhound Board) has been granted more than a QUARTER OF A BILLION EUROS, including €16.8 million for 2020 and €19.2 million for 2021. This is unacceptable and must be stopped.
Please contact your local TDs and urge them to oppose this funding. Visit the Oireachtas website for contact details for TDs https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/tds/?term=/ie/oireachtas/house/dail/33
“Stop state funding to cruel greyhound racing” - Email all Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Green Party, Sinn Fein and Labour Party TDs.
Fianna Fáil TDs
john.mcguinness@oireachtas.ie; niamh.smyth@oireachtas.ie; brendan.smith@oireachtas.ie; aindrias.moynihan@oireachtas.ie; michael.moynihan.td@oireachtas.ie; micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; michael.mcgrath@oireachtas.ie; Charlie.McConalogue@oireachtas.ie; sean.haughey@oireachtas.ie; jim.ocallaghan@oireachtas.ie; darragh.obrien@oireachtas.ie; jack@jackchambers.ie; anne.rabbitte@oireachtas.ie; eamon.ocuiv@oireachtas.ie; james.lawless@oireachtas.ie; sean.ofearghail@oireachtas.ie; sean.fleming@oireachtas.ie; barry.cowen@oireachtas.ie; willie.odea@oireachtas.ie; niall.collins@oireachtas.ie; Robert.Troy@oireachtas.ie; dara.calleary@oireachtas.ie; thomas.byrne@oireachtas.ie; marc.macsharry@oireachtas.ie; jackie.cahill@oireachtas.ie; mary.butler@oireachtas.ie; james.browne@oireachtas.ie; jennifer.murnaneoconnor@oireachtas.ie; cathal.crowe@oireachtas.ie; james.oconnor@oireachtas.ie; padraig.osullivan@oireachtas.ie; christopher.osullivan@oireachtas.ie; paul.mcauliffe@oireachtas.ie; john.lahart@oireachtas.ie; cormac@cormacdevlin.ie; normafoley1@eircom.net; joe.flaherty@oireachtas.ie; Stephen.Donnelly@oireachtas.ie
Fine Gael TDs
JohnPaul.Phelan@oireachtas.ie; Heather.Humphreys@oireachtas.ie; joe.carey@oireachtas.ie; david.stanton@oir.ie; colm.burke@oireachtas.ie; michael.creed@oireachtas.ie; Simon.Coveney@oireachtas.ie; joe.mchugh@oireachtas.ie; richard.bruton@oireachtas.ie; Paschal.Donohoe@oireachtas.ie; Alan.Farrell@oireachtas.ie; emer.higgins@oireachtas.ie; neale.richmond@oireachtas.ie; josepha.madigan@oireachtas.ie; colm.brophy@oireachtas.ie; leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; jennifer.carrollmacneill@oireachtas.ie; Ciaran.Cannon@oireachtas.ie; hildegarde.naughton@oireachtas.ie; Brendan.Griffin@oireachtas.ie; bernard.durkan@oireachtas.ie; Martin.Heydon@oireachtas.ie; charles.flanagan@oireachtas.ie; kieran.odonnell@oireachtas.ie; Patrick.O'Donovan@oireachtas.ie; peter.burke@oireachtas.ie; fergus.odowd@oireachtas.ie; alan.dillon@oireachtas.ie; michael.ring@oireachtas.ie; helen.mcentee@oireachtas.ie; damien.english@oireachtas.ie; frank.feighan@oireachtas.ie; paul.kehoe@oireachtas.ie; Simon.Harris@oireachtas.ie
Green Party TDs
Eamon.Ryan@greenparty.ie; catherine.martin@oireachtas.ie; patrick.costello@oireachtas.ie; francisnoel.duffy@oireachtas.ie; neasa.hourigan@oireachtas.ie; brian.leddin@oireachtas.ie; steven.matthews@oireachtas.ie; malcolm.noonan@oireachtas.ie; joe.obrien@oireachtas.ie; marc.ocathasaigh@oireachtas.ie; roderic.ogorman@oireachtas.ie;
ossian.smyth@oireachtas.ie
Sinn Fein TDs
john.brady@oireachtas.ie; pat.buckley@oireachtas.ie; Sean.Crowe@oireachtas.ie; david.cullinane@oireachtas.ie; Pearse.Doherty@oireachtas.ie; dessie.ellis@oir.ie; kathleen.funchion@oireachtas.ie; martinkennysf@gmail.com; MaryLou.McDonald@oireachtas.ie; denise.mitchell@oireachtas.ie; imelda.munster@oireachtas.ie; eoin.obroin@oireachtas.ie; donnchadh.olaoghaire@oireachtas.ie; aengus.osnodaigh@oireachtas.ie; louiseoreillysf@gmail.com; maurice.quinlivan@oireachtas.ie; Brian.Stanley@oireachtas.ie; mark.ward@oireachtas.ie; chris.andrews@oireachtas.ie; martin.browne@oireachtas.ie; matt.carthy@oireachtas.ie; sorca.clarke@oireachtas.ie; roseconwaywalsh@eircom.net; reada.cronin@oireachtas.ie; pa.daly@oireachtas.ie; paul.donnelly@oireachtas.ie; mairead.farrell@oireachtas.ie; thomas.gould@oireachtas.ie; johnny.guirke@oireachtas.ie; claire.kerrane@oireachtas.ie; padraig.maclochlainn@oir.ie; johnny.mythen@oireachtas.ie; ruairi.omurchu@oireachtas.ie; darren.orourke@oireachtas.ie; patriciaryan975@gmail.com; pauline.tully@oireachtas.ie; vwynne@gmail.com
Labour Party TDs
sean.sherlock@oireachtas.ie; aodhan.oriordain@oireachtas.ie; duncan.smith@oireachtas.ie; gerald.nash@oireachtas.ie; Alan.Kelly@oireachtas.ie; brendan.howlin@oireachtas.ie
Sign the petitions
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
Ireland must ban greyhound racing
https://www.thepetitionsite.com/en-gb/184/794/470/?TAP=1732
“Stop Greyhound Racing”
https://www.change.org/p/the-department-of-agriculture-stop-greyhound-racing
Watch RTE’s award-winning "Greyhounds Running For Their Lives" documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM