The number of greyhounds being bred in Ireland for use in racing has fallen to “the lowest since the early days of the sport”
(full and integral post) The number of greyhounds being bred in Ireland for use in racing has fallen to “the lowest since the early days of the sport”, it is being reported. In another indication of the cruel greyhound industry’s continuing demise, figures from the Irish Coursing Club [to which racing greyhounds are registered] show that litter registrations for 2017 dropped to 2,441. Greyhound racing website, Greyhound Star, has reported this week that “breeding numbers have fallen by almost exactly 50% in 15 years” and that the decline is accelerating with “matings for 2017 down a massive 9%”. http://greyhoundstar.co.uk/irish-registrations-fall-must-l…/ “The bad news is that it is almost – bar a slight anomaly in 2013/14 – the seventh consecutive year of decline, meaning breeding numbers have fallen by almost exactly 50% in 15 years,” the Greyhound Star outlines, adding that many breeders have “already given up” and that “there seems negligible chance of any resurgence in Irish breeding any time soon.” Also revealed in the report is that the number of greyhound transfers is up 235 to 11,034 – “The most likely interpretation of that is that even though there are fewer greyhounds being born, a larger percentage are being exported, i.e. more of the slower dogs, who might previously not been considered worth export.” The latest breeding numbers mirror similar figures showing that greyhound owners are abandoning the dying greyhound industry in their thousands. In response to a Dail Question from ICABS President, Maureen O’Sullivan TD, the Irish Greyhound Board confirmed last year that the number of active owners of racing greyhounds has plummeted by nearly 50 per cent in the past decade. Information supplied to Deputy O’Sullivan by the IGB shows a major exodus from the industry – there were 7,265 fewer owners of racing greyhounds in 2015 than in 2007. The numbers fell every year from 14,869 in 2007 to 7,604 in 2015. The number of greyhound racing meetings has also significantly dropped. In 2006, 2,190 meetings were held and in 2015, that number had fallen by a quarter to 1,642. It’s not only greyhound owners who are turning their backs on the industry – so too is the general public. According to the latest Irish Greyhound Board accounts, the attendance for 2016 fell to 636,914 – the lowest level since records began. That’s a nearly 50 per cent drop in the past decade alone. The IGB statistics show that there have been consecutive falls in track attendance every year since 2008. Sponsors are also rejecting greyhound racing with a 58 per cent drop in sponsorship between 2007 and 2014. The industry has also seen a 58 per cent fall in tote in the same period. One thing not going down in the greyhound industry is the funding being handed over by the Irish Government. In continuing to support this industry with taxpayers’ money (nearly a quarter of a billion euro since 2001, including €16 million for 2018), our politicians are shamefully disregarding the glaringly obvious signs that this is a dying industry in freefall. As community groups, sports clubs, health organisations, animal rescue centres and schools cry out for funding, the time has come for the government to finally stop squandering scarce public money on greyhound racing and re-direct it to where it matters. ACTION ALERT Don’t attend greyhound races or community fund-raisers held at greyhound tracks (these are a significant source of funding for the greyhound industry). Contact the organisers of such fundraisers and appeal to them to choose a different fundraising venue. Contact the Irish Government now. Email “Stop funding the cruel and crumbling greyhound industry” to [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Please sign and share the petitions Irish Government: Stop Giving Millions of Euro to Cruel Greyhound Industry https://www.change.org/p/irish-government-stop-giving-milli… Stop the Export of Irish Greyhounds to Pakistan https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-export-of-irish-greyhound… Link: https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/1547244895391063 Source: Ban Bloodsports © All rights reservedTags: adopt galgos, adopt greyhound, adopt rescue dog, adopt rescue greyhound, adoption, adotta galgo, adotta un levriero, adozione, adozione galgo, adozione greyhound, adozione levrieri, adozione levriero, antiracing, antiracing @en, Australia, CAGED northwest, cani, galgo, galgo in adozione, Grey2K USA, greyhound, greyhound racing, greyhound racing, Greyt Exploitations, Greyt Exploitations, Ireland, levrieri, levriero, Limerick Animal Welfare, lurcher, lurcher, maltrattamenti, pet levrieri, salva un levriero, salvare levrieri, Spagna, UK, USA