The Sunday Times has criticised “aggressive” and “insecure” Greyhound Racing Ireland’s reaction to a school book which highlights racing’s cruelty and killing.
A page in the Folens Make a Difference book educates secondary school students about the victims of greyhound racing, stating “unsuccessful greyhounds are sometimes abandoned or even put down.” The book - which also highlights the cutting off of greyhound ears to remove identity tattoos (before the greyhounds are dumped) - encourages readers 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.”
In a hard-hitting editorial headed “Greyhound racing needs to call the dogs off its opponents”, the Sunday Times commented that “only a defensive, thin-skinned organisation would take issue with such a harmless exercise, to the point of writing to the Department of Education seeking its removal from class textbooks,” adding that “our children should be given all the facts about greyhound racing [and] self-interested attempts to suppress study and discussion must be resisted”.
“Greyhound Racing Ireland invariably adopts an aggressive stance to anyone who criticises dog racing,” it noted. “Holly Cairns, a TD who has ably articulated public unease about this sport was dismissed as an ‘ignorant little girl’ by the chairman of the GRI’s regulation committee. The Sunday Times reported last month that the GRI has to pay a legal bill of about €350,000 after the failure in the High Court of its heavy handed attempt to stop a protest at Shelbourne Park racetrack.”
Pointing out that Greyhound Racing Ireland “clearly feels a tad insecure”, the editorial went on to observe that “there is no disguising the fact that this sport is on a downward trajectory”, referring to falls in attendance at tracks, prize money and the number of greyhound trainers.
“There is also public concern about welfare issues, including doping and the fate of greyhounds whose careers are over,” the editorial continued. “An RTE Investigates documentary broadcast in 2019, entitled Running For Their Lives, reported that 16,000 greyhounds are bred every year but almost 6,000 of them are culled. The programme prompted shrieks of protest from the GRI and supporters of the industry but the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland rejected complaints and found RTE had been ‘fair, objective and impartial’.”
The Sunday Times went on to express its support for an end to the state subsidies that are keeping greyhound racing afloat after casting doubts on claims by the industry that it generates hundreds of millions of euros for the economy - “this is questionable given the average attendance at races was below 300 even before the pandemic.”
ACTION ALERT
Thank Folens publishers for highlighting greyhound racing cruelty and killing in its "Make a Difference" book - Email: info@folens.ie
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
Irish Government: Stop Giving Millions of Euro to Cruel Greyhound Racing
https://www.change.org/p/irish-government-stop-giving-millions-of-euro-to-cruel-greyhound-racing
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
SEE ALSO
School book highlights suffering and death in greyhound racing
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/videos/2907541506170896/
“Disgraceful”, “Horrible”, “Sexist. Offensive”: TDs condemn tweet from GRI board member
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2020/12/02/disgraceful-horrible-sexist-offensive-tds-condemn-tweet-from-gri-board-member/
REVEALED: Greyhound Racing Ireland board member posted offensive tweet
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2020/12/01/revealed-greyhound-racing-ireland-board-member-posted-offensive-tweet/