A prohibited substance has been found in another greyhound at Shelbourne Park stadium.

As revealed in the Irish Greyhound Board’s January 2020 “Adverse Analytical Findings” report, Carprofen was detected in greyhound Looney Mctoe at Shelbourne Park on 19 November 2019.

On the night, the 2-year-old dog finished third in the “Barking Buzz A6/A7 525 Semi-Final” race.

He is the latest in a growing list of greyhounds testing positive for prohibited substances at tracks around Ireland.

Previous IGB “Adverse Analytical Findings” reports show that…

- The active ingredient in Viagra was detected in a greyhound at Limerick stadium during the summer. Sildenafil, was found in greyhound Makingtherunning according to the Irish Greyhound Board’s November 2019 “Adverse Analytical Findings” report. The detection was made at Limerick stadium on 24th August 2019 after the greyhound finished third in the “Bet Into Shelbourne Park S7 Lower 350” race. https://youtu.be/tuRD_iQ4CFw

- Amphetamine was found in a urine sample taken from greyhound Night Time Mammy at Newbridge track on 31 May 2019. The IGB website shows that the greyhound finished first in the “Troy Electrical & NTSC Tri Distance A3/4 Final” race, with winnings of €1,600. Appearing before the Control Committee, the greyhound’s owner, Donal Brennan, “stated at the outset that he was taking full responsibility for the adverse analytical finding”. He was fined just €500.

- Acepromazine was found in a sample taken from greyhound Confey Bay at Mullingar stadium on 16th February 2019. The greyhound was “an extremely nervous and ‘hyperactive’ greyhound” and a tablet, containing the prohibited substance, was given to the greyhound “to calm her down”. The owner/trainer was fined just €300 and the €50 prize money was forfeited.

- Acetaminophen and Codeine were found in a sample taken from greyhound Our Ellas Prince at Shelbourne Park stadium on 25th June 2019. “The Control Committee noted that [owner] Mr Houston stated in his evidence that he had administered Paracetamol tablets to the greyhound as pain relief medication. He was unaware at the time that Paracetamol was a prohibited substance...The Control Committee accepted the explanation tendered by Mr Houston and the Committee was satisfied Mr Houston did not administer the medication to the greyhound to enhance the greyhounds [sic] performance. Having taken all the circumstances into consideration, including the excellent level of co-operation received from Mr Houston, the Control Committee decided not to impose a fine on Mr Houston. The prize money of €255 won by the greyhound Our Ellas Prince in the event in question is forfeited.”

Ibuprofen has also been found in samples taken from greyhounds in the past year. The Control Committee noted that “Ibuprofen is a therapeutic human medication which is not licenced [sic] for canine veterinary use”.

- Ibuprofen was found in a sample taken from greyhound Finnery Loch at Lifford stadium on 16th March 2019. The owner, from whom there was a “lack of co-operation” was fined just €300

- Ibuprofen was found in a sample taken from greyhound Slippy Ned at Tralee stadium on 29th March 2019. The owner was fined just €200 and the €200 prize money was forfeited.

- Ibuprofen was found in a sample taken from greyhound Beaming Rainbow at Dundalk stadium on 16th March 2019. The owner was fined just €200 and “the prize money of €50 won by the greyhound Beaming Rainbow in the event in question is forfeited”. According to the IGB website, the prize money for Beaming Rainbow at the race was not €50 but €0.00.

- Ibuprofen was found in a sample taken from greyhound Some Ginger at Dundalk stadium on 8th February 2019. According to owner Adrian Markey, “the greyhound was being treated for a muscle injury with Ibuprofen Gel the week before the race. On changing the greyhound’s bedding the week after the race, Mr Markey said he found a tube of Ibuprofen Gel that the greyhound had chewed on unknown to Mr Markey”. The owner was fined just €200.

- Ibuprofen was also found in a sample taken from greyhound Cricket Field at Dundalk stadium on 12th July 2019. The greyhound finished last in the “Fanfruit Ltd Open 600” race. The owner was fined just €200.

For more details about these and other detections, read the reports at https://www.igb.ie/Resource/adverse-analytical-findings/

ACTION ALERT

Say NO to greyhound racing - don't attend races or fundraisers/hen parties/office parties held at greyhound tracks

Join us in urging Swiss travel agent, Clubilis (Email: info@clubilis.com / Tel: +41 22 7317700) to remove greyhound racing ("courses de levriers") from its Ireland tour itinerary https://www.clubilis.com/voyages-sorties/grand-tour-dirlande-du-16-au-27-juillet-2020/?fbclid=IwAR3aTGC6l-8JagsS68AvWIuPOsOCdUNgo0MymZXHyl6-10-iw5an_bMhJfc

Urge Viator’s CEO Barrie Seidenberg (Email: barrie@viator.com) to remove greyhound racing from the company’s website. Describing greyhound racing as “a slice of traditional entertainment”, it is currently selling tickets to Shelbourne Park and to the Newbridge and Drumbo Park tracks.

Urge discounts website, Groupon, to scrap its greyhound racing offers - Please sign and share the petitions. Don’t use Groupon until it stops promoting greyhound racing.

https://www.change.org/p/groupon-uk-groupon-scrap-your-greyhound-racing-discounts

https://www.thepetitionsite.com/336/797/911/groupon-stop-promoting-the-greyhound-racing-industry/

Please sign and share petitions

Irish Government: Stop Giving Millions of Euro to Cruel Greyhound Industry
https://www.change.org/p/irish-government-stop-giving-millions-of-euro-to-cruel-greyhound-industry

Ban Blood Sports in Ireland Now
https://www.change.org/petitions/ban-blood-sports-in-ireland

Ireland - Ban cruel hare coursing
www.change.org/p/ireland-ban-cruel-hare-coursing

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

Sinn Fein: Support a ban on cruel hare coursing
https://www.change.org/p/sinn-fein-support-a-ban-on-cruel-hare-coursing