Brindlebabe

PRESS RELEASE Re : AGREEMENT BY IGB NOT TO EXPORT GREYHOUNDS TO CHINA 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

Despite worldwide protests against the plans to export Irish greyhounds to China and assist the Chinese in the development of greyhound racing – the IGB’s proposals are moving on unabated. A letter that will hopefully enlist the support of our politicians has been compiled detailing a number of reasons why these proposals should be abandoned. The response from two of the North East’s politicians has been very encouraging - resulting in the following Lib-Dem press release which has attracted local media attention. http://fionahall.org.uk/en/article/2011/482482/howl-of-protest-over-appalling-greyhound-deal Please copy and paste the letter below and send to your MEPs - MPs & TDs etc. Contact forms for UK MEPs and MPs - MSPs & AMs http://www.writetothem.com/ Contact details for Irish MEPs and TDs http://www.europarl.ie/view/en/irish_meps.html http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/tdssenators/tds/ Contact details for all MEPs http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/public/geoSearch.do;jsessionid Please also send a short message and a link to the online letter to David Cameron - Prime Minister and Nick Clegg – Deputy Prime Minister. Their respective contact forms can be found here https://email.number10.gov.uk/Contact.aspx and http://www.dpm.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/content/contact-deputy-prime-minister In all instances - please feel free to send your own letter or edit the letter below but please remember to be polite at all times. To view the letter online – please click here http://www.greytexploitations.com/resources-and-reports/letter-to-politicians Thank you - as always – for your care and compassion for the greyhounds. Dear The Irish Greyhound Board – Bord na gCon - are a semi state owned body and receives an annual grant from the Irish government through the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund. Presently the IGB are also seeking funding from the Department of Finance to export greyhounds to China and assist the Chinese in the development of greyhound racing. Speaking at the National Greyhound Awards in March 2011 – the IGB CEO Adrian Neilan said “The plan is to build a number of stadia in China and the Bord na gCon would provide the management expertise to deliver on this potential. In return we would secure a very significant management fee per stadia per year with all our costs already covered. Ireland would be the sole supplier of greyhounds for this venture and this would a very significant outlet for our hard pressed breeders” http://s428.photobucket.com/albums/qq1/Greytexploitations/London%20protest%20Irish%20Embassy/?action=view¤t=sportingpresscached-neilan.jpg (This is a snapshot of the page – original article has been removed) China has no laws against animal cruelty and dogs are skinned alive for their fur – horrifically killed for human consumption and bludgeoned to death in the streets as a means of population and rabies control. The EU imposed a ban on the importation of dog and cat fur from China in 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6765653.stm WARNING – VERY GRAPHIC VIDEO DEPICTING CHINESE DOGS SKINNED ALIVE. YOU WILL NEED TO SIGN IN AND VERIFY YOUR AGE TO WATCH. PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION. http://youtu.be/hGSTMsD3_R8 On April 19th Sky News reported the rescue of 500 dogs in Beijing – transported in horrific conditions and destined for the dog meat markets. In December 2010 the International Monetary Fund agreed a loan of €22.5bn to help Ireland’s economy. Britain is one of the three bilateral lenders who contributed to Ireland’s bailout – more specifically to the tune of £3.25bn - with Denmark and Sweden also making a contribution. http://www.parliament.uk/briefingpapers/commons/lib/research/rp2010/RP10-082.pdf (If the link fails to open the pdf - please copy and paste the link into your browser) The IMF is “a multi-year program, targeting vulnerabilities in the banking system and aiming to restore prospects for growth — without which there can be no enduring solution to the crisis. The authorities designed a program with fairness in mind so that the burden of economic and financial adjustment is shared across all levels of society, with the most vulnerable groups the most protected” Ireland has planned to cut welfare spending by 15% - shedding €3.3bn over the next 4 years to include Child Benefit - which will undoubtedly affect those ‘most vulnerable groups’ the IMF is specifically intended to protect. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/1124/1224284026067.html http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Press/Speeches/2010/Pages/sp081210.aspx Internationally greyhound racing has been in decline for a number of years – America having seen the dog racing industry cut in half in the last 10 years with only 25 tracks remaining operational. http://www.grey2kusa.org/action/states.html In Britain the industry’s income has reduced by 23% in the last 12 months and by 50% in the last 3 years despite only 4 of its 29 tracks closing in the same 3 year period. http://greyhoundstar.blogspot.com/2010/12/bgrf-board-approves-2011-budget-for.html The Irish Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund - generated through a 1% tax from off-course betting - is heavily subsidised by the Exchequer and in 2011 the Irish government contributed €11.5m towards the financing of Irish greyhound racing – a reduction of only 3.3% on the previous years grant. http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/press/ministersspeeches/speechesbyministerbrendansmith/2010/15december2010drafthorseandgreyhoundracingfundno2regulations2010/ ‘The IGB is currently under extreme financial pressure due to falling income streams, especially the decreasing amounts provided from the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund and €25m in borrowings, due in large part to the costs associated with the construction of Limerick Stadium. The level of borrowing is of concern’ http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/publications/2011/briefforministermarch2011/Chapter%204%20Main%20Brief%20Part%202.pdf