Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THE IRISH GREYHOUND Board (IGB) has announced a care fund dedicated to initiatives such as re-homing, injury support, care centres and traceability systems.
The target for the care fund in the first year is to provide a ring fenced sum of €1 million solely dedicated to care and welfare initiatives for the racing greyhound.
Based on 2019 budget and activity levels, the IGB said the funding will accrue from the following sources:
The IGB said the above will require adjustments to its current expenditure and to various cost centres to compensate for the redistribution of income.
The separate care fund arrangements for patrons will be brought into effect from 1 November 2019.
Separately, the IGB is announcing a scheme to provide funding for the treatment of greyhounds which have been injured at its licenced stadia.
The introduction of the Injuries at Tracks Recovery Scheme is open to all owners and trainers who have incurred veterinary costs in the treatment of greyhounds to repair a career-ending orthopaedic (bone) injury sustained at an IGB licenced stadium.
Applications will be assessed on the basis that the greyhound will immediately retire from competitive action (trials and races) following its treatment.
The scheme is effective from 1 August 2019 and applications can be made on the approved form to the IGB Regulation Department, Green Park, Dock Road, Limerick.
The IGB also announced last month that it is seeking interest for the provision of greyhound care centres. The IGB has said the proposal is intended to help the transition of racing greyhounds from the track to retirement.
Greyhound killing
Today’s announcement comes after a new RTÉ investigation claimed in June that almost 6,000 greyhounds were killed for not racing fast enough in 2017.
The RTÉ documentary claims that in 2017 a consultancy firm was paid €115,000 to carry out a review of the industry on behalf of the IGB.
The review found 16,000 greyhounds are born every year. It found that 5,987 of those are killed because they fail to make qualification times or their performance declines.
The authors of the review also proposed reforms for greyhound racing, which the documentary claims weren’t adopted by the industry.
Chief executive of the Irish Greyhound Board Gerard Dollard told the documentary:
“I accept there is an issue in relation to unaccounted-for dogs. I think the figures that are being thrown out are, in fact, well in excess of what the actual figure is because of a number of exports to the UK and elsewhere.”
Speaking of the new proposed care centres, IGB welfare manager Barry Coleman said: “Greyhounds make fantastic pets and the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust, established and operated by the Board, assisted in the rehoming of more than 1,000 retired greyhounds last year.
These care centres will ensure that retired greyhounds waiting for their ‘forever’ home will receive the highest standards of care.
“These care centres, along with our newly extended foster scheme and further financial supports for domestic rehomings, will ensure that as many retired Irish greyhounds as possible can find loving, forever homes after their racing careers come to an end.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
All this because of the program. This should have already been in place years ago. If that program wasn’t showed it would be business as usual at the IGB. It’s too little to late the damage has been done.
@Jason Ebbs: Where is the Job going to have the Christmas party this year? Do they have any Mink farms with a bar?
Still no reason why the taxpayers should continue to subsidise this industry.
@James Wallace: exactly 16 million to much..
@Robert Phelan: down with this sort of financial help
Far too little far too late. Stop subsidising the ‘industry’ with taxpayers money and decide on a date to ban racing and an immediate ban on coursing.
None of this addresses the main problem: over-breeding of greyhounds , which the “industry” needs to keep itself going, and which directly results in the widespread killing and abandonment of dogs. The Board’s response is not just inadequate. It is meaningless and should not fool anyone who cares about the welfare the animals targeted by this industry. Doping will continue, as will blooding of dogs on live bait, and hare coursing.
I see RTE is considering whether to broadcast a big greyhound race next month.
The national broadcaster widely and rightly commended for its screening of the Running for their Lives investigative programme in June, which exposed how almost 6000 of the approximately 16000 greyhounds born each year in Ireland are disposed of because they under-perform.
The programme also featured secret film footage of dogs being inhumanely killed at knackeries, illegal coursing on Whiddy Island involving high-profile industry figures, and focused on the export of dogs to China where they can end up being boiled alive.
But RTE now surely faces a major test of its credibility. Track racing fans expect that it’ll will be covering the semi-final and final of the high-status Irish Greyhound Derby in September.
I suggest that RTE cannot proceed with this coverage, as it has in previous years, following the station’s own acclaimed outing of abuses in the greyhound industry, and bearing in mind that the programme was heavily advertised and promoted prior to transmission.
