13 million for Greyhound Industry while the old suffer more hardship

The IGB is and has been in receipt of Irish taxpayers funds through the Department of Finance's exchequer since 2001.

Horse and Greyhound racing has been awarded these funds through the Horse & Greyhound fund which totalled 75million last year, of which the Greyhound sector received 13 million in this budget.( Of course BIFFO has been a regular visitor to the tracks)

The 2009 budget resulted in a cut of 9%, a slight reduction of 1.5 million. Yet this money if diverted would go a long way towards genuine needy causes.

Greyhound Racing has received 106 million of taxpayers money since 2001.A disgrace when you consider our Health Service or the cut in medical cards services for the over 70s.

‘We call on taxpayers to push for an end to greyhound Industry grants in Ireland, especially in light of the current financial crisis.

The Greyhound Racing Industry is not a national cultural institution, but an example of severe animal abuse. Thousands of animals are drugged, injured, mutilated or killed annually.

Also the lack of an underage limit at tracks encourages underage gambling with children as young as seven years witnessed betting their Holy Communion money.

Greyhound racing is a shame to any modern state and should be abolished, not rewarded by tax-payer’s money.’ BernieWright,

spokesperson GAI.

Phone 087 2651720. www.greyhoundaction.org.uk

Irish Independent - Dublin, Ireland

New deal to bring Irish racing to next level

Tuesday July 01 2008

IRISH greyhound racing is going worldwide and recent deals signed by the
Irish Greyhound Board could result in significantly increased Tote turnover.

A few weeks ago a new deal was signed which will see Irish racing shown live
in Swedish outlets and the Scandinavian clients can then bet straight into
the Dublin pools.

But now follows news of another international deal which will see Irish
Greyhound Racing available for audiences worldwide. The IGB has entered an
agreement with TRN International to offer live racing as a co-mingled tote
product to TRNI's European wagering partners.

This will allow TRNI to offer their wagering partners, who include virtually
all the major account wagering operators in the UK, full tote wagering
facilities for Irish Greyhound racing and live video-streaming from the
premier IGB tracks.

Bill Hogword, President, TRNI said: "I am delighted to bring Irish
Greyhounds to our wagering partners, this is a good solid product with a
great following, and further extends our development in pari-mutuel
wagering."

Patricia Griffin, Head of Tote, IGB said: "This partnership will, I believe,
significantly contribute to increasing tote revenues for the IGB."

These youngsters, aged between seven and eight, were photographed by undercover campaigners at a recent race night at Shelbourne Park.

Many of the boys and girls are still wearing their communion outfits as they queue to bet and listen for the experts’ naps.

Astonishingly, there is now law preventing kids from having a flutter on the State-owned bookmaker Tote.

One bookmaker said: “There are strict laws against children going into a betting shop and rightly so. But the Government gets the money from the Tote so they don’t seem to mind where it comes from. If a bookmaker took money from a child there would be ructions.”

Bernie Wright of Greyhound Action Ireland blasted it as disgraceful that young children are allowed to lay bets.

“This is very irresponsible,” she said. “We regularly protest outside Shelbourne Park on a Saturday night, but have started to notice that the numbers of children going dog racing has increased. One week there were more than 80 children out of a total of 800 people. One of our members went into the stadium to see exactly what was happening. There were children still in their communion outfits still placing bets. They are being exposed to alcohol and gambling which cannot be healthy.”

She added that the group is also opposed to greyhound racing because of the suffering he claimed it causes the dogs. Ms Wright said: “There are around 30,000 dogs bred a year. Most of these are put down because they are not quick enough or they are injured. It is impossible to rehouse all of these dogs so they end up being destroyed. Even if a dog is successful and ends up in stud, they are left locked up in a kennel which is no sort of life.”

According to Ms Wright, the government pumps 200 million euro a year into the greyhound industry.

She fumed: “That money could be spent far better by investing it into the health service. At the very least the government should ban children under the age of 18 from betting. A child can’t place a bet in Northern Ireland or Britain, so why should it be allowed here?”