Page 175 – 9.3 Bord na gCon (If the link fails to open the pdf - please copy and paste the link into your browser) The decision to develop Limerick stadium at an estimated cost of €20m - was taken in March 2009 at the height of a global recession. http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/greyhounds-stadium-progress-cheers-up-hardhit-race-fans-1659082.html The Irish government has recently been taken to court by the European Commission for the reduced rate of VAT applied on the sale of horses and greyhounds. Until 2008 – the sale of horses and greyhounds attracted a zero rate. http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/tax-court-ireland.779 Last year the IGB argued vehemently for exemption of greyhounds from the Dog Breeding Bill and a compromise was agreed with the government. The Greyhound Welfare Bill was drafted - with less stringent breeding legislation but the bill has failed to be enacted – leaving the Irish greyhound unprotected by any form of welfare legislation. The EU have for a number of years financially supported Irish greyhound racing through the Farms Diversification Scheme - which encourages farmers to establish themselves as greyhound breeders to further over breed greyhounds in a declining market. http://www.ndp.ie/viewdoc.asp?mn=euso&nID=4&fn=%2Fdocuments%2FEU_Structural_Funds%2Foperational_prog%2Fagriculture_farm3.htm&UserLang=EN&css=3 Despite the subsidies, exemptions and lack of burdensome welfare legislation – Irish greyhound breeding has declined by at least 25% in 4 years. However - the IGB presently boast ‘greyhound racing is responsible for close to 11,000 jobs, generating over €500 million in Ireland’ although these same figures have been continually ‘claimed’ since March 2009 and if the IGB are to be believed - it appears greyhound racing in Ireland is immune to the effects of a worldwide recession. http://www.arts-sport-tourism.gov.ie/publications/release.asp?ID=100460 Bizarrely – whilst the IGB are seeking to further invest public funds in China – April’s ‘Report of the Review of the Group on State Assets and Liabilities’ states - ‘The Review Group recommends that Bord na gCon should dispose of its interests in greyhound tracks if commercially satisfactory terms become available’ and ‘HRI and Bord na gCon should dispose of their Tote interests if commercially satisfactory terms become available’ http://www.finance.gov.ie/documents/publications/reports/2011/stateassetts.pdf - Recommendations 49 & 50 - Page 117 & 118 (If the link fails to open the pdf - please copy and paste the link into your browser) More recently the IGB have given assurances that greyhounds will be ‘well cared for’ in China. However - the exporting of greyhounds and the selling of ‘management expertise’ to the Chinese would undoubtedly be a short term investment. Not only would it take less than 2 years for China to establish its own breeding programme whereby the demand for Irish greyhounds would cease – it would take far less time for China - the world’s fastest growing economy - to develop - operate and control its own stadiums using the IGB’s prototype. Stadiums where the IGB would have no control over welfare issues - a point raised by a spokesperson of the Irish Department of Agriculture who stated “As with any country, we do not have any influence on the welfare standards adopted in other countries, and these matters are more appropriately dealt with by the country’s own legislative system” http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq1/Greytexploitations/Private/Irishsundaytimes.jpg The statement also serves as a reminder that no welfare legislation currently exists in Ireland for the protection of greyhounds – a situation that the Irish press have been keen to point out in a series of articles highlighting the abuse, neglect and destruction of Irish greyhounds. http://www.greytexploitations.com/resources-and-reports/cruelty-and-neglect http://s428.photobucket.com/albums/qq1/Greytexploitations/?action=view¤t=Irish-Sun.jpg http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq1/Greytexploitations/Private/IrishMailonSunday-SnipNua.jpg Each year the industry breeds between 20,000 and 30,000 dogs and it is estimated 8,000 greyhound puppies - either too slow or will not chase the mechanical lure - 'disappear down a black hole' before even reaching the Irish tracks. The IGB makes little provision for the dogs that are discarded by the industry once deemed of no further use as a 'betting unit' and despite the strenuous efforts of greyhound rescue groups in Ireland - every year many thousands of healthy young greyhounds are callously killed by their breeders/trainers or dumped in pounds - where as 'hand ins' they are put to sleep almost immediately. In 2008 County Clare dog pound destroyed 273 and County Kerry dog pound destroyed a further 259 greyhounds - a total of 532 in just two of Ireland's 26 counties. What impact could these proposals have on the Irish tourist trade? The decision to send Irish racing greyhounds to China could not only have serious consequences for the dogs but also for the Irish economy in general – particularly so when images of greyhounds subjected to the aforementioned barbaric cruel practices are published worldwide. The proposals are an offence to public morality – as evidenced by the growing number of petition signatories - many of whom are Irish - opposing greyhound exports to China. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/say-no-to-greyhound-exports-to-china/ Ireland should not be subsidising these proposals - which will benefit only a small part of its economy - at a time when it is making swingeing public service cuts and the UK and EU is bailing Ireland out. I respectfully request you do everything in your power to bear pressure on the Irish government to abandon these proposals as it is also an offence to the social safety net and makes a mockery of public expenditure at a time of such austerity. Yours Sincerely -- Website: www.greytexploitations.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/greyt.exploitations YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/Greytexploitations

