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The Wexford Academy of Irish Dance and Celtic Roots are being urged to step away from an announced "Race Night" at a greyhound track where dogs suffer painful injuries and are killed.
The two dance groups have announced the fundraising event at Enniscorthy track next month, promoting it as "a great night out for all the family". Shockingly, children are being encouraged to come to the gambling venue, with the promise of free admission.
In an appeal, the Irish Council Against Blood Sports stressed that greyhound racing is certainly not family-friendly.
"Greyhound tracks are gambling venues where dogs suffer and die," we stated. "The children lured to this track will be exposed to an environment where placing bets is normalised and they may witness the very upsetting sight of dogs falling, breaking limbs and crying out in agony. At races around Ireland in the past ten years, at least 3,251 greyhounds suffered injuries and 1,159 died or were killed."
At Enniscorthy greyhound track since 2015, 178 greyhounds suffered injuries and 52 died or were killed by a track vet. This includes 15 injuries and 7 deaths in the first nine months of 2023. The injuries included fractured wrist, fractured hock, dislocated toes, ruptured collateral ligaments of toes, cut leg and cut paw.
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2019/03/19/greyhound-injuries-and-deaths-at-enniscorthy-stadium/
The full horrors of greyhound racing were exposed in RTE's award-winning "Greyhounds Running For Their Lives" documentary. The programme revealed that around 6,000 dogs are killed behind the scenes every year simply because they are not fast enough to win races. It included horrifying scenes of dogs being delivered to knackeries to be shot in the head. One shot dog was seen writhing on the ground in agony as his merciless owner drove away https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM
A damning report which Greyhound Racing Ireland attempted to hide, 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”.
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 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 group “supports a winding down of greyhound racing in Ireland”.
ACTION ALERT
Urge Celtic Roots and Wexford Academy of Irish Dance to say NO to cruel, dog-killing greyhound racing.
Celtic Roots
Tel: +353 83 182 8233
Email: celticroots2005@yahoo.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100042529225425
Wexford Academy of Irish Dance
Email: Wexfordacademyofirishdance@gmail.com
Tel: +353 87 753 8657
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wexfordacad/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WexfordAcademyOfIrishDancing
While community groups are forced to fundraise, the Irish Government has doled out vast sums to the dying greyhound "industry". Since 2001, Greyhound Racing Ireland has received €347 million in funding, including €17.6 million for 2022, €18.2 million for 2023 and €19 million for 2024. This is unacceptable and must be stopped.
Urge the leaders of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, the Green Party and Sinn Fein to stop supporting this funding.
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/
X: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Leo Varadkar TD
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: 01-619 4020
Email: leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
X: 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/
X: https://twitter.com/EamonRyan
Mary Lou McDonald TD
Leader, Sinn Fein
Tel: (01) 727 7102
Email: marylou.mcdonald@oireachtas.ie
X: https://twitter.com/MaryLouMcDonald
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MaryLouMcDonaldTD
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://youtu.be/ZYTb2qBjlMM