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Supermarket chain, Costcutter is being urged to disassociate from cruel greyhound racing.

The Grenagh branch of Costcutter is listed as a sponsor of a GAA club fundraiser which is shamefully being held at Curraheen Park greyhound track in Cork next month.

A promotional poster for the Grenagh GAA club event prominently displays the Costcutter logo and states that Costcutter in Grenagh is a "main race sponsor"
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=800997545366678&set=pb.100063693191650.-2207520000

"It is very surprising that Costcutter would choose to align its brand with greyhound racing, particularly after all the shocking revelations of cruelty and killing," we stated in an appeal to parent company Barry Group. 

We pointed out that the award-winning “RTE Investigates: Greyhounds running for their lives” documentary revealed that thousands of greyhounds are killed behind the scenes every year simply because they are not fast enough. It included disturbing 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

The programme featured a damning report which Greyhound Racing Ireland attempted to hide. This showed 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”.

We pointed out to Costcutter that dogs also suffer and die at tracks, including at Curraheen Park.

At races around Ireland in the past nine years, at least 3,050 greyhounds suffered injuries and 1,060 died or were killed. Among the victims were a greyhound who collapsed after a race and died of a heart attack, a greyhound who was carried away bleeding with a leg bone “popped out”, a greyhound who collapsed and died with a “haemorrhage into the abdomen from a rupture of the aorta”, a greyhound who “collided with a boundary wall and died on impact”, a greyhound with a severed spine and greyhounds who suffered broken necks and died.

At Curraheen Park track since 2015, 190 greyhounds suffered injuries and 75 died or were killed. Last year, seven greyhounds were killed  there after sustaining leg and hock fractures. Among the victims were two greyhounds killed at a meeting on 7th May and another two killed at a meeting on 27th August.

Greyhound racing is responsible for so much suffering and death that many of the biggest animal welfare charities in Ireland, the US and the UK are calling for it to be ended. They include the RSPCA, Dogs Trust UK, Blue Cross, Woodgreen Pets, GREY2K USA, the League Against Cruel Sports and Scottish SPCA. Here in the Ireland, Dogs Trust has also announced that it wants to see greyhound racing ended as soon as possible. The CEO of the ISPCA, meanwhile, has stated that the society “supports a winding down of greyhound racing in Ireland”.

In an appeal to Grenagh GAA club, we stated that track fundraisers are a major source of income for the cruel greyhound racing - tracks take a 30-40% commission on ticket sales and they profit from food/drink/gambling on the night. Such fundraisers are helping to keep the dying greyhound industry afloat.

ACTION ALERT

Don’t attend greyhound races or fundraisers/hen parties/office parties or other events held at greyhound tracks.

Urge Costcutter to show compassion for the dogs who suffer and die in greyhound racing and join the many companies which have rejected greyhound racing.

Barry Group,
Upper Quartertown,
Mallow,
Co.Cork
Tel: +353 (0)22 30100
Email via: https://www.costcutter.ie/contact-costcutter-ireland/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CostcutterIreland

Appeal to Grenagh GAA to show compassion for the animals and choose an alternative fundraising venue.

Grenagh GAA
Email: grenaghgaaclub@gmail.com; secretary.grenagh.cork@gaa.ie 
Leave a comment on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/Grenagh-GAA-Club-143912875680297/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Grenaghgaa

Join us in urging the GAA to tell member clubs to stop fundraising at greyhound tracks.

Email: queries@gaa.ie; nationalchildrensofficer@gaa.ie 
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