Please copy and paste this letter to your MPs. http://www.greytexploitations.com/resources-and-reports/letter-to-politicians Thank you.

Demonstration outside Embassy of Ireland, London Saturday April 9th 1pm until 2pm Please try to be there! Ask us for posters to take along There will be a demonstration outside the Irish Embassy in London from 1pm to 2pm on Saturday, April 9th against the Irish Greyhound Board's plans to export greyhounds to China, as part of a scheme to set up a greyhound racing industry there. Please try to attend, if you possibly can, and rescued greyhounds are also more than welcome. We will be producing special posters and leaflets for the demo and would like to send posters to as many as possible of those taking part, so you can put a cardboard backing on them and bring them along. Please e-mail [email protected] or call 01562 700 043 as soon as possible, if you would like us to post you some. Address: Embassy of Ireland, 17 Grosvenor Place, London, SW1X 7HR Map at http://tinyurl.com/IrishEmbassyLondon Get directions at http://tinyurl.com/IrishEmbassyLondon2 Nearest Underground stations - Hyde Park Corner and Victoria Nearest bus stop Wilton Street Buses from main railway stations - Euston 73, Kings Cross 73, Marylebone 82, Paddington 36 & 436, St Pancras 73 We recommend you allow at least 45 minutes for you bus journey Info on buses/undergound from elsewhere in London, call Transport for London on 0843 222 1234 and then press 3 to speak to an advisor. For more info on the campaign to stop Irish greyhounds being sent to China, see our blog at http://greyhound-action.blogspot.com _______________________________________________ Website: www.greyhoundaction.org.uk Latest news: http://greyhound-action.blogspot.com Please feel free to forward/crosspost/circulate this message.

http://38degrees.uservoice.com/forums/78585-campaign-suggestions/suggestions/1570299-stop-greyhound-exports-to-china?ref=title Please sign and pass to all your contacts.