It should immediately scrap any plans to broadcast the Irish Greyhound Derby. For it to give one minute of air time to such an activity, after all we’ve have heard and seen, would be unconscionable.
I hope RTE will make the right decision and stand with the unfortunate dogs that are killed, abandoned, or exported to a living hell beyond our shores
Greyhound racing has run its course. It now needs to be put out of its misery.
@Bruce Van der Gutschmitzer: we adopted two ex-racers. No issues. Yes, they instinctively want to chase things. That’s their nature. Go easy with them and you should be fine. They are brilliant house dogs. Don’t let one bad experience colour your judgement
@jamesdecay: to be fair we were simply given bad advice and he was such a lovely house dog to chill and watch TV with. She was traumatised after though and didn’t want the same happening again as we had just moved into the estate so we had to hand him back. Still feel guilty. I’d consider it again but dunno how’d she’ll feel.
@Bruce Van der Gutschmitzer: This attitude is in their nature and enhanced by the training they receive for racing. But once you have one and you take care of him/her as it should be done you discover their lovely personnality, their calm attitude, their intelligence and their attachment to their family, I only have rescued dogs : the first one was a breton spaniel who died at 22, the last two are local rescued hounds and i have never been so smitten by any of the some 8 dogs i have had along that 40 years. And i can assure you that they are quite more gentle and ready to obey that other breeds such as the basset hound recommended for children, poodles famous for their intellignece, spaniels good for hunting etc etc … But as for any rescued dog you have to be patient and set slowly the rules… which most probably you did not
@Andre le Flohic: 22?? Christ! Had a Springer for 14 yrs but 22 is ridiculous! Ya we only had him for two days to test the waters for the weekend and then that happened. I’d only adopt when we see it fit to get one in time. Plenty of dogs out there looking for a home.
@Bruce Van der Gutschmitzer:
Unfortunately, blooding is widespread and is deemed an effective way of enhancing a dog’performance on the track and coursing field. That said, greyhounds generally adapt well to re-homing, though it would help if trainers would stop doping and blooding them. Only when the “industry” is gone will greyhounds be treated humanely, like any other dog breed.
@Bruce Van der Gutschmitzer: Not the dogs fault as you have pointed out here. Every greyhound that is raced will have been blooded Where are the watch inspectors when this type of killing of furry animals such as rabbets and hares going on behind closed doors with only members of the intrested party’s looking on ? To little to late Ban this blood sport now.
Too little too late
Why would anyone trust an organisation who only make an effort against cruelty when under such public and financial pressure that their entire business is at risk?
The best solution would be to heavily licence and restrict breeding of greyhounds. If only a limited number were allowed it would mean lots of the slightly slow dogs would keep their value as there are not 1000s of new dogs bred each year.
Not sure how easy that would be to implement but could be easier than trying to house a surplus nobody wants.
@thephantomshit: agreed and it really wouldn’t be that hard. All dogs are tracked. All breeders should have to register. National limit of litters divided among those breeders upon application. Only pups from those litters allowed race. Doesn’t solve everything but would be a huge step forward.
@thephantomshit: yes, the notion that thousands of dogs will be magically rehomed is fantasy.
@thephantomshit: That won’t help with doping them. Walk the perimeters of the Greyhound Stadium and see how many spent needles you find…
Total window dressing. In the ten years between 2008 and 2018, the Retired Greyhound Trust managed to rehome 5,000 dogs. The lGB now expects us to believe they can re-home twice this number EVERY year, year after year. Absolute nonsense. The writing is on the wall for greyhound racing. Time now for this government to stop spending public money on animal abuse.
Not good enough. Close down the industry
To little to late!
About time.
Too little too late.. what about charging anyone involved..
As usual, nothing to see here from the IGB. The comment about numbers of greyhounds is another nasty sleight of hand too; the ‘solution’ is a classic Irish one: let’s export the problem. But if you think all those greyhounds are going abroad for their ‘forever home’ then you are deluded.
Ban it now. I don’t pay tax for this cr@p
All those who breed any Animal should be licenced. There should also be a cash incentive to report Kennels/breeding farms etc. For those who are convicted of Animal abuse there should be a five year mandatory sentence and a life time ban on owning any Animal. Until this happens there will always be abusers.
This is a complete con. This care fund is for retired racing dogs right? Well the “wastage” from the industry is pretty much the ones who never make the cut to be a racing dog. Shut doen the IGB who sat pn their own commissioned report for the last 2 years. We the public are not thst gullible. Where do they think reacues will find 6000 EXTRA homes every year on an ongoing basis? Their former CEO rightly said this sport cannot exist without thousands of dogs being killed but wrongly stated thst this is okay in the name of sport. Its not okay #BanGreyhoundRacing NOW!
This money, while obviously saving some dogs, won’t come near doing the entire job. It also does nothing to end enormous overbreeding, sanctionless doping of dogs, banning exporting any dog to certain countries etc etc.
Separately, the IGB is announcing a scheme to provide funding for the treatment of greyhounds which have been injured at its licenced stadia.
So the dog gets injured at the track and requires surgery to which you can apply to a scheme to help with the costs which will no doubt take a week or two to process and pay out.
In the meantime the dog will be shot as the trainer’s won’t want to fork out cash immediately on a dog that will never run as fast as it did pre injury.
Greyhounds are still been blooded by Cats . I have just listened to an account of this practice on The Joe Duffy Show.
John Fitzgerald is spot on in his comments about the ‘tax payer funded’ animal abuse that is greyhound racing.
He wrote a book called ‘Bad Hare Days’ which is well worth a read.
It focuses on the campaign to ban the unspeakable ‘so called sport’ of Live Hare Coursing.
and exactly what was wrong with all those comments you deleted?
@Daithi Ó Raghallaigh: You can’t be saying that Daithi, questioning authority,tut tut.
@Daithi Ó Raghallaigh: deleting legitimate comments is a hallmark of ‘The Journal’ Daithí. It beats me how they retain affiliation with the Press Council. A narrative mounded by deleted comments is de facto propaganda.
@Daithi Ó Raghallaigh: i commented earlier today that giving 1 million a year still leaves them with 15 million+ of tax payers money given them by the government — that comment has been deleted too !
Glad to see this process however we need to see a range of measures against cruelty and criminalty with the capacity for serious legal sanctions including imprisonment for breeders who break the rules. These measures should be accompanied by a new licencing system and corresponding clean out of undesirables.
Locking the kennel door after the dog has bolted! Subsidies need to end asap.
Load of rubbish and will never be implemented properly,haven’t they had great ideas for greyhounds welfare since they were caught.
€1 million to care for 6,000 greyhounds amounts to €166 /greyhound, that’s the equivalent of a fortnights kennel charges “-who’s fooling who?”
So what about years of abuse against these animals it would still be going on only RTE’s Prime Time. TO LITTLE TO LATE. Put a stop to this cruelty for good. Ban greyhound racing for good.
Not one person gave a hoot about the poor greyhound before rte aired there programme..get over it people
@Keith Lonergan: ah Jaysus. There’s always one. And tonight, Keith, you’re the lucky winner…
10% of all resturaunt packages and admissions will go to the fund haha watch their prices increase by 20% to cover this
@Karl Charlie: No one goes anymore so that’s 10% of nothing
What % of the revenues goes, & has gone, will continue to go on, to hi blown salaries & pensions for the executive ranks?
Given the hare coursing scandals which preceded & underly this ” sport”, is it not time to stop state sponsorship via Bord na gCon?
Scrap it altogether, ban coursing, sell the courses for housing , or convert them to other public use, such as parks or athletic arenas.
No doubt Ringsend & other neighborhoods with dog tracks could benefit from alternative use solutions.
what about some help for those who have lost their livelyhoods to gambling addiction instead of the home for retired greyhounds christmas party what a croc…
@Liam Meade: the Liam Meade Foundation for Gambling Addiction has a nice ring to it. Off ya go, so
That won’t help with doping them. Walk the perimeters of the Greyhound Stadium and see how many spent needles you find…
Usual deflection by the greyhound board. The 16 million euro they get of my and your tax should be stopped immediately and spent on something more worthwhile. This country likes to send out the message to the rest of the world that we are an animal loving country when it’s quite the opposite. Just wait til they start knocking on my door for votes.
have your say