In a post on their website, the organisation has said the killing took place in Shijiazhuang, the capital of North China’s Hebei Province, with a population of just under two million people.
Earlier this year, The Irish Post reported on renewed calls to end the export of Irish greyhounds to a Chinese racecourse.
Animal rights campaigners said that if a dog is ill, injured or fails to place in the top three in five consecutive races, it is euthanised at the racecourse in Macau, China.
In May 2016, Robert Green owner of the Banteer Schooling Track, Co Cork, attempted to export 24 young dogs to Macau.
The dogs were turned away from London’s Heathrow Airport, on the grounds that the crates they were being held in were in bad condition and not fit for transport.
Campaigners from Stop Exportation of Greyhounds from Ireland to China say the dogs are being sold for around €2000 each.
Three animal charities in Ireland have also placed pressure on the Irish government to ban greyhound exportation to China.
In a joint letter to the Department of Agriculture, three other animal charities appealed to the Department to stop the export of Irish greyhounds.
The Dogs Trust, ISPCA and The Irish Blue Cross said: “As a nation we have in recent years attracted adverse international coverage about the welfare of our horses – let us not go down the same route with the welfare of our greyhounds, a noble dog synonymous with Ireland.”
In a statement issued today the director of PETA UK, Elisa Allen, told The Irish Post that although the video of the greyhound is a “terrifying way to die”, people should also question their own cruel habits. “It’s hard to imagine a more painful or terrifying way to die than to be boiled alive,” Ms Allen said, “The idea of this happening to a dog rightly makes most people sick to their stomach – but let’s also be honest enough to question our own cruel habits, since boiling live lobsters is just as indefensible.” “With the abundant cruelty-free choices available to us, UK residents can eat like humane human beings – without the cultural double-standard – simply by choosing delicious, nutritious plant-based meals,” the PETA Director stated. Rita James from CAGED North West, (Campaign Against Greyhound Exploitation and Death) said they were “mortified” by the video. “We were mortified by the content of the video,” she said, “and believe this is an example of how dogs are treated in countries where there are no welfare laws whatsoever.” Ms James went on to say that China is just “one of” the countries of concern. “China is just one of the countries that concern us, but dogs are also being exported to countries such as Pakistan where there is equally no protection from inhumane conditions and death,” she added. Ms James also stated that Ireland doesn’t protect its greyhounds well enough and urged the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine to “take responsibility”. “Ireland does not protect the greyhounds that they breed for commercial racing. We urge the Irish Greyhound Board and the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine to take responsibility for the greyhounds bred for racing in Ireland and immediately cease all exports of these dogs to countries where there are no animal welfare laws.” “Perhaps we should not be surprised that greyhounds are being sent abroad with no regard for their lives,” Ms James states, “while they are so mistreated in Ireland itself, and regulations are poorly enforced.” In the footage from China, the greyhound is carried by a man to a drum of boiling water. The greyhound is then tossed into the vat, where its painful screams erupt from the container.
