RTE Investigates programme on greyhound racing industry

xckjoo · 29-11-2021 9:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118241384#Comment_118241384

I did take a quick look at the GRI Report for 2020 and noticed a lot of welfare related stuff. It was good to see and hopefully makes a difference. I've no real issue with them racing as long as they looked after.

I hope you and your dogs are well Maryanne. More people like yourself are probably what the industry needs

Igotadose · 30-11-2021 8:55am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118241427#Comment_118241427

Caring? Seriously? How would you recognize one that isn't? Your neighbor's a monster, a dog'll live on 3 legs just fine, and euthanasia is far more merciful than shooting, ffs, the poor animal is stunned and bleeds out. Someone that shoots animals they purportedly care about is a monster. I'd be calling the Guards if I had evidence.

Psychopaths are masters at making you feel things that aren't true. That's where this neighbor of yours excels.

Discodog · 30-11-2021 8:57am

There should be no dogs that are "missing" or "unaccounted for". Every Greyhound puppy should be registered & the owner held responsible for it's future. The idea that you can breed dogs to race without producing a large amount of surplus dogs is not possible.

The "responsible" owners are complicit in the abuse. Some just close their eyes & pretend it doesn't exist. Others say that it's a minority. When are we going to hear of owners being prosecuted because the responsible owners reported them ?

I personally know Vets that are on the rota & take their turn at race meetings. Very few owners are willing to pay a fortune to treat a dog that will have no prospect of racing again.

As for pet dogs, the huge increase in Vet practices, groomers & the uptake of pet insurance etc show that dog ownership is changing. Greyhound care is improving but only because the publicity, including RTE, seriously damaged the sport.

Igotadose · 30-11-2021 9:04am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118243251#Comment_118243251

And since then, in 2020 with the 'cover' of the pandemic, GRI's just quietly upped the amount they get from the government. Nothing will change, whole sport including coursing just needs to end. Ireland tolerates amazing amounts of criminality.

Try getting an animal cruelty charge against someone mistreating a dog in Ireland. You'll find out quickly how useless the dog wardens are, and the guards even less so. The prevailing attitude is always "Don't make waves" "Anything for a quiet life" "Shur and you'll be grand." Dog wardens in the UK and US have arrest powers. Here in Ireland, they need YOU to swear out a complaint to the guards.

Loathsome. Innocent greyhounds raised for breeding purposes only with their pups sold off wherever. I'd hoped Brexit would've put an end to Greyhound export to the UK, but so far, not yet.

Jequ0n · 30-11-2021 9:22am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118243248#Comment_118243248

To be fair: the neighbour sounds like your run of the mill farmer who does not see his animals as anything but a commodity.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118243264#Comment_118243264

Totally agree. When I first moved to Ireland I noticed a difference in how animals were often treated and regarded. I’m not sure if it’s a “hangover” from the heavy reliance on agriculture and most of the country bring rural, but there seems to be a higher acceptance of animal cruelty.

Igotadose · 30-11-2021 9:38am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118243302#Comment_118243302

I live in a rural region. Most of the farmers take excellent care of their dogs.

The problem ones we've known, fall into the 'too old to be farming would you give it up ffs' gaga/nearly senile types who shouldn't own a guppy let alone a dog. The younger farmers aren't the same when it comes to their dogs.

Farmers in the UK don't do this - it's not a 'farmer' thing. Maybe it's an Irish farmer thing, but calling some neighbor caring who has shot 5 of his own dogs is nuts. That's not caring, it's monstrous and the neighbor should be shunned.

Jequ0n · 30-11-2021 9:51am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118243353#Comment_118243353

Don’t get me wrong, animal cruelty gets my blood boiling. But sadly I don’t think the man in this example is a rarity.

Igotadose · 30-11-2021 9:54am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118243398#Comment_118243398

I really appreciate the perspective.

Have you noticed the 'pro-racing' types here always say the bad apples are rarities? I don't think they are, either. I think treating the dogs as commodities is absolutely commonplace, and the bleating from the GRI about how they're squandering the money they get on 'programmes' like chipping and record keeping is just deflection. The average breeder only cares about the money, dog welfare is balanced with expense. It's how they make their money, which I wouldn't be surprised isn't largely squandered on gambling on dogs, including their own.

Jequ0n · 30-11-2021 10:08am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118243410#Comment_118243410

I don’t think I know anyone who is in support of the industry, but the general feeling seems to be one of acceptance aka not wanting to know.

Of course it is nothing but a money making scheme, no different to horse racing.

I noticed that a lot of these things, incl dog racing and the horse fairs, are justified by quoting “tradition” and people get defensive when someone challenges them.

30-11-2021 10:16am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118243251#Comment_118243251

Re your first point; No greyhound born can be unaccounted for. This wasn’t always the case, which led to my and many hundreds more retirees, who were either on living room couches or outside in a comfy kennel, being included amongst the missing. Also counted as missing were the thousands of coursing dogs, those sold abroad and those who died of natural causes.

