Greyhound Racing Ireland and a handful of pro-racing politicians are complaining about a Junior Cycle text book which highlights cruelty and killing in greyhound racing.
A page in the Folens “Make a Difference” activity book educates pupils about the suffering of dogs in racing.
“Unsuccessful greyhounds are sometimes abandoned or even put down,” the page states.
As revealed in RTE’s award-winning "Greyhounds running for their lives", around 6,000 greyhounds are killed every year in Ireland simply because they are not fast enough to win races.
The documentary featured content from a Greyhound Racing Ireland-commissioned report which 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
The RTE documentary included horrifying scenes of greyhounds being delivered to a knackery where they were shot in the head and dumped into a skip. One shot dog was seen writhing on the ground as his merciless owner drove away https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM
Among the other issues included on the “Make a Difference” text book page is the cutting off of greyhound ears (before the greyhounds are dumped) to remove tattoos which identify the dog and owner.
The Folens school book maintains that greyhounds “seem to enjoy the chase and they come to no harm if they are looked after properly”.
However, many greyhounds do sadly come to harm at tracks. For example, in the past seven years alone, at least 2,315 greyhounds suffered painful injuries and 788 died or were killed by vets at Irish tracks (Source: Greyhound Racing Ireland statistics).
Readers of “Make a Difference” are encouraged to “write an email or letter to the Minister for Agriculture...suggesting some actions the Irish Government can take to protect the welfare of greyhounds in Ireland.”
With thousands of greyhounds destroyed every year in Ireland and many injuries and deaths at tracks, the best action the Irish Government can take is to ban greyhound racing or, at the very least, stop propping up the cruel, dog-killing activity with millions of euros of taxpayers’ money. A two thirds majority want the funding stopped and it’s time for politicians to listen and let greyhound racing die a death.
Responding to complaints from those involved in greyhound racing, Folens told RTE News that the language on the page was “measured and considered” and that the authors conducted widespread research.
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: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie; 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
Sign and share 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
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