According to "Greyhounds, Running for Their Lives", a documentary on Ireland's RTÉ News, the greyhound racing industry is producing 1000% more puppies than it actually needs to keep the sport going. Although that statistic was horrifying, the true nightmare is what happens to the surplus puppies.
Not all greyhounds are champions. Before being selected to compete, a possible racing dog's mettle is tested. If it doesn't have what it takes, it doesn't race. If a dog can't race, it is of no use to the breeders, and that means they've got to go. In 2017, dog racers slaughtered nearly 6,000 dogs that didn't make the cut. Dogs that, quite literally, were running for their lives and never got to the finish line.
The film speaks to the horrible ways the dogs meet their end. In Ireland, it is illegal for anyone but a vet to euthanize a greyhound. Yet, one company charged with killing the dogs admitted to shooting them!
After the documentary aired, animal lovers from Ireland and around the world expressed their rage at the disgusting industry practices and demanded the government do something about it. What makes it even more disturbing is that the government, instead of being a watchdog over the industry, is actually helping to keep it afloat. The department of agriculture is set to give the Irish Greyhound Board (IGB) almost $19 million this year. That's money that will help keep this vile industry afloat and ensure thousands more dogs will be killed.
It's time for Ireland to stand up for greyhounds and animal rights. They must ban the terrible sport of greyhound racing. Sign the petition and ask the Irish department of agriculture not to give the IGB a single cent and tell their parliament to ban the sport now.