Greyhound Crusdaders/SWAP team UK are extremely concerned about the Sunday Times article below- please support our international appeal for help. The Greyhounds need your voice now! Every voice counts from around the globe. Please see the Sunday Times article below from the UK. We now need all our supporters globally to please write to the IGB (Irish Greyhound Board), the Irish Department of Agriculture and the ISPCA (Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) to vehemently protest about this immediately! Please remember it is imperative that all correspondence is kept polite. Please email the following people below to urge them to stop this HORRIFIC idea immediately, the fate of many Greyhounds lay in the hands of the Irish Greyhound Board and the authorities that allow this to go ahead. THIS MUST BE STOPPED NOW! We cannot emphasize how concerned we are to the fate of these poor dogs! If you wish to copy the appalling photo above in your protest (photo taken from a Greyhound Action leaflet) please do so to make your point. Thank you Barry Coleman (head of Greyhound welfare at the Irish Greyhound Board)- [email protected] Irish Greyhound Board public relations dept- [email protected] ISPCA -(The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) - [email protected] Department of Agriculture in Ireland- [email protected] Many thanks for your support Greyhound Crusaders/SWAP team UK ------------- SUNDAY TIMES ARTICLE FEBRUARY 27TH 2011 (UK) But welfare groups are furious at plans to export greyhounds claiming that animals too slow to win races are routinely slaughtered and even eaten John Mooney Published: 27 February 2011 And they’re off ... Bord na gCon, the Irish greyhound board, wants to export dogs to China as part of an international expansion that could result in it operating racing stadiums there. The move is opposed by Irish animal welfare groups, which say other countries refuse to sell greyhounds to China. Dogs too slow to win races are routinely slaughtered and even eaten, they claim. Attempts have been made to improve the image of greyhound racing but the welfare of retired dogs continues to be a concern. It has been raised by Joanna Lumley, the actress, and Richard Wilson, of One Foot in the Grave. Sharon Ní Bheoláin, the RTE newsreader, and other public figures have also campaigned about the welfare of the racing dogs. Bord na gCon says Chinese officials visited Dublin this month to see how the Irish greyhound-racing industry is run and regulated. A spokesman said the board informed the Department of Agriculture, which regulates the transport of greyhounds, about its expansion plans. “As with any country we do not have any influence on the welfare standards adopted in other countries, and these matters are more appropriately dealt with by the country’s own legislative system,” the spokesman said. The export of greyhounds was a matter for individuals and Bord na gCon, said the department. “The board has informed us that they are exploring the possibility of assisting with the establishment of greyhound racing in China,” it said. Ireland exports greyhounds to America, mainland Europe, Australia and Pakistan, but animal-welfare societies want trading with China to be prohibited. Orla Aungier, of the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said China had a reputation for the ill-treatment of wild and domestic animals. “A number of countries which export greyhounds to China are already under pressure to stop because dogs that do not race well are routinely killed,” she said. “If Irish greyhounds are sent to China it would be almost impossible to monitor their welfare. We are urging Bord na gCon to reconsider their plans and to think about how devastating this move will be for the welfare of Irish greyhounds.” China is the main source of the 2m cats and dogs killed annually for their fur, according to the Humane Society of the United States. The reputation of the Irish greyhound racing industry was tarnished in the 1990s when images of starving and ill-treated dogs exported to Spain and Italy appeared in the media. The Irish authorities stopped supporting the Spanish trade. Ní Bheoláin has urged greyhound breeders to think twice about sending dogs to China. “I’d be extremely fearful of condemning any Irish animal to an existence where their basic welfare requirements are routinely ignored. Economic factors aside, we cannot as a civilised nation be seen to trade in cruelty,” she said. Ireland, as one of the world’s biggest exporters of greyhounds, must “ safeguard our reputation and start to set standards,” she added. Greyhound racing is worth €500m a year to the Irish economy, according to Bord na gCon. Greyhound exports are valued at €40m a year. Animal-welfare groups have long criticised the practice of destroying healthy dogs when too old to race. When a greyhound reaches three to five years, it is considered too slow. Greyhounds have also been destroyed after being injured while racing. Snip Nua, a dog part-owned by Dara Ó Briain, the comedian, was put to sleep after injuring itself in a collision with another greyhound. Snip Nua was in Three Men go to Ireland, a television series with Ó Briain, Rory McGrath and Griff Rhys Jones. ·

In Memory of Snip Nua 14.12.10 Today marks the anniversary of Snip Nua’s tragic death in circumstances that saw her affluent syndicate owners – to include comedian Dara O’Brien - deny her veterinary care for a treatable racing injury and the right to be afforded a 'Duty of Care' 'Snip Nua ~ Innocently Unaware of Her Fate’ Please click here to visit Snip’s remembrance page and view a video made in memory of her short life. http://greytexploitations.com/in-remembrance/in-memory-of-snip-nua Please forward and cross post ~ thank you Many apologies for the late delivery of this email Website: www.greytexploitations.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/greyt.exploitations YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/Greytexploitations Forum: www.greytexploitations.com/forum/index.php

That is one price hike for Mollydog! Our 3 were all down as unneutered, so they have hopefully changed that now. We were also told neutering makes no difference to premiums which sounds ridiculous to me. Our excess went up to 75 pounds and Molly (the eldest, now 8) has the cheapest premium of all 3! Apparently they do take into account previous claims. However being crossbreeds they come in cheaper than the pedigrees.

