A greyhound who was killed after suffering a double fracture in a Boylesports-sponsored race is the latest victim of cruel greyhound racing.
The 2-year-old greyhound, named Toolmaker Josepe, sustained the injury in a race at Shelbourne Park stadium in Dublin.
The Racing Post reported that the dog "had to be put down following a double fracture sustained during his Irish Derby heat" on 29 August 2025.
Trainer Robert Gleeson was quoted as saying: “It was a horrible injury and heartbreaking to see. I had to call his owner Willie Hyslop to give him the sad news..."
Toolmaker Josepe was first used in racing in January of this year and before being killed, he had been used in a total of 16 races at Clonmel, Limerick, Shelbourne Park and Dundalk tracks.
The trainer went on to say that greyhound Toolmaker King, owned by the same individual, "came off with a strained hock and is out of the competition" after winning a race at Shelbourne Park the following day.
"I have to be honest and say I’ve had a bad run of injuries at Shelbourne of late and while these things can happen in racing I do think it’s time that something was done regarding the track itself," he stated. "I know I’m not the only one who feels this way, but perhaps people do not wish to admit it out loud, but the track is not running anywhere as well as it has and looks very much like it’s in need of an overhaul...”
Shelbourne Park is one of the worst tracks in Ireland for greyhound injuries and deaths. At least 351 greyhounds suffered injuries there and 104 died or were killed by a track vet over the past 11 years alone, sickening Greyhound Racing Ireland statistics show. Among the past victims were a greyhound who died at the track after suffering a “severe fracture of the neck”, another who collapsed and died with a “haemorrhage into the abdomen from a rupture of the aorta”, a greyhound who died of a heart attack after a race and another who was carried away bleeding with a leg bone “popped out”.
In the first four months of 2025, there were 12 injuries and 5 deaths at Shelbourne Park.
At races around Ireland in the past eleven years, at least 3,696 greyhounds suffered injuries and 1,396 were killed.
It’s time for the Irish Government to stop the suffering and ban cruel greyhound racing.
ACTION ALERT
Don’t go greyhound racing. Since 2001, Greyhound Racing Ireland has received over €366 million in state funding, including €18.2 million for 2023, €19 million for 2024 and €19.82 million for 2025. This is unacceptable and must be stopped. Tell the leaders of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Sinn Fein to stop the funding and back a ban on this dog-killing gambling activity.
Micheál Martin TD
Leader, Fianna Fail
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Tel: 01 619 4000
Simon Harris TD
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: 01 281 3727
Email: simon.harris@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Mary Lou McDonald TD
Leader, Sinn Fein
Tel: (01) 727 7102
Email: marylou.mcdonald@oireachtas.ie
Please sign and share the petitions
Irish Government: Stop Giving Millions of Euro to Cruel Greyhound Racing
https://www.change.org/p/irish-government-stop-giving-millions-of-euro-to-cruel-greyhound-racing
Ban Greyhound Racing
https://my.uplift.ie/petitions/ban-greyhound-racing-4
GAA: Stop club fundraisers at greyhound tracks
https://www.change.org/p/gaa-stop-club-fundraisers-at-greyhound-tracks
Watch RTE’s “Greyhounds Running For Their Lives” documentary
https://youtu.be/ZYTb2qBjlMM
REPORTED GREYHOUND INJURIES AND DEATHS AT IRISH TRACKS
2025 (Jan to April): 106 injuries, 56 deaths
2024: 389 injuries, 202 deaths
2023: 257 injuries, 134 deaths
2022: 287 injuries. 122 deaths
2021: 351 injuries. 154 deaths
2020: 255 injuries. 90 deaths
2019: 332 injuries. 119 deaths
2018: 353 injuries. 121 deaths
2017: 357 injuries. 124 deaths
2016: 427 injuries. 139 deaths
2015: 422 injuries. 122 deaths
2014: 266 injuries. 69 deaths (July to Dec 2014)
INJURIES AND DEATHS AT SHELBOURNE PARK
2025 (Jan to April): 12 injuries, 5 deaths
2024: 32 injuries, 10 deaths
2023: 29 injuries, 16 deaths (12 killed by track vet + 4 fatalities)
2022: 40 injuries, 11 deaths (10 killed by track vet + 1 fatality)
2021: 42 injuries, 15 deaths
2020: 18 injuries, 4 deaths (3 killed by track vet + 1 fatality)
2019: 32 injuries, 7 deaths
2018: 41 injuries, 12 deaths
2017: 21 injuries, 10 deaths
2016: 51 injuries, 7 deaths
2015: 33 injuries, 7 deaths
SEE ALSO:
Raced to death: 202 greyhounds killed at races in Ireland in 2024
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2025/02/18/raced-to-death-202-greyhounds-killed-at-races-in-ireland-in-2024/
32 greyhounds injured, 10 killed in races at Shelbourne Park track in 2024
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2025/03/20/32-greyhounds-injured-10-killed-in-races-at-shelbourne-park-track-in-2024/
134 greyhounds killed at races in Ireland in 2023
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2024/03/15/raced-to-death-134-greyhounds-killed-at-races-in-ireland-in-2023/
Massive drop in attendance at Shelbourne Park
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2025/03/12/massive-drop-in-attendance-at-shelbourne-park/