Note: Any donations made through Change.org go directly to Change.org. If you wish to donate to the Irish Council Against Blood Sports to support our campaigns, you can do so at https://www.paypal.me/banbloodsports Thank you

Waterford FC is being urged not to hold a club event at Kilcohan Park greyhound track next month.

A notice on the club's website states: “Waterford FC and Kilcohan Park are teaming up to bring fans of all ages an exhilarating Greyhound Racing Night. It’s a unique blend of sporting prowess and community spirit, promising an unforgettable experience. Join us for a night of high-speed excitement, friendly competition and the vibrant atmosphere of Kilcohan Park.”

Shockingly, children are being encouraged to come to this gambling venue, with the promise of free tickets for under-12s.

In an appeal to the club, the Irish Council Against Blood Sports stressed that greyhound racing is a cruel, dog-killing activity. We pointed to the award-winning “RTE Investigates: Greyhounds running for their lives” documentary which 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

Dogs also suffer and die at tracks, including at Kilcohan Park.

At races around Ireland in the past ten years, at least 3,251 greyhounds suffered injuries and 1,159 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 Kilcohan Park track since 2015, 186 greyhounds suffered injuries and 77 died or were killed. At least seven died there last year, including 2 at a meeting on 22 July.

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 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”.

We hope Waterford FC will show compassion for the animals who suffer and die in this inherently cruel activity and join the many companies, clubs and charities which have rejected greyhound racing.

These include Verona FC, Arklow Rugby Club, Pieta House, Society of St Vincent de Paul, Our Lady’s Hospice, Parkinson’s Ireland, The Hope Foundation, Cara Projects, Movember, Family Carers Ireland, Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, Air France (which removed Irish greyhound racing from 44 of its international websites), Thomas Cook, Toyota Ireland, Opel Ireland, Heineken Ireland/Murphy’s, Dublin Bus, Eir Sport, Tesco Ireland, Electric Ireland, Applegreen, Barry’s Tea, Hyde Irish Whiskey, Permanent TSB, Maldron Hotels, Clayton Hotels, Hertz, Expedia, Galway Crystal, FBD Insurance, Botanica International, Voucher Cloud, North Star Hotel Dublin, Metropole Hotel Cork, Treacy’s Hotel Waterford, The Mayson Hotel, Trip Indicator, Food For Thought (the official publication of the Restaurants Association of Ireland), DishCult, MummyPages.ie, Ireland Before You Die, Dublin Convention Bureau, In Your Pocket City Guides, etc.

We have urged Waterford FC to also consider the inappropriateness of choosing a gambling venue to host its club's event. 

“Youngsters will be exposed to a gambling environment where placing bets is normalised,” we stated. “With growing concerns about Ireland's gambling addiction crisis, this undermines efforts to steer youngsters away from gambling.” 

ACTION ALERT

Urge Waterford FC to stay away from Kilcohan Park greyhound track and choose a different venue for its event.

WATERFORD FOOTBALL CLUB
Unit 2, Kingsmeadow, Cork Road, X91 EK20
Phone: +353 51 271 160

Adrian Hunt, Waterford FC Head of Commercial 
Alan Forristal, Waterford FC Fan Engagement Officer 

Email: office@waterfordfc.ie; commercial@waterfordfc.ie; supporterservices@waterfordfc.ie; sandra.burke@waterfordfc.ie