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Greyhound Racing Ireland is continuing to falsely claim that an Irish greyhound found straying in the UK has been “rehomed”.

The greyhound named Ronnie (formely known as Haresupemall) was picked up by dog wardens in England. He was "in an appalling state with rotten teeth".

He is now in the care of Northern Greyhound Rescue which last month stated: "Ronnie’s certainly NOT homed - he’s awaiting homing under our care. Quite concerning how many more are listed as homed when they quite clearly aren’t." 

Northern Greyhound Rescue founder, Amanda Gething, this week explained that she contacted the Irish Coursing Club on 29th January 2024 to enquire about the greyhound's details and to outline that the dog was in the group's care after being taken off the streets.

“At no point did I say he was homed, because he wasn’t,” she emphasised. “He is still in our care waiting for a home as we have only just got neuter and dental done because he had to gain weight before having surgery.”

A few days after the phone call, the Irish Coursing Club updated its online records with the claim that the greyhound was suddenly “rehomed”. The owner's name (Christopher Connolly) was also deleted. This misleading update then appeared on the Greyhound Racing Ireland website, where there is no indication that the dog had even been exported.

Paul Murphy TD has questioned the Minister for Agriculture about the false information.

In his Dail question, Deputy Murphy (People Before Profit, Dublin South West) asked the Minister to “investigate why Greyhound Racing Ireland has categorised an Irish greyhound as 'rehomed' after it was informed that the dog had been found straying in the UK in an underweight condition with a mouth 'in an appalling state with rotten teeth' and that efforts were being made to find him a home; and if an investigation will be carried out to establish how this Irish-owned greyhound came to be abandoned in the UK.”

In a response from the office of Greyhound Racing Ireland CEO Tim Lucey, it was stated that the 7-year-old “coursing bred greyhound” - who was exported from Ireland “a number of years ago” - “predates the inception of the Rásaíocht Con Éireann Traceability System (RCÉTS) introduced in January 2021”.

The GRI statement continued: “The Irish Coursing Club are the registrations body for greyhounds in Ireland and Rásaíocht Con Éireann routinely obtains greyhound registration details through data feeds from the ICC with changes to the registration details for greyhounds registered in the Irish Greyhound Stud Book which is maintained by the ICC. A data feed from the ICC was received towards the end of January 2024 which updated the Registered Ownership of 'Haresupemall' from Mr Christopher Connolly to Rehomed on the Rásaíocht Con Éireann website. The ICC have additionally confirmed to Rásaíocht Con Éireann, that the registration update made by them, was done so subsequent to the ICC being contacted by a registered rehoming charity, who informed the ICC they were rehoming this greyhound.”

So, despite the fact that this greyhound had clearly NOT been rehomed, it was considered appropriate to immediately categorise him as “rehomed”.

Before ending up in the UK, Haresupemall was trialled at Curraheen Park track in Cork and used in racing at Dundalk and Shelbourne Park tracks, with total prizemoney of €70. He is one of the many victims of cruel greyhound racing.

Read more on the Northern Greyhound Rescue Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NorthernGreyhoundRescue/posts/pfbid0TcSc5Gf8XZmH51KtFbJKVt9mCL8jwhNaHoijp74jsB7Ju2Hs4wwV93ycPcvvYB43l

This latest revelation cast further doubts on Greyhound Racing Ireland’s already dubious “rehoming” statistics.

Previously, in 2021, details for Irish greyhound Leonas Skylark were changed on the GRI website from “Owner: Mr Peter Connolly” to “Owner: Rehomed” – this despite the fact that both the Irish Coursing Club and Greyhound Racing Ireland were both aware that the dog had been exported to China, a country where greyhounds are beaten, tortured, boiled alive and hung on hooks at meat markets. Three years later, the dog is still listed as “rehomed”.

Also in 2021, it emerged that a greyhound GRI claimed was “rehomed-as-pet” was actually exported for use in cruel coursing in Pakistan, a country which has been condemned for its appalling treatment of animals.

The Mail on Sunday reported at the time that the greyhound named Granard Swift – one of hundreds of Irish greyhounds disgracefully exported to Pakistan – was not rehomed but actually “bought by a purchaser with a US address, shipped to the UK, and then transported on to the Rajpur Coursing Club in Pakistan”.

In his article, journalist Ken Foxe outlined that Greyhound Racing Ireland had initially refused to release a related internal report under Freedom of Information and “did so only after an internal review was sought”. See documents at https://www.thestory.ie/2021/02/02/official-report-into-how-greyhound-listed-as-rehomed-in-ireland-ended-up-coursing-in-pakistan-finds-no-animal-welfare-issues/

HELP THE HOUNDS. DON'T GO GREYHOUND RACING. 

Support the work of Northern Greyhound Rescue
https://www.northerngreyhoundrescue.org.uk/page_1575982.html

SEE ALSO:

“Rehomed” Greyhound was Exported to China
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2021/04/07/rehomed-greyhound-was-exported-to-china/

Mail on Sunday uncovers sickening details about “rehomed as pet” greyhound exported to Pakistan
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2021/02/04/mail-on-sunday-uncovers-sickening-details-about-rehomed-as-pet-greyhound-exported-to-pakistan/

Greyhound Racing Ireland claiming greyhound shamefully exported to Pakistan was “rehomed as pet”
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2020/11/24/greyhound-racing-ireland-claiming-greyhound-shamefully-exported-to-pakistan-was-rehomed-as-pet/

ACTION ALERT

Don’t go greyhound racing. Please join us in urging the government to STOP the massive grants that are propping up this cruel, dog-killing gambling activity. 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 Fine Gael, Fianna Fail, the Green Party, Sinn Fein and Labour to stop the funding and back a ban on greyhound racing.

Simon Harris TD
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: +353 (0)1 618 3805 or +353 (0)1 889 2442 
Email: simon.harris@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
X: http://www.twitter.com/SimonHarrisTD
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DeputySimonHarris

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

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

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