Horrendous news for Irish greyhounds. The Irish Greyhound Board will stop at nothing to make money! First of all they were going to send them to the Far East, now it’s Spain! Unbelievable, remembering that Anne Finch, SOS Galgos and others joined together to get the Barcelona racetrack closed down and the 700 greyhounds homed.
Greyhounds are being purchased in Ireland and then transported to Spain – With the opening of greyhound racing tracks in Andalucía, Spain, which are as of yet not licensed so no official betting is allowed.
The Spanish are back at the Greyhound sales in Thurles, Ireland paying over the top prices for the dogs. These greyhounds are purported to have been vaccinated by a local vet and are currently in kennels in Ireland waiting to be transported to Spain mid November.
We are calling on the Irish Greyhound Board and the Irish Department of Agriculture, specifically Minister Simon Coveney, to stop these dogs being exported to a life of misery and a cruel death. We are also calling on rescue groups and those within the racing industry who are opposed to the exportation of these greyhounds to Spain to boycott those who are profiting from this situation be they breeders, trainers, transporters or vets.
This is what the IGB says about Greyhounds on its website. Surely they don’t support the exportation of these graceful, loyal hounds to a country where sighthounds are treated so badly and disposed of so cruelly in their thousands every year!
“Greyhounds have been in existence for longer than any other breed of dog and for all that time, have been prized for their speed, grace, agility, hunting prowess and as loyal pets and companions.
The only breed mentioned in the Bible, greyhounds appear in early cave drawings, adorning the tombs of Pharaohs and are celebrated in many paintings, stories and poems. In 124 A.D. The Roman Flavius Arrianus (Arrian) sang the praises of his Celtic greyhound “Horme”.
“She is moreover, gentle and kindly affectionate, and never before had I a dog with such regard for myself. When I am at home she remains by my side, accompanies me in going abroad, follows me to the gymnasium and while I am exercising myself, sits down near me. At meals she pats me with one foot and then the other, to remind me she is to have her share of the food. Nothing is as helpful as a soft warm bed. It is best if they can sleep with a person because it makes them more human and because they rejoice in the companionship of human beings”.”
Please sign the petition to fight this.
Comments
14 responses to “Irish Greyhound Board sending greyhounds to Spain – MADNESS!”
just signed there ant enough homes for the sight hounds already out there
our 3 greygirls are still with us,came from the closing racetrack in Barcelona, just before it was finely closed, they were lucky as the junkies,hunters and those mobile people lined up to get their greyhounds. It is always very tragic to rescue so many greys at once and finding serious homes and rescue organizations.
I hope we can succeed and save the greys from this hell. Remember it is the EU tax money that is being mis used to IGB and the breeders and the EU does not care how it is being spend. Please signed the petition for those poor souls.
The EU was not able to stop animal cruelty, in the contrary the bullfighting lobby as well as the greyhound racing industry gets EU money.
Therefore I am afraid the EU is a failure.
It is too corrupt and will fall apart soon enough.
Signed it.
How much more suffering is going to happen before these poor dogs have a better life? Suppose all we can do is to keep fighting, and eventually make a difference.
We all ask this question, how much longer – and yes, all we can do is keep fighting and believing that change will come about one day. Thanks for caring.
So upset about this. I have signed the petition. So sick of these beautiful dogs being abused for profit. They will stop at nothing. When I adopted my galgos from Greyhounds in Need, there was a greyhound in quarantine saved by GIN from the Barcelona track. She was a beautiful black dog called Jenny (Libra). She was adopted and it was a happy ending for her. It breaks my heart to think about all the dogs who don’t have a happy ending. When will things change for the better for the greyhounds?
Signed and shared. I agree with Jen – there aren’t enough homes for the dogs in Spain as it is without the racing industry adding to the ever increasing problems!
unwanted discredited greys ending up in spanish dog pounds are often overseen when it comes to rescue those whose deadline is due. There is simply not enough interest to save the greys as some people think greys are compatible with other animals. Not all galgos or other sighthounds will be suitable with small animals as well, but the grey has this stigma.
While I sending everyone I know the petition, some rescue organizations for greys don’t even mention it on their homepage, ok they get their greys from IGB of course free delivered, so that could be the reason not to intervene with IGB, makes me angry and very sad.
ups error:should read “some people think greys are NOT compatible with other animals.”
sorry.
My conversion to greyhounds and subsequently galgos began in 1994 when a stray greyhound bitch turned up at our Suffolk home. She had no hair on her boney points, hard skin from sleeping on concrete I suspect. She had a tattoo in her ear so with the help of the Greyhound Register (in Newmarket in those days) I established she was born in 1987 so was still young enough to be spayed. In those days no one adopted a greyhound. Molly was the most loving dog, lived with my cats and 2 other dogs no problem and became a much loved PAT dog – Pets As Therapy. Molly lived with for another 7 years until she began to suffer attacks when she couldnt get oxygen into her lungs. We would rush her to our vet clinic to be put on oxygen but each attack took a toll on
her general health and eventually she was pts at home in our arms. I reckon she had been used for coursing – illegal but it happened in our area especially on the stubble fields. For me, there isnt any difference whether they are British, Irish or Spanish – their temperaments are the same (although theres always an exception to the rule). I am devastated at the move by the Irish Greyhound Board.
Beryl our first greyhounds came from the racetrack in Barcelona, these greyhounds were in such poor conditions and the one was badly abused and brutaly beaten, she arrived hear more dead as a alive, she never trusted humans, besides us. She liked to play with other dogs, but she showed no interest in racing so this was her price she had payed in spain, she was denied food there and was as skinny, only bones. Almost all our greys come from spain, and they are so grateful to find a pillow to relax on, but it takes some weeks or month to restore them back to health, but it takes longer to restore their brocken soul, so they sleep with us to feel secure and when they dream badly we comfort them.
When Greys are send to Spain, they are exposed to mediteran health problems, such as LM, etc. whereas the Galgos and other sighthounds are exposed to these whilst being from their mother.
My greyhound Smuge is now nearly 11 and we adopted him when he was 9. He had been in rescue since he was 5 and no one had wanted him. We were told that he would probably be really keen, as he had been a first class racer. Now Smudge has turned out to be the least keen dog ever. He loves people, great with children, great with dogs – male and female, even tiny dogs, no interest in cats. I am not saying this is the same for all greys but he is the most wonderful, gentle, amiable soul. I can’t imagine a better companion for a family. He is a black dog too, black dogs get overlooked. I don’t know why this is because he has a lovely shiny coat and is ever so handsome (in my opinion!) These beautiful dogs should not be sent to Spain or anywhere where else where their lives will be miserable, painful and short.
oh yes that ia true black dogs getting over looked when we was walking greys at the kennels befor the ones they are in now and all visitors came up to walk the dogs and choose who they wanted it was alwyas the black ones getting passed by i opened my moth one day and said to someone why sont you pick a black grey they are just as worthy as the other colours and i said my black girl is the most loving needy girl i have she is like a humane baby it happened the black ones started to get a home cause each person that came i told them the smae thing the black ones started going down and all them people what addopted the black ones didnt regret it
Good for you for speaking out Jenny! The black dogs always get overlooked, it is a big problem. They have that problem at TIA Greyhound Rescue and are stuffed full with black dogs. To be honest if I was getting another ex racing greyhound, I would specifically go for a black one because otherwise they just get left behind. I really don’t know why this is, they are absolutely just as worthy as other colours and their coat shines like silk in the sunshine!