Where is the point in spending large amounts of money on breeding greyhounds only to abuse them? Control Stewards have eyes in their heads. If they feel something isn’t right with a greyhound, he will consult with the vet on duty and if necessary withdraw the dog from the race.

Yes, there has to be a vet in duty at every race meeting. This is a welfare must. GRI have supports in place to ensure that race ending injures are not life ending ones.

Another poster says that all we care about is money. Little do they know! For the majority of us, it’s a pastime.

I looked back on some of the opening posts on this thread and was not really surprised to read so many saying that they wouldn’t watch the RTÉ programme, nor had they ever been up close with greyhound rearing or racing, yet felt able to offer in-depth analysis.

30-11-2021 11:18am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118241427#Comment_118241427

If the dog broke its leg during a race, he wouldn’t have had to pay to euthanise and dispose of it. This is covered by the track who have to have a vet in attendance.

Jequ0n · 30-11-2021 11:32am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118243797#Comment_118243797

But nothing spells “I love you” like a bullet to the brain.

LawBoy2018 · 30-11-2021 2:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118243248#Comment_118243248

I want to report him but my parents are being twats about the whole situation. If I were to report him, it would be obvious that it was me as I have already confronted him about it.

Igotadose · 30-11-2021 6:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118244903#Comment_118244903

Your neighbor's a dangerous person. You only know of 5 dogs - my guess is he has a long history of doing this. And, it's a crying shame that there''s no freedom of speech in Ireland and that the dog warden lacks investigatory and arrest powers. My own experience of reporting a dog attack (on me, bit me good, took a doctor's visit and antibiotics to clean up the mess) was that reporting the attack to the Warden, then the Guards, resulted in the neighbor in question somehow magically obtaining my name, phone number and home address. He paid us a visit while we weren't home, called me on the phone later (and was duly told off), then some of his misbegotten offspring confronted me on the road about it. I didn't back down though, continued the followup with the Guards and eventually the 'old gaga farmer' had to restrain his dog and muzzle it, for what all that was worth. The dog isn't a greyhound.

When the Guard called to follow up, she had no idea how the farmer had my personal information. Considering my last name is extremely unusual in Ireland, I expect she was lying. I didn't quite tell her so, her being a guard and all, but we didn't end the conversation in a friendly way and I think I made her a bit nervous wondering out loud how he could've gotten my name and phone number so readily given only the Guards and the Dog Warden had it.

I'd go to the guards if you have proof of this horrid mans behaviour. I'm sure the neighbors actually have plenty they don't like about him that'd come out if he got in trouble due to his behaviour to his greyhounds. No one in the greyhound industry would lift a finger - imagine, the GRI funding investigation into the treatment of greyhounds by their owners. I mean, how did these 5 greyhounds, all duly chipped and registered like we hear the GRI is doing, suddenly died without any followup? Oh that's right...just a few bad apples.

30-11-2021 6:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118246531#Comment_118246531

If the horrid man in question was so tight, he’d have let the track vet euthanasie and dispose of the dog, saving himself the bother and cartridge/bullet.

Discodog · 30-11-2021 7:27pm

A farmer came into my vet having run over his own Collie. The Vet performed emergency surgery & called the farmer to say that the dog had survived. They explained that they had to amputate a leg but the dog would make full recovery. The farmer said that a three legged dog was no good to him & told the Vet to keep it. Luckily it wasn't a Greyhound.

Discodog · 30-11-2021 7:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118246573#Comment_118246573

When did the Vet grant come in ? Found it 2019 ? So what happened before then ?

30-11-2021 7:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118247015#Comment_118247015

I’m not sure what you mean by a grant, but for as long as I can remember there’s been a vet on duty race nights.

Discodog · 30-11-2021 7:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118247035#Comment_118247035

https://www.thejournal.ie/irish-greyhound-board-care-fund-4753855-Aug2019/

It has a maximum of €1000 for long bone injuries. A leg break could cost three times this amount.

The point is that the IGB only introduced these changes after the RTE program.

30-11-2021 7:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118247066#Comment_118247066

Gotya. That’s the care package which was introduced more recently alright. The price of surgery would depend on the injury. €1,000 would go a long way.

It’s a pity a photo from Irish greyhound racing wasn’t used in that article quoted!

Discodog · 30-11-2021 7:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118247091#Comment_118247091

So no more dogs will need to be euthanised - I look forward to seeing them all.

30-11-2021 7:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118247117#Comment_118247117

Again it will depend on the injury. I would hate to have a dog live in pain just to keep it alive to prove a point.

Discodog · 30-11-2021 7:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118247133#Comment_118247133

They shouldn't be getting injured in the first place. Unfortunately the law sees Greyhounds differently to other dogs. If I repeatedly subjected my dog to danger I could face prosecution.