RTE Investigates programme on greyhound racing industry

strandroad

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

You wouldn't like to see it wound down gradually like it has in the states??

Its banned in all but five states now.

It will happen naturally within a couple of years I'm hoping. People are turning away from the horrible "sport" now they are more aware. A ban would be fantastic but it won't happen in this country where senators are greyhound owners as you can see in any debate (on the bright side it's uplifting to see how such senator owners are bemoaning the numbers falling). They have the gall to ask for a breeding scheme introduction in the senate!

But before it happens tens of thousands of dogs will die. It's a simple legislative change to put it on the owner to pass all dogs on for rehoming and keep full traceability, and divert funding to facilitate.

klaaaz

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

You wouldn't like to see it wound down gradually like it has in the states??

Its banned in all but five states now.

There is no way you are going to be able to rehome 6000 k dogs a year if that is the true figure. Its not realistically doable.

Do you ever sleep?

Ban/wound down the greyhound industry along with withdrawing their €16m subsidy and the demand from breeders to overbreed greyhounds will vanish.

whisky_galore

anewme wrote: »

It would be great for those of us who feel strong enough to voice our concerns. It is about the welfare of the dogs, after all.

What do you suggest?

1. Write to Dept of Agriculture? (Email sent there now)
2. TD's?
3. Do not attend / support any Greyhound Racing events and speak out when they are suggested.

Any other proposals? The more people the better who follow up.

Contact companies who support the greyhound industry (e.g. Barry's Tea) and boycott their goods. Bad press is the only thing they will understand.

ILoveYourVibes

klaaaz wrote: »

Do you ever sleep?

Ban/wound down the greyhound industry along with withdrawing their €16m subsidy and the demand from breeders to overbreed greyhounds will vanish.

Nuh Uh how you think I stay so woke!??;)

ILoveYourVibes

strandroad wrote: »

It will happen naturally within a couple of years I'm hoping. People are turning away from the horrible "sport" now they are more aware. A ban would be fantastic but it won't happen in this country where senators are greyhound owners as you can see in any debate (on the bright side it's uplifting to see how such senator owners are bemoaning the numbers falling). They have the gall to ask for a breeding scheme introduction in the senate!

But before it happens tens of thousands of dogs will die. It's a simple legislative change to put it on the owner to pass all dogs on for rehoming and keep full traceability, and divert funding to facilitate.

I would work on winding it down maybe aim to have all tracks closed by 2023.

If you ask for regulation legislation they will leave like that for years.

And point out its virtually gone from the states.

The industry has crossed the line where it can be cleaned up at all imo.

It's their own fault. They have no one to blame but themselves.

Discodog

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Then read what the report actually says and why it was carried out. Then educate yourself on coursing and what would happen to the hare if it was banned. No more innoculating, wormed etc.
What you saw in the program was historical stuff. Illegal stuff that is being clamped down on.
It was great to see those illegal courses named and shamed. I hope that they are banned for life from every track and coursing field in the country.

Oh so where are the prosecutions & sentences? The Data Commissioner said that the IGB were one of the worst organisations that they had ever dealt with. They ended up entering the IGB & searching for themselves.

So little has changed. There is huge money in betting & everyone enjoys a slice of the pie.

China & Ireland are similar in that they both make animal welfare laws but then don't bother enforcing them.

Doctors room ghost

There’s a channel on sky television dedicated to greyhound racing.
Rpgtv it’s called.its around number 450 after the sports.on every evening.
There’s another thread on this going in the pet and animal section.
Could mods merge them if possible

Discodog

One thing that wasn't mentioned in the program was that some rescues won't criticise the industry because they get money from the IGB.

anewme

whisky_galore wrote: »

Contact companies who support the greyhound industry (e.g. Barry's Tea) and boycott their goods. Bad press is the only thing they will understand.

Thanks for that. Strongly worded email will be sent this afternoon.

ILoveYourVibes

To be honest.

When you know a dog has failed a drug test and still name him dog of the year etc. You obviously have some cheek.


It deserves to be quietly and without drama wound down at this stage.

It's an industry that went so fair it would be a nightmare to regulate.

And what do you do with 6000 k dogs each year ? We would be overrun with them.

Its time to wind it down.

strandroad

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

It deserves to be quietly and without drama wound down at this stage.

It's an industry that went so fair it would be a nightmare to regulate.

And what do you do with 6000 k dogs each year ? We would be overrun with them.

Its time to wind it down.

They wouldn't be so brazen about overbreeding if they were not allowed to kill them freely.
But I agree, this industry needs to wither and die.

ILoveYourVibes

strandroad wrote: »

They wouldn't be so brazen about overbreeding if they were not allowed to kill them freely.
But I agree, this industry needs to wither and die.

You could try it.

Straffan1979

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Steps have been taken to ensure WHAT doesn’t happen again ??
Coursing, mass culling of dogs, leaving dogs writhing on the ground after a botched shooting, exporting dogs to china, sending dogs in vans to the UK without a break or even a drink of water for 15 hours?

.......to ensure which of these doesn’t happen again.....it didn’t sound like that on the documentary ??..... I’m confused

There are a number of things people should be concerned about in this type of TV outside of the breaches of the law- that will be investigated:

The facts of the matter are-

1- Greyhound Racing/Coursing are regulated legal entities in the state; You may be against them as is your right- that does not make the people engaged in the sport all guilty of what was portrayed or alleged as to be standard practice.

2-Attempts to infer by sensational highly emotive footage that Irish Greyhound owners are some how involved or responsible for boiling alive greyhounds out in China is deeply concerning from a broadcasting standards perspective; similarly to suggest Greyhound owners all cut off their dogs ears is another questionable inference;

I’d fully expect the IGB/ICC to report this accordingly to the the broadcasting standards Authority of Ireland.

3. The overarching point of the above that worries me is that engaging in this type of TV by the state broadcaster is highly unprofessional at best; it essentially is allowing the editing team of that TV broadcast to further their own agendas of being anti Greyhound racing ; that’s fine if your a private company producing private programming but the Greyhound Industry are taxpayers too - their Industry ( warts and all) has to be reported on in a fair open and balanced way if this is aired on the national broadcaster( paid for by all taxpayers)- that’s also the Law.

If we allowed the above about pre election coverage etc imagine the power certain people could have to further their own agendas.

4. This programme highlighted a number of highly illegal practices; I’d fully expect DAFM inspectors will act swiftly in this regard.

5. In relation to drugs- reporting IGB own efforts at enforcing drug detection as sensational new news in the sport and using it against the Industry just makes no sense at all;

It cuts to a Vet- ‘ oh the blood in the veins of Irish Greyhounds is like treacle’ he says-it’s because of all the EPO’ - How many Greyhounds has he analyzed the blood of? Why didn’t he go to DAFM if every Greyhound he’s seen is dosed with EPO? Why didn’t he go to ICC/IGB and the Gardai with the specific ear identying markings of all these dogs? - they don’t tell us and we cut to another scene of dogs in a cage in China!!!???

C’mon if this is professional balanced TV then god help us- Sensationalist rubbish most of it and I hope the broadcasting standards people do their job.

anewme

In addition to Barry's Tea, Ban Bloodsports have other suppliers who support this industry in 2019.

Gain Dog Food
Red Mills
Irish Independent
Marshes Shopping Centre
Boylesports
Flaherty Markets Galway
Dublin Coach / QuickPark.ie (car park at Dublin Airport)
Kasko dog food
Thurles Fresh Milk
Treacys Hotel Waterford
Speedrite Rose of Tralee
Casey's Caravan and Camping
Lee Strand
Kerry GAA Supporters
Kerry Group
Best Car Parks
Ladbrokes
Healthcare and Transport
Comerford Cakes

ILoveYourVibes

I already boycott all of those.

unreg999

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

Calm down. I do think its naive to believe that yes.

I also think it's naive to believe that amount of effort and money goes into things like this.

Eating dog is not usual in China. It's never been mainstream. It's never been a mainstream tradition.

It's a myth that it's considered normal over there or that many people eat it regularly.

Most Chinese have never eaten dog meat and would consider it odd.

They might think 'well just let other people eat it if they want etc' but it's not mainstream.

And certainly any chinese I know would consider it weird.

I don't need you to tell me to calm down, I'm perfectly calm

You are making sweeping claims about 'Chinese people' yourself.
I didn't say that everyone in China eats dog meat or that everyone believes that torture makes it taste better but enough of them do to make it a problem.
A couple of friends don't make a reliable sample of almost 1.3b people. I lived in Italy for many years but would never claim to talk for all the Italian people or the whole country!
It is well documented too but you can believe whatever you want in your bubble lol
The lack of animal welfare concern and general abuse is well documented too, it feels like you have some kind of agenda here?

dickangel

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

I already boycott all of those.

That's good going. And made up.

ILoveYourVibes

unreg999 wrote: »

I don't need you to tell me to calm down, I'm perfectly calm

You are making sweeping claims about 'Chinese people' yourself.
I didn't say that everyone in China eats dog meat or that everyone believes that torture makes it taste better but enough of them do to make it a problem.
A couple of friends don't make a reliable sample of almost 1.3b people. I lived in Italy for many years but would never claim to talk for all the Italian people or the whole country!
It is well documented too but you can believe whatever you want in your bubble lol
The lack of animal welfare concern and general abuse is well documented too, it feels like you have some kind of agenda here?

Statistically very few people in china eat dog. And those who do don't eat it often.

This is a survey of YULIN residents only. Where the dog eating festival takes place.
You would think it would be highest in Yulin. And even there only a minority of people eat dog at all and they don't eat it often.

https://www.hsi.org/news-media/yulin-dog-meat-survey-061217/

Its a racist stereotype.

dickangel

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

Statistically very few people in china eat dog. And those who do don't eat it often.

This is a survey of YULIN residents only. Where the dog eating festival takes place.
You would think it would be highest in Yulin. And even there only a minority of people eat dog at all and they don't eat it often.

https://www.hsi.org/news-media/yulin-dog-meat-survey-061217/

Its a racist stereotype.

You really don't get it.

ILoveYourVibes

dickangel wrote: »

That's good going. And made up.

Its not take a look at them. I would say most people don't use them.

Speedrite Rose of Tralee?

Maybe barry's etc.

I support the GAA ..but not Kerry.

dickangel

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

Its not take a look at them. I would say most people don't use them.

Speedrite Rose of Tralee?

Maybe barry's etc.

I support the GAA ..but not Kerry.

So you're not boycotting them you just don't use some of them.

ILoveYourVibes

dickangel wrote: »

You really don't get it.

Why don't we focus on how to ban it here? Worry about our own problem first.

ILoveYourVibes

dickangel wrote: »

So you're not boycotting them you just don't use some of them.

I don't use any of them personally.

anewme

I see Irish Independent is listed ....I wonder is that because they run adverts for Greyhound Racing.

I will be sending an email to each of the suppliers (within my remit) asking them to confirm their position.

There are some big names there and I would like to verify if they are all correct.

Also, I do use Barry's Tea as its my favourite, and I wont be doing it again and will be spreading the word about it.

Bannasidhe

anewme wrote: »

It would be great for those of us who feel strong enough to voice our concerns. It is about the welfare of the dogs, after all.

What do you suggest?

1. Write to Dept of Agriculture? (Email sent there now)
2. TD's?
3. Do not attend / support any Greyhound Racing events and speak out when they are suggested.

Any other proposals? The more people the better who follow up.

For several years there have been silent protests outside greyhound stadiums (well, the protesters are silent - some of those attending the races have been extremely verbally abusive). I know there will be one at Curraheen in Cork this Saturday from 6:30pm.

I would say to anyone who would like to attend that if you cannot stand there silently while being verbally abused it is best not to go.

dickangel

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

Why don't we focus on how to ban it here? Worry about our own problem first.

And as I said last night, part of that is stopping dogs being exported, especially to China. But you think that's racist.

dickangel

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

I don't use any of them personally.

Boycott: withdraw from commercial or social relations with (a country, organization, or person) as a punishment or protest.

anewme

Bannasidhe wrote: »

For several years there have been silent protests outside greyhound stadiums (well, the protesters are silent - some of those attending the races have been extremely verbally abusive). I know there will be one at Curraheen in Cork this Saturday from 6:30pm.

I would say to anyone who would like to attend that if you cannot stand there silently while being verbally abused it is best not to go.

I've just seen an ad also for a protest at Shelbourne Park with some people I know attending.

ILoveYourVibes

Bannasidhe wrote: »

I would say to anyone who would like to attend that if you cannot stand there silently while being verbally abused it is best not to go.

I can imagine.

I wonder though is that the right image. The number one defense of such industries is that people are extremist hippies. And it works. Its very undermining.


Maybe if you do that film the abuse etc. Put it on youtube.

MarinersBlues

Straffan1979 wrote: »

There are a number of things people should be concerned about in this TV outside of the breaches of the law- that will be investigated:

.....

Great post.

I used to be heavily involved with greyhounds but got out after seeing the waste.

The high level point RTE made about overbreeding is absolutely correct and should be addressed immediatley.

Trying to connect the regular greyhopund man in Ireland with what is happening in China is disingenuous at the very least.
RTE said themselves there was only one trainer who had sent a handful of dogs there but spent 10 minutes showing some very graphic and disturbing videos.

Using numbers like 1000% rather than 10 times is senationalising and means the main point gets lost. I would question that figure as well.

The issues with the practice in the knackeries is an issue for the knackeries.

Once a high level plan is put in place by the IGB, where there is a limit on how many litters will be registered in a given year, there will be little or no incentive for people who don't care for their animals correctly to get involved.

There are people who need to be weeded out and the IGB have been poor at that. The ICC got a bit more active at catching and warning off people around 10 years ago but they seem to have gotten slack recently.

It's do or die time for both organisations now.
If they manage to get the sport to a decent ethical standard I would be straight back to it. They were some of the best days I ever had.