Just under 24 hours left to have a bid and help DAWG .

Auction now open .

This Saturday, Poole Park, 10am Please give your support In addition to taking part in the company's week-long greyhound protection campaign (see http://www.lush.co.u...und_racing.html), the Lush store in Poole has organised a sponsored dog walk this Saturday (October 16th) to raise funds for Greyhound Action. The walk starts at 10am at the cricket pavilion in Poole Park (see map at http://tinyurl.com/Poole-Park) and will go through the town to finish at the Lush store (where all canine participants will receive a doggy goody bag!). This is an excellent opportunity to further educate the public about the plight of greyhounds and is particularly important because there is a greyhound track at Poole Stadium which our Dorset branch is campaigning to close. So, especially If you live in or near the Dorset area, please do your best to take part in this walk at which any dogs are welcome, not just greyhounds. If you're not able to take part, you can still support the walkers by making a donation to Greyhound Action (see http://www.greyhound.../donations.html) which we will use to support the campaign to end greyhound racing in Poole (see http://www.greyhound...uk/GADorset.htm). _______________________________________________ www.greyhoundaction.org.uk

Please take a rescued ex-racer along if you can We've been contacted by the Lush store in Oxford asking if we can help find them some rescued greyhounds for their greyhound protection campaign press call tomorrow. They've been in touch with local dog rescues, but none of them have any greyhounds at present. So, if you live in or near the Oxfordshire area, and have a rescued greyhound that you can take along to Lush Oxford tomorrow (you'd need to be there by 11.30am), please call the store on 01865 244826. They are open until 6pm tonight and from 9am in the morning. Address of the store is 51 Cornmarket Street, OX1 3HA. More info about the Lush campaign can be found at http://greyhound-action.blogspot.com _______________________________________________ www.greyhoundaction.org.uk

http://www.lush.co.uk/articles/our_ethical_campaigns/greyhound_racing.html .

Sighthound Welfare Trust's Autumn Auction 2010 Date and time – 7pm Thursday 14th October/9pm 21st October Beneficiary – Dog Action Welfare Group (DAWG), Cork, Ireland http://www.dogactionwelfaregroup.ie/ Venue Sighthound Welfare Trust This is our last auction for 2010, so please support us in helping to raise much needed funds for DAWG. Most of us are aware of the wonderful work DAWG carry out for all dogs and sighthounds in particular. Sighthounds are seldomly regarded as suitable companions in Eire, suffering needlessly from sheer neglect, abuse and a culture of seeing them as fit only for racing and hunting. A few SWT members have adopted greyhounds and lurchers from DAWG and had it not been for the care and devotion given to them there, they simply would not have survived. Sadly and frustratingly, as soon as homes are found, there are other sighthounds desperately needing their help to survive. Please turn out your cupboards and drawers and have a pre-Christmas clear out! Any items in good condition or unused can be listed in our Auction. All you need to do is take a photo or two, write a short description of what you are offering and add a note to say if you need the winner to pay postage and send an email with all the information to [email protected]. Thank you once more for your support for these selfless volunteers and incredible dogs, giving them the chance of a loving life.

16.09.10 Rarely do you come across a full and frank viewpoint from the gambling industry but an eagle eyed American colleague spotted a video of Gordon Bissett head of Ladbrokes Greyhound Stadia delivering a speech during a conference organised by the American greyhound racing industry in March of this year. Youve heard of buy one get one free well we have that with dogs says Gordon Bissett Head of Ladbrokes Greyhound Stadia Mr Bissett appeared blissfully unaware his viewpoint on the decline of greyhound racing would be placed in the public domain the contents of which are not only very encouraging for the greyhounds but also for those who serve to protect them. Please click here to read the full article http://greytexploitations.com/resources-and-reports/greyhound-racing-industry-officially-in-free-fall Many thanks as always for your care & compassion for the greyhounds www.greytexploitations.com