There are renewed calls for a ban on cruel greyhound racing after newly released Greyhound Racing Ireland statistics show that 169 greyhounds suffered injuries and 73 died at tracks around Ireland in the first six months of this year.
The sickening figures - obtained by Independents 4 Change TD, Joan Collins (Dublin South Central) – confirm that there is no end to the suffering and death at tracks.
The 73 deaths include 71 greyhounds “put to sleep” by track vets and another 2 “racing fatalities”.
One of the fatalities occurred after a greyhound “collided with a boundary wall and died on impact” at Mullingar stadium on 8th February 2021. The other fatality was at Limerick Stadium (headquarters of Greyhound Racing Ireland) on 6 May - a greyhound “collapsed and died after race”. A post-mortem “indicated cardiac arrest”.
The GRI data shows that greyhounds sustained injuries and were killed at all tracks. The injuries were to hock, wrist, front leg, back leg, hip, neck, shoulder, back/tail, tendons/muscles, claws and toes.
The track with the highest number of injuries was Waterford, with 25 injuries. This was followed by Shelbourne Park (21 injuries), Limerick (21), Mullingar (16), Galway (13), Curraheen Park (12), Tralee (11), Clonmel (10), Enniscorthy (9), Youghal (8), Kilkenny (7), Newbridge (7), Dundalk (5) and Thurles (4).
The track with the highest number of deaths was Mullingar where 12 greyhounds were “put to sleep by vet at track”. This was followed by Shelbourne Park (7 deaths), Galway (7), Limerick (6), Tralee (6), Kilkenny (6), Waterford (5), Dundalk (5), Clonmel (4), Curraheen Park (4), Youghal (4), Enniscorthy (2), Newbridge (2) and Thurles (1).
Regarding the percentage of injured greyhounds who were destroyed, Dundalk stadium shamefully stands out as the worst track. According to the GRI statistics, 100% of injured dogs were put to sleep there, i.e. 5 greyhounds injured and 5 killed.
This was followed by Kilkenny (86%), Mullingar (75%), Tralee (55%), Galway (54%), Youghal (50%), Clonmel (40%), Shelbourne Park (33%), Curraheen Park (33%), Limerick (29%), Newbridge (29%), Thurles (25%), Enniscorthy (22%) and Waterford (20%). Overall, 42% of the greyhounds who suffered injuries were killed by a track vet.
2021 (Jan to June): Greyhound injuries and deaths at tracks around Ireland (by month)
January: 27 injuries, 8 deaths
February: 25 injuries, 6 deaths
March: 22 injuries, 7 deaths
April: 29 injuries, 12 deaths
May: 33 injuries, 17 deaths
June: 33 injuries, 21 deaths
Total: 169 injuries, 71 deaths + 2 fatalities
2021 (Jan to June): Greyhound injuries and deaths (by track)
Clonmel: 10 injuries, 4 deaths
Curraheen Park: 12 injuries, 4 deaths
Dundalk: 5 injuries, 5 deaths
Enniscorthy: 9 injuries, 2 deaths
Galway: 13 injuries, 7 deaths
Kilkenny: 7 injuries, 6 deaths
Limerick: 21 injuries, 6 deaths
Mullingar: 16 injuries, 12 deaths
Newbridge: 7 injuries, 2 deaths
Shelbourne Park: 21 injuries, 7 deaths
Thurles: 4 injuries, 1 deaths
Tralee: 11 injuries, 6 deaths
Waterford: 25 injuries, 5 deaths
Youghal: 8 injuries, 4 deaths
Total: 169 injuries, 71 deaths + 2 fatalities
Download the January to June 2021 GRI data
https://banbloodsports.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/injuries-and-deaths-gri-jan-to-june-2021.pdf
The latest figures bring to 2,315 the number of greyhounds injured and 788 the number killed at Irish tracks since 2015.
As always, the Greyhound Racing Ireland statistics attempt to downplay the level of injuries and deaths, claiming that the percentage of greyhounds injured was 0.36% and the percentage put to sleep was 0.15%.
However these percentages relate to the number of race entries and not individual greyhounds. According to previously published GRI data, the number of greyhounds in the “racing pool” is around 4,850. This means that the actual percentage of greyhounds injured and killed is around TEN TIMES HIGHER than the figures presented, i.e. an estimated 3.5% of greyhounds were injured in the first six months of the year and an estimated 1.5% of greyhounds were killed.
It should be noted that the Greyhound Racing Ireland stats only cover reported injuries and deaths which occurred at tracks and do not include the greyhounds injured at tracks and later killed elsewhere.
The track figures represent only the tip of the iceberg. As revealed in the award-winning “RTE Investigates: Greyhounds running for their lives” documentary, thousands of greyhounds are killed every year simply because they are not fast enough. It included shocking scenes of dogs being delivered to a knackery where they were shot in the head and dumped in a skip. One shot dog was seen writhing on the ground in agony as his merciless owner drove away. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM
A damning report which the Irish Greyhound Board attempted to hide, revealed that around 6,000 greyhounds are killed every year because they don’t make the grade. The report estimated that, for example, 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”.
How many more dogs have to suffer and die before the Irish Government stops the massive state grants that are keeping nasty greyhound racing afloat? A RED C opinion poll commissioned by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports confirms that a two-thirds majority want the funding stopped, while petitions urging the government to end the funding have more than 400,000 signatures.
ACTION ALERT
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 another €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
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 4350
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
“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; ivana.bacik@oireachtas.ie
Please sign and share the 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
Irish Government grants to greyhound racing
2001 €11,777,583
2002 €13,613,163
2003 €12,837,200
2004 €13,382,800
2005 €13,670,000
2006 €14,012,000
2007 €14,572,000
2008 €15,257,000
2009 €13,625,600
2010 €11,852,800
2011 €11,460,000
2012 €11,258,000
2013 €11,004,000
2014 €10,844,000
2015 €13,600,000
2016 €14,800,000
2017 €16,000,000
2018 €16,000,000
2019 €16,800,000
2020 €16,800,000
2021 €19,200,000
Total: €292 Million (€0.292 Billion)
Source: Department of Agriculture
Watch RTE’s award-winning “Greyhounds Running For Their Lives” documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM