“Attempts to cover-up” injuries at Irish greyhound tracks

The Irish Greyhound Board is attempting to “cover-up” dog injuries at tracks – an explosive new claim in a statement issued this week by the Irish Greyhound Owners and Breeders Federation (IGOBF).

The statement – published following a meeting between the IGOBF and members of the Irish Greyhound Board – says “We have far too many injuries at our tracks and IGB’s attempts to cover-up are simply juvenile. YouTube is full of footage of dogs getting hurt at Irish tracks.” No more details about the “cover-up” are given.

Other issues raised at the May 14 meeting was the decline of the greyhound industy, the fall in track attendance and the “total breakdown in regulation”.

A selection of extracts from the IGOBF statement:
Read in full at http://igobf.ie/wp/?p=977

– “Attendance continues to fall and greyhound numbers continue to shrink.”

– “The IGB is a lawless organisation that is incapable of producing a racing product with a standard of integrity that today’s consumers demand.”

– “The IGOBF gave [the IGB CEO] multiple examples of breaches of regulations. It was disappointing that the CEO was unaware of the number of dogs finding in excess of 1 second from qualifying to racing and particularly at Limerick track just down the hall from his office.”

– “The IGB has enjoyed unfaltering support from politicians who have refused to demand accountability. The monthly handover of €1.2 million of taxpayers’ [money] has fostered an unhealthy level of arrogance and laziness in the organisation.”

– “The €20 million euro restaurant [at Limerick stadium] is virtually empty every weekend while every restaurant in the city is booked out.”

Describing the meeting as “disappointing”, members of the greyhound breeders group say they left the meeting “unconvinced that we had witnessed enough ambition or courage to make the decisions needed to turn the industry around.”

In the past three years alone, over a thousand greyhounds have suffered injuries at tracks around Ireland and 385 were destroyed by track vets. In addition, thousands of greyhounds go missing each year, presumed killed when found to be too slow to win races. One Irish trainer remarked online: “I’ve seen dogs being shot. It has to be done as there’s too many of them to rehome.” A former chairman of the Irish Greyhound Board meanwhile admitted on Cork’s 96 FM that he believes it is “absolutely” okay for thousands of dogs to be killed and that racing couldn’t exist without the destruction of dogs.

Witness some of the latest disturbing incidents at greyhound tracks…

– 18th May: A greyhound “seems to get hurt” at Shelbourne Park after hitting the trackside rails

– 16th May: A greyhound is unable to finish a race after being knocked head over heels during a Prague House fundraiser race at Kilkenny track https://youtu.be/X9eSbR5q8aw?t=7s

– 19th May: A greyhound “comes a cropper” during a race sponsored by Barry’s Tea at Curraheen Park

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Offspring of exported Irish greyhounds ending up in Chinese slaughterhouses

The offspring of Irish greyhounds exported to China are meeting horrific ends in the brutal meat trade, according to Birmingham Greyhound Protection. The group has this week released video footage of a greyhound “being weighed for her meat in a slaughterhouse in China” – see video at https://www.facebook.com/kerry.elliman/videos/10214218750575233/

“Greyhounds have been exported from Ireland and the dogs have raced in the UK, dogs have gone from Australia and from the US to China,” Birmingham Greyhound Protection’s Kerry Elliman outlined yesterday in a post on Facebook. “No exported greyhound has been found in the meat trade but that’s because they are bred and bred from and used as machines. Dogs as old as 12 years old are still having litters. The offspring of these exported dogs are the ones ending up in the meat trade.”

“The racing industry is to blame for what is going on in places like China,” she added. “Look at the fear in this dog’s eyes.”

The greyhound in this latest sickening video was one a few lucky ones who escaped death – she was rescued and is now safe in a sanctuary.

The video has been brought to the attention of Agriculture Minister Michael Creed as part of a renewed appeal to him to urgently act to stop the export of Irish greyhounds to China.

Previously brought to his attention was a video of a greyhound attacked and beheaded by a Chinese butcher wielding a meat cleaver as well as one showing a greyhound thrown into a barrel of water and boiled alive.

As highlighted last week, six-year-old Droopys Dale was identified as the latest Irish greyhound to end up in China. Caged Nationwide reported that “he is another exported greyhound that has Michael Dunphy as the last registered owner on the [Irish Coursing Club] ICC database. He will be used for breeding at the Huangyuan Kaiyuan breeding facility in mainland China”.

Find out more about Irish greyhounds who have been exported to China
http://www.cagednw.co.uk/chinaexports.html

ACTION ALERT

Contact Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Agriculture Minister Michael Creed and demand urgent action to stop the export of Irish dogs to China, Pakistan and other countries with little or no animal welfare laws.

An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar
Upper Merrion St, Dublin 2
Tel: +353 (0)1-6194020
Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie, leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie
Tweet to: @campaignforLeo
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campaignforleo/

Michael Creed TD
Minister for Agriculture
Department of Agriculture
Agriculture House,
Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Email: michael.creed@oir.ie,taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie
Tel: +353 (0)1-607 2000

Please 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

Stop supporting the cruel greyhound industry
https://www.change.org/p/stop-supporting-the-cruel-greyhound-industry

Greyhound crashes out of race sponsored by Barry’s Tea

There are renewed calls on Barry’s Tea to stop sponsoring greyhound racing after shocking footage surfaced showing a greyhound crashing out of a race sponsored by the company.

In the video – uploaded to the Irish Greyhound Board’s Youtube channel today – Moorstown Venus (a 2-year-old greyhound) can be seen falling badly during the “2018 Barry’s Tea Open Stake Round 1 Heat 2” race at Cork’s Curraheen Park track on Saturday

As the animal is knocked off her feet and sent hurtling towards the track-side barrier, the commentator can be heard saying: “Trouble there – two comes a cropper”. It is unknown if the greyhound suffered an injury as a result of the fall or finished the race.

Barry’s Tea continues to sponsor greyhound racing, despite being made aware of the cruelty of the greyhound industry and the fact that in the past three years alone, over a thousand greyhounds have sustained injuries at tracks around Ireland and 385 were destroyed by track vets. This includes 69 injuries reported at Curraheen Park and 23 dogs destroyed.

Barry’s Tea is one of the greyhound industry’s biggest supporters, having sponsored races at Curraheen Park for years. The 2017 Barry’s Tea Open 750 race offered over €9,000 in prize money while in 2016, more than €8,000 was on offer. After the final race last June, Barry’s Tea director, Tony Barry, was photographed presenting a trophy to the owner of the winning greyhound.

In continuing to sponsor greyhound racing, Barry’s Tea is disregarding the animal cruelty inherent in the greyhound industry, including injuries and deaths at tracks and the dumping and killing of greyhounds no longer considered quick enough to win.

Figures released this week reveal that 80 greyhounds were killed at Irish dog pounds last year – this brings to 2,729 the number of greyhounds destroyed in pounds in the past eight years. In addition, thousands of greyhounds go missing each year, presumed killed when found to be too slow. One Irish trainer remarked online: “I’ve seen dogs being shot. It has to be done as there’s too many of them to rehome.” A former chairman of the Irish Greyhound Board admitted on Cork’s 96 FM that he believes it is “absolutely” okay for thousands of dogs to be killed and that racing couldn’t exist without the destruction of dogs.

Some of the industry’s horrors were highlighted on RTE’s Prime Time last year – Limerick Animal Welfare’s Marion Fitzgibbon told viewers: “We believe there are probably 10,000 greyhounds put to sleep every year. They can be killed in all sorts of fashions. We’ve had so many instances of finding them shot, ears cut off, drowned.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIUkAGa708s

A “Cork says NO to greyhound racing” protest is due to take place outside Curraheen Park track this Saturday 26th May from 6.30pm to 8.00pm. Organisers Greyhound Awareness Cork say: “Be there to speak up for the greyhounds who are drugged, injured and killed at tracks all over Ireland.” More details at https://www.facebook.com/events/110845549797998/

ACTION ALERT

Urge Barry’s Tea to show compassion and stop sponsoring greyhound racing.

Barry’s Tea,
Kinsale Road, Cork, Ireland
Tel: +353 21 491 5000
Email: info@barrystea.ie
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/barrystea
Tweet to @barrysteatweets

OTHER COMPANIES SUPPORTING GREYHOUND RACING
https://www.igb.ie/racing/features-and-classics/

BANK OF IRELAND FINANCE
FBD INSURANCE
COMERFORD CAKES
IRISH INDEPENDENT
TRACYS HOTEL WATERFORD
KERRY GROUP
KASCO
GAIN FEEDS
RED MILLS
DUBLIN COACH / QUICKPARK.IE
BEST CAR PARKS
TEXACLOTH
THURLES FRESH MILK
FLAHERTY MARKETS GALWAY
HEALTHCARE & TRANSPORT SERVICES
BOYLESPORTS
LADBROKES

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Stop supporting the cruel greyhound industry
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Cruel traps continuing to be used in curlew conservation

Traps condemned by the RSPCA as “inherently cruel” are continuing to be used in a National Parks and Wildlife Service curlew conservation programme, ICABS was disgusted to learn.

In a Dail question to Minister Josepha Madigan this week, Clare Daly TD asked her “if the use of Larsen traps as part of the Curlew Conservation Programme will be discontinued”.

In response, Minister Madigan stated: “Magpies and Grey Crows are legally and humanely controlled by professional operatives on contract to the National Parks and Wildlife Service [NPWS] of my Department, in a targeted and very localised way in the vicinity of Curlew breeding sites. This is to help this rare and threatened species rear its young, without eggs or chicks being taken. Larsen traps are used as an effective part of this effort to save the Curlew.”

Minister Madigan’s suggestion that Larsen traps are humane is completely false.

The traps (now banned in Denmark, their country of origin) use a live grey crow or a magpie as a “decoy” to attract other corvids. The live decoy is kept in one compartment of the trap to lure other corvids which fall through a one-way gate and are captured, and later killed. The wild decoy bird, which could be held in the trap for weeks on end, its most vital instincts frustrated and abused by confinement, suffers a terrible fate. Close to the ground, this intelligent and defenceless creature is terrorised by predators and watches as its fellow birds are brutally killed.

It is an outrage that the NPWS would approve the use of this trap, despite being aware of the fact that the imprisoned birds are overcome with the fear and stress of confinement (see attached video).

The NPWS and Department of Culture, Heritage & the Gaeltacht are well aware of the controversy surrounding these cruel traps. In an email to all involved in the curlew conservation task force, a NPWS official stated: “Larsen traps have the potential to cause problems for the trapper and very bad press for the NPWS/Minister if the call bird is not properly looked after…The trap should never be placed where the general public can see it.”

Under the Wildlife Act, the decoy bird in the Larsen trap must be provided with ample food and water and kept in a cage which is of sufficient dimensions to enable it to move and exercise freely. However, we contend that these scant regulations are being breached, as the cramped cages do not allow the imprisoned creatures to move and exercise freely, i.e. spread their wings and take a short flight.

The use of traps and snares in curlew conservation is cruel and unsustainable. The curlew, sadly, is on a severe decline due to man’s interference in its bogland habitat, with the large-scale destruction of bogs, while presumably successive Ministers with responsibility for wildlife conservation turned a blind eye, and had so little concern for the curlew that they permitted it to be hunted and shot up until about five years ago, when it was eventually taken off the game species list.

ACTION ALERT

Urgently contact Minister Josepha Madigan and the National Parks and Wildlife Service and urge them to stop using cruel Larsen traps and instead use non-lethal methods, e.g. fencing around nest sites, in their bird conservation programme.

Minister Josepha Madigan
Minister for Culture, Heritage & the Gaeltacht
Phone: +353 (0)1 631 3800

John Fitzgerald
Director, National Parks and Wildlife Service
Phone: +353 (0)1 888 3242

Email: josepha.madigan@oireachtas.ie, ministers.office@ahg.gov.ie, wildlifelicence@ahg.gov.ie, john.fitzgerald@ahg.gov.ie, Gerry.Leckey@ahg.gov.ie, nature.conservation@ahg.gov.ie
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://facebook.com/JosephaMadiganFG
Tweet to: @josephamadigan

DAIL Q&A – 16 MAY 2018

QUESTION

Clare Daly TD: To ask the Minister for Culture; Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the use of Larsen traps as part of the Curlew Conservation Programme will be discontinued; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY

Minister Josepha Madigan: There are a number of native Irish breeding birds, particularly ground nesting birds, that are of priority conservation concern and have been “red-listed”. This includes Curlew, which has declined by 97% in Ireland since the 1980s and which needs significant effort to stabilise the population and save it from extinction in Ireland.

One of the primary issues for Curlew (and other ground nesting birds) is been excessive predation rates, including by corvids (especially Grey Crows and Magpies).

Magpies and Grey Crows are legally and humanely controlled by professional operatives on contract to the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department, in a targeted and very localised way in the vicinity of Curlew breeding sites. This is to help this rare and threatened species rear its young, without eggs or chicks being taken. Larsen traps are used as an effective part of this effort to save the Curlew and are used by conservation bodies across Ireland and Britain in efforts to support a range of threatened species from predation.

Botanica International urged to stop sponsoring greyhound racing

Face and hand cream company, Botanica International, is being urged to stop supporting the cruel greyhound industy.

 

The Northern Ireland-based company – which produces creams and sprays for people and animals – was the sponsor of the “Botanica International 525” event at Dundalk Stadium, the final of which took place on 5th May.

 

A photo in the Dundalk Democrat showed the owners of the winning greyhound “accept their winnings” in Botanica bags –

https://www.dundalkdemocrat.ie/news/sport/311747/barney-o-hare-owned-young-willie-mc-won-the-botanica-international-525-at-dundalk-stadium-last-night.html

 

Dundalk Stadium is one of the worst tracks in Ireland for greyhound injuries. According to Irish Greyhound Board statistics obtained by Clare Daly TD, 44 greyhounds suffered injuries at the track last year, with 10 of these destroyed by a track vet. In the past three years alone, 99 greyhounds were injured there and 41 were destroyed.

 

Botanica International has also sponsored racing at Longford greyhound track. A notice on its Facebook page from 2015 states: “On Friday night we have our Annual Track Awards. The winning owners and trainers will receive trophies sponsored by the Track Supporters Club and Botanica Hampers sponsored by Sean Cooney of Botanica International Ltd. The Botanica team will be on hand to answer your queries on the night. It’s amazing healing properties are a great addition to any greyhound kennel as well as for humans and all other animals.”

 

A video of the Botanica race at Dundalk stadium can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1Gzs6yDFy8

 

ACTION ALERT

 

Urge Botanica International to stop sponsoring greyhound racing.

 

Botanica International

Warrenpoint Enterprise Centre

Unit 12 and 13,

Newry Rd, Warrenpoint,

Newry, Co Down, Northern Ireland BT34 3LA

Tel: 0044 (0)2841739151

Email: enquiries@botanica.ie

Leave a comment on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Botanica.International.Ltd/

Tweet to: @botanica_ie

Smyth’s Toystore voucher in shameful greyhound racing offer

The Irish Council Against Blood Sports is urging Smyth’s Toys to act to remove its toy vouchers from an Irish Greyhound Board promotion aimed at luring children to tracks.

 

In a letter to Smyth’s Toys director, Tony Smyth, ICABS highlighted the IGB’s “Communion & Confirmation Celebrations At The Dogs” offer which includes a “free €5 Smyths toy store voucher”. The offer is available at 8 greyhound tracks – including Limerick track (the worst in Ireland for dog deaths) and Mullingar (the worst for dog injuries).

 

A brochure advertising the promotion can be seen at

https://www.igb.ie/globalassets/gogreyhoundracing/all-stadiums/comm–conf/dublin-communion-and-confirmation-party-packages.pdf

 

We have appealled to Smyths Toys to follow Tesco Ireland, Electric Ireland, Toyota Ireland and other companies who have disassociated from this cruel industry in which dogs suffer and die.

 

“As we are sure you will agree, it is entirely inappropriate for any gambling business to target children, particularly when there is a risk they will be exposed to upsetting scenes of dogs suffering injuries and crying out in pain,” we stated in our appeal to Tony Smyth. “In the past three years alone, over a thousand greyhounds have suffered injuries at tracks around Ireland and 385 were destroyed by track vets. This includes 105 injuries reported at Shelbourne Park and 24 dogs killed, 144 injured at Limerick stadium, with 44 killed and 211 dogs injured at Mullingar track, with 45 killed.”

 

We also told Mr Smyth about the 2,649 greyhounds who have been destroyed in Irish pounds in the past eight years and the thousands of greyhounds who go missing each year, presumed killed when found to be too slow.

 

“We hope Smyths will take action to disassociate its brand from this industry and remove your toy vouchers from the greyhound track promotion,” we added.

 

ACTION ALERT

 

Join us in our appeal to Smyth’s Toys to act to remove its vouchers and brand from the Irish Greyhound Board promotion.

 

Tony Smyth

Director

Smyth’s Toys

Lyrr Building 1,

Mervue Business Park

Galway.

Email: cshelpdesk@smythstoys.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smythstoys

Tweet to: @AskSmythsToys

 

Contact the Minister for Children and urge her to intervene to stop this semi-state gambling industry targeting children.

 

Katherine Zappone, TD

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

43-49 Mespil Rd, Dublin 4

Phone: 085 2196189 OR 01 647 3000

Email: Katherine.Zappone@oireachtas.ie

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatherineZappone/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KZapponeTD

 

Say NO to the greyhound industry – don’t attend races or fund-raisers held at greyhound tracks. Distribute our “6 reasons to say NO to greyhound racing” leaflet outside greyhound tracks to encourage people to show compassion and boycott greyhound racing. You can download the leaflet at http://www.banbloodsports.com/ln170616.htm or order copies by emailing info@banbloodsports.com

 

Contact Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and demand an end to the use of public funds to prop up the dying greyhound industry. Email “Stop funding the cruel greyhound industry” to taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie, leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie, paschal.donohoe@oireachtas.ie, minister@per.gov.ie

