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Downton Abbey and AfterLife actor Peter Egan has renewed his calls for a ban on cruel greyhound racing, saying "it should have happened years ago".
In a video message posted on Twitter, Peter condemned greyhound racing as "one of the most cruel, cruel businesses".
"It's desperately harmful for the greyhounds," he said. "It's absolutely shockingly cruel and it should be banned now and forever. So please support the campaign to ban greyhound racing."
Watch the video and sign the petitions at
https://twitter.com/HopeRescue/status/1584803889102360576
Vegan animal rights activist Peter, who has played Hugh ‘Shrimpie’ MacClare in Downton Abbey and appeared in After Life, Unforgotten, Chariots of Fire and Death at a Funeral, previously described greyhound racing as a “cruel and disgusting practice” which should be “consigned to the history books”.
In September he joined calls on the Irish Government to end its funding of greyhound racing.
Reacting to the discovery of greyhound skulls and bones in a bog 2km from Newbridge greyhound track, Peter tweeted: “Shocking. A greyhound graveyard. Poor animals.”
And in a comment directed at Taoiseach Micheal Martin, he added: #DefundGreyhoundRacing
Last year, he called on the Irish Government to ban hare coursing.
He has also spoken out against fur farming ("the cruellest, most despicable, most horrible thing I’ve ever encountered") and in the past has signed a petition which asks the Irish Government to outlaw hare coursing, fox hunting and digging-out/terrierwork https://www.change.org/p/ireland-s-agriculture-minister-please-ban-extremely-cruel-practices-under-animal-welfare-law
The petition set up by the Campaign for the Abolition of Cruel Sports states: “Please tell our government to outlaw, as a matter of urgency, a number of extremely cruel practices that make life a living hell on earth for animals in Ireland. Three of the worst practises are 1) Fox hunting, 2) Hare coursing, and 3) possibly the worst obscenity, the use of half-starved terriers and cross-bred dogs in ‘unearthing’ foxes that seek refuge underground from pursuing hounds and hunt followers.”
He was also among those urging the Irish Government to end the export of greyhounds to China, a country with no animal welfare laws where dogs are beaten, boiled alive and hung on hooks at meat markets.
A big THANK YOU to Peter Egan for supporting campaigns to end animal cruelty.
ACTION ALERT
Don’t go greyhound racing or attend events at tracks.
If you are in the UK, sign the "Cut The Chase" petition
https://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaign/greyhounds
Urge Battersea to join RSPCA, Dogs Trust, Bluecross, Scottish SPCA and other groups in calling for and end to greyhound racing in the UK.
Email: info@battersea.org.uk
Tel: 0800 001 4444.
Tweet: @Battersea_ @CEO_Battersea
Please join us in urging the Irish Government to STOP the massive grants that are propping up cruel, dog-killing greyhound racing. Since 2001, Greyhound Racing Ireland has received €309 million in funding, including €19.2 million for 2021 and €17.6 million for 2022. Another €18.2 million has been allocated in Budget 2023. 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 3000
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
Ivana Bacik TD
Leader, The Labour Party
Tel: (01) 6183136
Email: ivana.bacik@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ivanabacik
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bacikivana/
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
Watch RTE’s award-winning “Greyhounds Running For Their Lives” documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM