A veterinary hospital which treats greyhounds injured in racing has sponsored greyhound racing at a track where dogs suffer and die.

O'Connor Julian Vets in Cashel is listed on the Greyhound Racing Ireland website as the sponsor of a series of races at Limerick Stadium - a track where greyhounds have suffered injuries to legs, hocks, wrists, shoulders and muscles. In the past seven years, 298 greyhounds have suffered injuries at Limerick Stadium and 90 died or were killed by a track vet.

The “O'Connor Julian Vets Cashel A2 Tri Dist” racing event carries prize money of €10,665, including €4,200 for the owner of the winning greyhound.

O'Connor Julian Vets says on its website that it provides “specialist and experienced treatment of racing and coursing greyhounds” and that "repair of fractured hocks and other injuries are common procedures at our practice."

The veterinary hospital’s name was attached to 11 races at Limerick Stadium on 17 July, 6 races on 24 July and three on 31 July 2021.

A Greyhound Racing Ireland race booklet confirms that the races were “sponsored by O'Connor Julian Vets Cashel...Proudly Sponsored on behalf of the I.R.G.T [Irish Retired Greyhound Trust]”.

ICABS has brought this to the attention of the Veterinary Council as part of a renewed appeal to them to stop vets sponsoring greyhound racing. We highlighted the injuries and deaths at tracks, including Limerick Stadium.

Responding to similar correspondence in the past, the Veterinary Council stated that “the council would not take issue with a veterinary practitioner sponsoring an event as long as it complies with the Code of Standards for Advertising, Promotional and Direct Marketing, which is enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland http://www.asai.ie/asai-code/ and does not bring the veterinary profession into disrepute. The activities mentioned in your email are legal in the State and the Council does not restrict registered persons from participating in any legal activity.”

Please join us in contacting the Veterinary Council now.

Niamh Muldoon
CEO, Veterinary Council of Ireland
53 Lansdowne Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin
Telephone: +353 (0)1 668 4402
Email: niamh.muldoon@vci.ie; info@vci.ie

SEE ALSO
Vet Council “would not take issue with” vet sponsoring greyhound racing
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2018/01/06/vet-council-would-not-take-issue-with-vet-sponsoring-greyhound-racing/