Irish Greyhound Board backs down on sending Greyhounds to China
international |
animal rights |
press release 
Wednesday May 04, 2011 11:06
by Bernie Wright - Greyhound Action Ireland
bigbrownrat at gmail dot com
0872651720
VICTORY for Irish Greyhounds but others may die in China due to IGB TRACK PLANS..
GREYHOUND ACTION IRELAND is relieved to hear that the prospect of thousands of Greyhounds being bred in Ireland for Chinese greyhound Tracks has been shelved by the Irish Greyhound Board after fierce opposition by animal rights activists.
GREYHOUND ACTION IRELAND is relieved to hear that the prospect of thousands of Greyhounds being bred in Ireland for Chinese greyhound Tracks has been shelved by the Irish Greyhound Board after fierce opposition by animal rights activists.
As legislation stands these greyhounds could not be exported legally as no welfare agreement exists between Ireland and China.
Gambling on Dogs and horses ,it appears is still not legal in China so this ill-conceived cruel money-grabbing idea was a no-go from that respect also.
The greyhound Industry is in dire financial straits with a couple of tracks keeping the others afloat. Heavily subsidised by taxpayers money this dying Industry in sinking morally and from a business perspective.
This development came to light in a Dail debate yesterday 3rd May = 2011.
GAI Spokesperson Bernie Wright says ‘Public pressure from both within Ireland and from International activists in the USA and Europe has diverted this cruel development. Obviously the IGB did not realise the positive shift in the public’s perception of these beautiful gentle breed of dogs, along with the determination of those who fight for their protection from those who try to exploit them.
We will be monitoring this situation as tracks in China will have to get Thousands of Greyhounds from another source if this goes ahead’.
In an Adjournment Debate 3rd May 2011, Full text attached .
“The export of Irish greyhounds to the People's Republic of China”
Minister of State, Shane Mc Entee, TD
RELEVANT TEXT AS FOLLOWS, Shane Mc Entee TD.
‘The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is aware that Bord na gCon is exploring possible business opportunities in China and has been in contact with the Department in this regard. I would like to inform the House that today I met the Chairman and Chief Executive of Bord na gCon to discuss the proposal. I made it clear to Bord na gCon that I am not in a position to approve the project as presented. It was agreed that Bord na gCon would modify its proposal to exclude the export of greyhounds from Ireland but would continue to explore possibilities of developing the proposal to assist in the management of greyhound racing in China.’
Bernie Wright. PR 0872651720
Greyhound Action Ireland
greyhound Tracks has been shelved by the Irish Greyhound Board after fierce opposition by animal rights activists.
Comments (4 of 4)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4That is some good news. Ireland has a hugh problem with greyhounds. And the greyhound breeders want to make it worse by exporting this problem?
It's a shame that the Irish proposal for management of greyhound racing in China isn't killed off the same way they kill off the greyhounds who are too slow. If this part of the proposal goes ahead it'll prop up the the killing of dogs here and abroad as the struggling IGB will get Chinese money. Also the breeders will find a way to sell to anyone including China (just not through state bodies). Greyhound Racing doesn't care about the dogs, they care about money. Remember Spain!
The chinese will just source there dogs from somewhere else and these dogs will be treated in the same way as the dogs that would of come from Ireland would of been treated.I believe dog racing in Ireland will continue for a long time to come and i agree that every dog should be treated with respect and if dogs going to china meant that they would of being treated cruely then im glad they are not going.But this develepment will not solve anything in my view.Animals dont have nationalities so what was really achieved here was nothing more than symbolic.The chinese wont care where they get there dogs from as long as they get there dogs and lets face it they will get there dogs and treat them however they like and with a country as big and strong as china there is nothing anybody can do about it. The racing industry will survive and continue for a very long time and will only stop when people stop going.Animal rights activists will have no say in this. The big tracks will always make money and no amount of protesting will stop this.The fact is there is a sufficient amount of people who enjoy greyhound racing to make it viable and these people will not simply dissapear. not matter how loud you shout.
This campaign has set greyhound welfare back a generation, is there any animal rights organisation with any semplence of intelligence?
This project has now gonbe from a stage where every greyhound was guaranteed to be rehomed by an Irish Semi State company to a project where the Chinese will now be responsible for the dogs after their race careers are over.
There was to be Irish trainers, kennel hands and vets in place in China to ensure proper welfare standards and to teach the Chinese same, this will now not happen as the Irish Greyhound Board will not be involved in that aspect of the project.
The CEO of the Irish Gryhound Board was willing to have people from China's dog trust oversee the welfare of the greyhounds and was willing to bring the greyhounds back to Mainland Europe for rehoming, this avenue is now no longer open to the CEO as the Chinese will be responsible for this aspect of the project.
The animal rights people should take a bow as they have done the exact opposite to what is best for the greyhounds but that is nothing new to these people.
Regards
Harry Hound
Greyhound racing is not growing. The UK and the USA have stadiums closing yearly. And this isn't linked to the recession, it's gone on for decades. It's expected that greyhound racing stadiums in Ireland will start closing soon. It's an industry in decline. The IGB are clutching at straws with this China deal. Desperation has that distinctive smell. The IGB knew they would receive very bad publicity on this and would not have touched this if they thought they had a choice. That's why reporters were asked by the Bord Na Gcon Chariman to keep the story out of the headlines.
PR is PR. The Irish Greyhound Board needed to say something about rehoming dogs sent to China if the deal went through. No surprise they said they would rehome in Europe. Their PR exercise in Ireland is the same, they rehome a tiny amount and make a song and dance about it. There are 10's of thousands of greyhounds from racing killed each here between the UK and Ireland. Greyhounds born in Ireland are exported to the UK to make up 80% of the greyhounds racing in tracks in the UK. But they still end up dead and both the UK and Ireland are in Europe. Dogs cost money to rehome. That's not good for the profit margins.
If any deal goes ahead with China it will only last a number of years. Why would China want a state body from another country doing anything for them after they learn how to do it themselves?
Greyhounds won't be sent to China through an Irish state body. Now lets hope an Irish state body won't manage the industry there and be responsible for messing up dogs in China as they have done here in Ireland
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