Truly, the time has come to end dog racing in Ireland! Please sign our petition to Agriculture Ministers Andrew Doyle and Michael Creed now.

According to a secret industry report unearthed by RTÉ News, almost 6,000 greyhounds are cruelly killed each year. Their crime? They did not run fast enough to earn their keep. Dogs are slaughtered one at a time for €20 a piece or in groups of ten at a discount.

Watch RTÉ Investigates: Greyhounds Running for Their Lives
CAUTION: INCLUDES GRUESOME FOOTAGE

Helpless hounds, many only a year old, have no chance at all. They are sent to the country’s commercial slaughterhouses, bludgeoned or shot to death, then dumped – just like trash. And this is done in the wake of the highest government subsidy program ever, with current grants of €16.8 million ($19 million USD) per year.

As for the dogs that make it to the track, the Irish Greyhound Board’s report finds that the racing pool of 3,600 dogs rotates twice per year and the average dog’s racing life is under seven months. Approximately 15,000 pups are bred each year so that the industry produces 1,000% more greyhounds each year than is actually required, creating a humane nightmare.

As long as greyhound racing continues, there will be a stain on the humane reputation of the Emerald Isle. Tracks are closing around the world, and it is time for Ireland to cut ties with this grisly pastime as well.

Ask Irish leaders to spare the dogs and let racing die its rightful death. Then, please support our mission to end this cruelty worldwide.

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