 

An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar

Department of the Taoiseach,

Government Buildings,

Upper Merrion St, Dublin 2

Telephone: +353 (0)1-6194020

Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie, leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie

Tweet to: @campaignforLeo

Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campaignforleo/

 

Paschal Donohoe TD

Minister for Finance

Email: paschal.donohoe@oireachtas.ie, minister@per.gov.ie

Phone: +353 (0)1 6045810

Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaschalDonohoe/

Tweet to @Paschald

 

Please sign and share our petition

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

 

Another Irish greyhound shamefully exported to China

Greyhound protection group, CAGED Nationwide, is reporting this week that another Irish greyhound has ended up in China – a country with no animal welfare laws.

The shocking revelation comes just weeks after disturbing video footage surfaced online showing a greyhound being attacked and beheaded by a Chinese butcher wielding a meat cleaver. This horrific scene was brought to the attention of Agriculture Minister Michael Creed – along with another video of a greyhound being thrown into a barrel of water and boiled alive – as part of a renewed appeal to him to stop the exports.

In a Facebook post, CAGED Nationwide states: “Yet another Droopys greyhound is showing up as exported to China, this time Droopys Dale that has fallen victim to the industry’s greed. He is another exported greyhound that has Michael Dunphy as the last registered owner on the [Irish Coursing Club] ICC database.”

Six-year-old Droopys Dale “will be used for breeding at the Huangyuan Kaiyuan breeding facility in mainland China”.

Last month, CAGED highlighted that Irish-bred Droopys Patrice was also exported to China – “This male greyhound doesn’t seem to have any racing history but the pattern of greyhounds that have Michael Dunphy from Droopys Stud as their last registered owner is becoming more common. This boy is now in mainland China & will be used for breeding until he can no longer carry on. He is now at Asahi Kennel, Botou City.”

Droopys Dale and Droopys Patrice appear on the Irish Greyhound Board and Irish Coursing Club websites, with the owner listed as “Mr Michael Dunphy, Waterford”.

Dunphy and his two brothers are the owners of Portlaw-based Droopys Stud which describes itself as “the most successful greyhound breeding establishment in Europe”. Its website – http://www.droopys-stud.com – lists dogs for use in track racing and hare coursing.

The Irish Coursing Club has praised the Dunphy family as “great supporters and sponsors of coursing”.

These are not the first greyhounds, previously owned by Michael Dunphy, to have ended up in China. According to CAGED Nationwide, other dogs now known to be in China are:

– Droopys Blair: Born in Ireland in January 2013, “sent to Qingyun County, Shandong province, China”
– Droopys Giovanni: Born in Ireland in October 2008, after he sired 143 offspring in Ireland, he “went out to the Jinghai district, Tianjin, China”
– Droopys Magnus: Born in Ireland in March 2013, now “based somewhere in the area of Beijing”
– Droopys Pleasure: Born in Ireland in March 2013, she “will spend the next few years giving birth to as many litters as the breeders can use her for, in the Raoyang County, Hebei Province”

The Irish Greyhound Board website shows that Michael Dunphy has entered greyhounds into over 600 races in Ireland. His most recent race was at Kilkenny track on 11 May with a greyhound named “Droopys Policy”. The trainer of this dog is listed as Pat Buckley. Pat Buckley (brother of singer Jimmy Buckley) is the individual who, as reported previously by ICABS, provided a sworn affidavit in support of a greyhound handler disqualified from greyhound racing in Australia for participating in live baiting there. Despite horrific undercover footage showing greyhounds being unmuzzled to attack a pig who screamed in agony, Buckley’s statement to the Victorian Civil and Administration Tribunal praised greyhound handler Chris Connolly as a valued employee, saying “Chris is an integral part of our set up in my [Tipperary] kennels – we would be lost without him.”

Find out more about Irish-born greyhounds who have been exported to China
http://www.cagednw.co.uk/chinaexports.html

ACTION ALERT

Contact Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Agriculture Minister Michael Creed and demand action to stop the export of Irish dogs to China, Pakistan and other countries with little or no animal welfare laws.

An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar
Upper Merrion St, Dublin 2
Tel: +353 (0)1-6194020
Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie, leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie
Tweet to: @campaignforLeo
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campaignforleo/

Michael Creed TD
Minister for Agriculture
Department of Agriculture
Agriculture House,
Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Email: michael.creed@oir.ie,taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie
Tel: +353 (0)1-607 2000

Please 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

Stop supporting the cruel greyhound industry
https://www.change.org/p/stop-supporting-the-cruel-greyhound-industry