A greyhound kennel horror story has been uncovered.
Greyhound Racing Ireland (GRI) have confirmed that a serious welfare incident involving greyhounds has been uncovered at a registered premises in late April.
Initial reports are saying that many greyhounds were found dead and that other greyhounds are missing.
The exact location where the incident took place has not been revealed, but it understood to be in the west of the country.
Prompted by escalating concerns following welfare inspections at the premises, GRI stated they took “immediate intervention,” involving their own officials and veterinary professionals.
As a result, a welfare notice has been issued to the owner, effectively prohibiting them from keeping greyhounds and aiming to prevent any further harm.
The GRI have not revealed the timeline of events and how many greyhounds have died or have gone missing. It is also unclear whether or not the animals are subject to GRI’s traceability system, as many of the dogs involved, while born in Ireland, had since been exported to Britain before being returned for breeding.
Introduced in 2021, RCETS Traceability System (RCETS) reflects real time information regarding the status of each greyhound.
The GRI said that this matter is being investigated by the relevant authorities.
However, a Garda spokesperson when contacted by a Irish national media outlet said, “I have carried out inquiries and can find no incident matching that description at this time.”
Animal Welfare Organisations
A number of Irish animal welfare organisations have expressed a lack of faith in the investigative role of the GRI.
Nuala Donlon, spokesperson for Greyhound Action Ireland, said that the power to investigate animal cruelty allegations should be removed from GRI and instead be entrusted to the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) and An Garda Síochána – the same bodies responsible for the welfare of all other dog breeds in the country.
Deel Sighthound Rescue, based in Limerick have expressed zero confidence in the GRI and have called for greyhound racing to be defunded and for this activity to be outlawed.
To report any animal welfare concerns:
ISPCA’s National Animal Cruelty Helpline on 0818 515 515
Report online at: https://ispca.ie/report-cruelty
E:helpline@ispca.ie.
Reference Websites:
Deel Sighthound Rescue
https://deelsighthoundrescue.ie/
Greyhound Action Ireland – FB Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/745237525911048/
Get in Touch
If you have a tip for an animal welfare issue, an animal news article, a press release, or just want to just reach out to us, we’d love to hear from you. John Tierney, Animal News Ireland/Editor