A big THANK YOU to Eir Sport for becoming the latest company to reject cruel, dog-killing greyhound racing.
The sports broadcaster has responded positively to an ICABS appeal to stop airing Irish Greyhound Board promotional videos.
In a statement issued today, Eir Sport commented: "In error, two short vignette promos from the Irish Greyhound Board were used on eir sport during a break in our schedule. This was used as a simple filler content on our channel, as other content is used periodically throughout the month. We did not enter into any commercial agreement with the IGB or promise to show any full length programmes. We have now removed all Greyhound Board content from our server and this content will not play-out on air again. We have also advised the Irish Greyhound Board that we will not be playing out the filler content on air, nor engaging in any commercial discussions and have asked them to remove any reference to eir sport from their website."
On a now DELETED page on its website, the Irish Greyhound Board had said that a series of videos it produced "will be broadcast to sporting fans across Ireland via the eir Sports TV channel" and that "it is hoped that this will open new audiences to the reality of life in the greyhound industry.”
In an appeal to Eir Sport, ICABS pointed out that the “reality” of this nasty industry is as exposed in the "RTE Investigates: Greyhounds running for their lives" documentary last June. The programme revealed that 6,000 greyhounds are killed every year simply because they are not fast enough to win. Secretly filmed footage showed harrowing scenes of of dogs being delivered to knackeries to be shot in the head. One dog was seen writhing on the ground in agony as his merciless owner drove away (but not before the dying dog’s collar and lead were handed back to him) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM
The reality is that dogs suffer painful injuries and are killed at tracks. Sickening Irish Greyhound Board statistics show that at tracks around Ireland in the past five years alone, 1,813 greyhounds suffered injuries and 592 were killed by track vets. Among the injuries were broken legs, severed spine and fractured hock bones. Others have collapsed and died of heart attacks.
The reality is that greyhounds are dumped, mutilated, doped and blooded on live kittens and rabbits. Others are mercilessly exported to countries like China and Pakistan where it is known that there is little or no protection for animals. In China, to where Irish greyhounds continue to be exported, dogs are boiled alive, brutally beaten and hung on hooks at meat markets.
The RTE documentary has shocked and disgusted the public, prompting multiple ongoing protests outside tracks and calls for a ban on greyhound racing and a boycott of sponsors. Opinion polls conducted by RED C and TheJournal.ie show that a majority of Irish citizens want the government to permanently end the state grants that are keeping greyhound racing and its associated animal cruelty afloat. Petitions urging the government to stop the funding have been signed over 330,000 times.
We are delighted to add Eir Sport to the growing list of companies that have rejected greyhound racing, including Tesco Ireland, Toyota Ireland, Electric Ireland, Applegreen, Hyde Irish Whiskey, Barry's Tea, FBD Insurance, Botanica International, Thomas Cook/Jet Tours, Galway Crystal and Wilton Shopping Centre.
Our attention now returns to Glanbia/GAIN pet foods, BoyleSports, Ladbrokes, Kerry Group and Best Car Parks who are shamefully continuing to support the activity, despite being aware of all the suffering and deaths of dogs.
ACTION ALERT
Boycott businesses which continue to support cruel greyhound racing.
Please get in contact with Glanbia / GAIN and ask it to permanently end all sponsorship/support of greyhound racing.
Jim Bergin
CEO, Glanbia
Glanbia House,
Kilkenny, Ireland
Telephone: +353 (0)56-777 2200 or Tel: 1890 321 321
More phone numbers at: https://greyhound.gainanimalnutrition.com/contact-us/
Email: corporatecomms@glanbia.com; info@gainanimalnutrition.com; jfox@glanbia.ie; seantraynor64@outlook.com; rigneyfam@iolfree.ie; imaunsell@glanbia.ie; jimtracy@glanbia.ie
Tweet to: @GlanbiaPlc
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GAINpetnutrition/
Urge Boylesports and Ladbrokes to end their sponsorship
BoyleSports
Tel: 1800 22 00 66
Email: care@boylesports.com
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boylesports/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BoyleSports
Ladbrokes
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ladbrokes/
Twitter @Ladbrokes @LadbrokesCare
Appeal to the Kerry Group (the company behind Pure sunflower/soya spread, Dairygold, LowLow, etc) to stop sponsoring greyhound racing.
Kerry Group
Phone: +353 (0)66 718 2000
Prince’s Street, Tralee, Co. Kerry
Email VIA: https://www.kerrygroup.com/help/contact-form/
Best Car Parks
40 Northumberland Road
Dublin 4
Email: info@bestcarparks.ie
Telephone: (01) 878 2074
Tweet to: @bestcarparks
Sign and share our 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
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
GAA: Stop club fundraisers at greyhound tracks
https://www.change.org/p/gaa-stop-club-fundraisers-at-greyhound-tracks