Hollywood actress Virginia McKenna is the latest high profile celebrity to condemn the Irish Government for failing to ban the export of greyhounds to China. In a report in the Irish Mail on Sunday (22nd May 2016), the star of Born Free stated: "I cannot believe what I have just read - that the Irish Government continues to send greyhounds to race in China. Not only a long and distressing journey, but - without a question - a terrible and fearful future." Ms McKenna, who is a founder of the Born Free Foundation, added that "if the Irish Government has an ounce of compassion and understanding, it will immediately end this disgraceful 'trade'." At least nine Irish greyhounds have already been sent to China in recent months. Their final destination - the notorious Canidrome racetrack in Macau which is considered the world's worst. International protests and a petition signed by over 300,000 have yet to spur Agriculture Minister Michael Creed into action. The Minister, who supports bloodsports, is merely pointing to Irish Greyhound Board advice to greyhound exporters to "only export to destinations that provide the expected levels of care and management as defined in the IGB's Code of Practice for the welfare of greyhounds." This is advice Minister Creed knows was clearly ignored this month when a greyhound breeder/hare courser tried to export 24 Irish greyhounds to China. The dogs were saved from a terrible fate 10,000 km away - not because of any advice from the IGB but thanks to staff at London's Heathrow Airport. They stopped the dogs from being loaded on to a plane after noting that the crates they were confined to were in bad condition and not fit for transport. Until Michael Creed and the government take the necessary steps to stop the export, more Irish greyhounds are at risk of ending up at the Canidrome deathtrap. There is no doubt about the horrendous conditions there. The Irish Mail on Sunday quotes the head of Macau's Animal Control Division as admitting that the plight of greyhounds there is "terrible". "They euthanise about 30 dogs each month," he said. "Only a few of them are put down because they are injured. For most, it is because they can't run and can't win." ACTION ALERT Urgenly contact Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Agriculture Minister Michael Creed to demand legislation to prevent any more Irish greyhounds being sent to China and for action to be taken to rescue and rehome the Irish greyhounds currently at the track. Please also sign and share the petitions below. Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD / Michael Creed TD Dail Eireann, Kildare St, Dublin Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie,michael.creed@oir.ie Tel: +353 (0)1-6194020 (Enda Kenny) Tel: +353 (0)1-607 2000 (Michael Creed) Contact Lufthansa and urge them to STOP transporting greyhounds from Ireland to China. Leave a comment on the Lufthansa Facebook pages https://www.facebook.com/lufthansa/ https://www.facebook.com/lufthansacargoag Send a tweet to Lufthansa @lufthansa Email: carsten.spohr@dlh.de,customer.relations@lufthansa.com Please sign and share the petitions Stop export of Irish greyhounds to China https://www.change.org/p/prime-minster-taoiseach-enda-kenney-stop-export-of-irish-greyhounds-to-china Shut down the Canidrome, the world's deadliest greyhound racetrack https://www.change.org/p/chief-executive-chui-sai-on-stop-hundreds-of-greyhounds-from-being-raced-to-death Ban Blood Sports in Ireland https://www.change.org/petitions/ban-blood-sports-in-ireland Support the upcoming demonstrations in London, Milan and Dublin Protests against the export of Irish greyhounds to the Canidrome deathtrap in Macau are taking place all over the world. Please support your nearest protest or organise one of your own. Watch the protest video https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/videos/vb.463547953760768/979551758827049/?type=2&theater DUBLIN Saturday 28th May 2016, 3pm Foxrock Village, Dublin "Lufthansa - Do Not Fly Greyhounds to Their Deaths in China" https://www.facebook.com/events/1070027496396455/ MILAN Saturday 28th May 2016, 10am–1pm Via Dante Alighieri, 20020 Cesate MI, Italy https://www.facebook.com/events/824977514273494/ TURIN Saturday 28th May 2016, 10am-6pm Area12 Shopping Center Torino, Strada comunale di Altessano 141, 10151 Turin, Italy https://www.facebook.com/events/955050691279229/ DUBLIN Thursday 2nd June 2016, 12pm-2pm https://www.facebook.com/events/1677338955851552/ SYDNEY Thursday 2nd June 2016, 8:30am–10am Irish Consulate Sydney, Level 26, 1 Market St, Sydney, Australia NSW 2000 https://www.facebook.com/events/946875255433204/ PERTH Thursday 2nd June 2016, 11:30am–1pm Consulate of Ireland, 1/100 Terrace Rd East Perth https://www.facebook.com/events/259119027775966/ CANBERRA Thursday 2nd June 2016 https://www.facebook.com/Shut-It-Down-A-National-Day-of-Action-1425711857736550/?fref=nf ROME Thursday 2nd June 2016, 3pm–6pm Ritrovo ore 15 in Piazza del Popolo Corteo pacifico attraverso il centro città (Roma) lungo via del Corso https://www.facebook.com/events/971937666259108/ PADOVA Thursday 2nd June 2016, 3pm–6pm Piazza Prato della Valle (PD) https://www.facebook.com/events/980428268742372/ RICCIONE Thursday 2nd June 2016, 3pm–6pm Ritrovo nel parcheggio non a pagamento a Riccione in Via Giulio Cesare, "cimitero vecchio riccione" alle ore 15 da li preseguiremo a piedi verso il centro. https://www.facebook.com/events/519194638264087/ VARESE Thursday 2nd June 2016, 3pm–6pm P.zza XX Settembre ore 15,00 davanti al cinema Politeama. https://www.facebook.com/events/451234645086251/ TURIN Thursday 2nd June 2016, 5pm–8.30pm Piazza Castello, 10100 Turin, Italy https://www.facebook.com/events/1550090368627296/ GENOVA Thursday 2nd June 2016, 5pm–8.30pm Piazzale Mandraccio, Genova https://www.facebook.com/events/1136958183023604/ NAPOLI Thursday 2nd June 2016, 5pm–8pm Napoli (centro Storico), 80138 Naples, Italy https://www.facebook.com/events/599761880189997/ COMO Thursday 2nd June 2016, 5pm–8pm Piazza Cavour, 22100 Como, Italy https://www.facebook.com/events/1074944309242998/ ASOLO Thursday 2nd June 2016, 3:30pm–6:30pm Centro Storico Di Asolo, 31011 Asolo, Italy https://www.facebook.com/events/227787597613647/ FERRARA Thursday 2nd June 2016, 5pm–8pm Duomo Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy https://www.facebook.com/events/235219450187161/ PISA Thursday 2nd June 2016, 5pm–8pm Via Rindi, 56123 Pisa, Italy https://www.facebook.com/events/285021628501246/