It is with regret that I report the passing of OKEE DANCER at Clonmel last night. I wasn't at the track last night, but the owner informed me that OKEE had broke his back during a collision at the first bend, in his semi final, and was PTS.

The gruesome finds were made in recent weeks in the Coppeen region and have prompted fears that owners have been using the isolated area as a dumping ground for unwanted greyhounds.

Other breeds are also involved, although some of the dogs had become so decomposed that it was impossible to identify them.

The ISPCA has described the dumping as “appalling and disgraceful” and are treating it as suspicious.

Some weeks ago, two dead dogs were discovered by ISPCA inspector Lisa O’Donovan following a report from members of the public, while further investigation of the woody area near Coppeen uncovered five more skulls and a large selection of bones.

“I would be confident that there are more remains there,” said the inspector yesterday.

“Because of the amount of dead bodies in the region and their proximity to each other, it would appear that there has been regular disposing here,” she said.

The cause of the dogs’ death is unknown and Ms O’Donovan said that it was “impossible” to know how many people are involved in the dumping of dog remains. “But if one person disposes of an animal and it remains undiscovered, then the likelihood is that the location would be mentioned to other people who choose to dispose of dogs in this manner,” she said.

Following confirmation that at least one of the animals was a greyhound, the Irish Greyhound Board (IGB) launched its own investigation and is working closely with the ISPCA.

Those involved in the greyhound industry will be told of the situation in west Cork by the IGB.

“The illegal disposal of animals in this fashion is unacceptable. The majority of veterinary practices provide a disposal facility that is available to all members of the public for a fee. Not only is this an environmental issue but it is also a distressing sight for people to come across.”

Ms O’Donovan said that it was an “appalling and disgraceful” situation near Coppeen and appealed to members of the public to pass on any information that could lead to the apprehension of those responsible.

“I would also ask the public to keep on the look-out for similar occurrences in their areas and to report it to their local Garda stations,” she said.

* ISPCA confidential helpline: 1890 515515

GA comment: Yet further proof of the way that greyhounds are seen as disposable commodities ... the dogs were dumped to avoid paying a fee for killing them and also to hide the fact that healthy greyhounds were being killed.

Some of his very revealing statements are below:

"I have two bitches (greyhounds) in my garage outside, some would say that's cruel making them live outside! I wil say go and feckin mind your own business and get a life!

“If I want to have my bitches put down I will, just like the farmer down the road if he has his sheep dog put down or kills one of his pigs, that ain't my business and it ain't no business of any anti.

“I think you all live in cloud cuckoo land if you think there aren't hundreds of greys put to sleep before they even reach the track in the UK. Hundreds of pups are too slow to grade, some don't chase others fight, injuries as pups etc etc. That is a fact, if you don't like it get out of the game.

“I am a realist............ and I am also knowledgeable enough to know that we pander to the anti's to much. Feck em! Let them come to my place here in Cork and see how my pups are reared and how my broods live their lives. I'd love to take out an anti down to the forest I go to every day with my pups in the hope my pups catch sight of something and chase it down and kill it. Sorry if that offends you but my pups are being bred to chase, and hunt and eventually show enough courage on a track to go through the rigours of racing.

“Fecks sake a greyhound is what it is. If you don't like the hard facts of quarry being hunted by greys or any other hunting dog then I think you is in the wrong game.

“I breed my pups If they don't or can't race then they have to go. Hard but true and not easy for me to take that trip to the vets but alas it has to be done otherwise before to long if every breeder were to keep every pup alive there would be thousands more greys being given away to abusers and the like because it would not be possible to rehome every one of them without real retirement options in place.

“Not only that there are still a great number of people, certainly in Ireland that see their greys as livestock and no more than that. A few have them rehomed but the majority are put down after their use is over. Again, hard true fact.

“And don't tell me that the majority of BAGS trainers see their inmates as anything other than livestock? I doubt the majority of BAGS dogs get a daily gallop out in a field or a hunt in a forest, more like 10 minutes emptying out twice a day and a trip to the local track once a week running lame for £15 to line the pocket of a caring Bookmaker

“I'm so glad I moved away from England. Where I live now there are folk out hunting with dogs most night's. Nobody where I live bothers the hunter or his dogs, in fact they are mostly welcomed onto their land to hunt.

