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Greyhound Racing
Tens of thousands of greyhounds are used, abused, bred and killed in Ireland every year by the greyhound racing industry. Unsurprisingly, greyhound racing is tied in with yet another horrific practice - it is actually the Irish Coursing Club (not the Irish Greyhound Board) that keeps the Stud Book for all greyhounds registered in Ireland. The records there don't actually account for the number of unregistered puppies killed due to not being "good enough" to race, so there are countless more deaths at the hands of this industry that we don't even know about.
If you support greyhound racing, you’re directly funding the abuse and deaths of these animals.
Although these dogs are bred in Ireland, the majority are sold on to supply the demands of the British greyhound racing industry.
Dogs who actually make it to the track experience immense suffering during their racing careers. It has been estimated that greyhounds running on British tracks sustain more than 12,000 injuries every year and that 10% of dogs that race are already suffering from injuries. Injured toes, torn muscles, strained tendons and arthritic joints are commonplace.
There have also been numerous doping scandals uncovered in the Irish racing industry - many dogs are given drugs, such as cocaine, before a race to increase their speed.
At least 10,000 greyhounds “retire” from racing every year, at an average age of just 2½ years old. This is either because of injury or because they are judged to be no longer good enough to race. Many ex-racing greyhounds are simply abandoned and a large number are killed, sometimes by methods such as drowning or poisoning, because most “owners” and trainers are not prepared to take care of them or rehome them. The shooting of greyhounds, as a killing method, is not uncommon.
Bodies of greyhounds have been found all over the country, washed up on rivers or found in woods. Occasionally, some are found still alive – mutilated. As greyhounds are tattooed on both ears, to identify them for racing and coursing purposes, “owners” often actually cut the dogs’ ears off. This is to prevent the identity of the dog becoming known, and thus his former “owners” being traced.
Every year many hundreds of ‘unwanted’ greyhounds are shipped to Spain to be kept for racing in appalling conditions or used for hunting and coursing. Dogs that turn out to be no good for hunting are often brutally disposed of, with hanging being a favourite method. Some are even sent to Asia, were they are either killed for the meat trade or used in laboratories for vivisection.
The only way to prevent the massive suffering and killing of greyhounds caused by the greyhound racing industry is for greyhound racing to be completely abolished.
It's important to remember that, despite the horrific cruelty involved in the greyhound industry, animals are simply not ours to use for entertainment or profit regardless of their welfare needs being met or not.
Compiled by our friends at ICABS (Ban Bloodsports):
‘At tracks around Ireland in the past five years, 1,813 greyhounds suffered injuries and 592 were killed. Click on the link below to find out more about the victims of greyhound racing at each of the tracks. Show compassion for the dogs and stay away from greyhound tracks.’
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2019/03/27/greyhound-injuries-and-deaths-at-irish-greyhound-tracks/
RTÉ Investigates: Greyhounds Running For Their Lives
On 26th June 2019
RTÉ Investigates: Greyhounds Running for Their Lives, goes behind the glitz and glamour of the public facade of greyhound racing to reveal serious animal welfare issues in an industry that costs the Irish taxpayer millions of euro every year.
So, what are we doing about it?
Protests
Directly protesting outside greyhound racing stadiums is a great way to affect this horrible industry. It's bad publicity for them, it costs them money to hire security, it interferes with their event, and a lot of people get put off and either turn away - or pledge never to go again. Contact us for more information on the next protest!
Awarness
Handing out leaflets, especially to people or parties attending a 'race night', is a really effective way to highlight the cruelty of this industry on a one-on-one level. Most people who attend greyhound races do so with no knowledge of the suffering they are causing. So many people have thanked us for opening their eyes to the abuse they were unwittingly funding. Would you like your own bundle of leaflets to give to family, friends or coworkers on the issue? Email us for a free pack!
Political Lobbying
The Irish government currently gives millions of euro to the greyhound racing industry every year, using your taxes, to help keep the industry afloat. If they stopped, greyhound racing would cease to exist. Please contact your local TD, and ask them to raise this issue in the Dáil. The issue has been discussed several times before, but so far the government continues to favour the industry over the dogs' lives. You can help change this - contact us for a sample letter!
We have various campaigns running at any one time. Please click to learn about more issues!
NARA is a legal, grassroots level organisation that only operates within the law. Information on this website is for the purpose of legal protest and information only. It should not be used to commit any criminal acts or harassment. NARA is not affiliated to any other animal rights group. NARA has no links or involvement with the Animal Liberation Front or the Animal Rights Militia. Any articles published on this web site relating to illegal activities are posted for the sole reason of publishing news related to animal rights, and are not intended to incite or encourage similar acts.
CONTACT
- [email protected]
- National Animal Rights Association, Suite 10684, 26/27 Upper Pembroke Street, Dublin 2, D02 X361.
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