“Our vet recognizes and readily accepts that my greys are bred for a purpose and are not pets. Whatever anti thought of the slogan "Greyhounds make great Pets" very clever, it's been dished out to the public so much they only associate the words Greyhound and Pet and there is your problem, the public now see greys as pets!“

Greyhound Action comment:-

Many may feel, from what he has to say, that Newell is a callous and evil animal abuser, but his honesty about the mass-slaughter that lies at the core of commercial greyhound racing has given us another nail to hammer into the coffin of the dog racing industry.

According to our research, about 15,000 greyhounds, bred for the British greyhound racing industry, are put to death before they even reach the tracks. Most of these dogs are bred in Ireland, and many of them are killed there, after being considered unfit for racing in Britain.

Although many of these dogs may never even reach our shores, the British greyhound racing industry is nevertheless responsible for their slaughter, as it is demand coming from the British tracks that has caused them to be bred in the first place.

Newell's comments reveal, once again, the connection between greyhound racing and bloodsports and the fact that many of those involved in the racing industry have little respect or consideration for animals of any kind.

BAGS stands for Bookmakers Afternoon Greyhound Service and applies to dog races run at many stadiums in the afternoon to cater for the needs of the betting shops. Dogs running in BAGS races tend to be slower than those taking part in the traditional evening races and are therefore treated as even more of a disposable commodity by the racing industry.

The ICC governs greyhound racing in the North. Its counterpart in the South, the Irish Greyhound Board, released a report this week claiming that the majority of doping occurred in Northern Ireland.

Eight Northern Irish greyhound owners have been fined in the past year after their dogs tested positive for banned substances - including cocaine. Other substances found included amphetamine, also known as
speed.

“We carry out random testing at every race at the Brandywell and there have been very few cases, said Mr. McDaid. “There have only been two dogs that have tested positive. One of the dogs is local and the other is not.

“These substances could be there for a number of reasons. Some of the substances could have been taken as medicine. All we have got back from the lab is that illegal substances have been detected. We will have more details at the hearing in November.”

Mr. McDaid said the dogs’ owners and trainers would be called to a hearing of the Northern Ireland committee in Newry next month.

Miniscule problem

“I would like to stress that this is a miniscule problem in Derry and that random testing is carried out by our stewards after every race at the Brandywell,” he said.

Possible sanctions at the committee’s disposal include a fine and withdrawal of winnings.

Eight Northern Ireland greyhound owners have been fined for using drugs, including cocaine in a bid to win races.

One from Lisburn has been deprived of €1,000 in prize money won at Lifford after his dog tested positive for the Class A drug.

Stricter drug-testing procedures have been introduced by the Irish Greyhound Board, including the setting up of an independent Control Committee to examine and take action against those found guilty of using prohibitive subtstances.

In their first report, the committee found that more than half of the offences were commmitted by people from Northern Ireland.

Other substances included were amphetamines or speed.

One greyhound based in Donegal, was found to have traces of herbal ectasy last April and the owner fined €250.

Hugh Duffy, son of Lifford owner Willie Duffy, hit out at those involved and said: "People giving any drugs to greyhounds are not welcome here and should stay away. They are only giving the sport a bad name."

Former Board member and prominent greyhound personality Cathal Curley also condemned those involved but said, " it represents a tiny minority" of those involved in the sport.

The report from the government-appointed Control Committee imposed fines ranging from €200 to €2,000 (US$280 to US$2,800) on the eight owners, who were found guilty of feeding their dogs a range of performance-enhancing drugs, including cocaine.

Some owners also were ordered to hand their prize money for particular races to the owners of No. 2 finishers. All received warnings they could be banned from the sport if they were caught again. Most of those identified live in the British territory of Northern Ireland.

Greyhound racing is big business in the Republic of Ireland, a gambling-friendly nation where crowds bet twice weekly on dog races at more than 20 tracks nationwide. The Irish Greyhound Board says more than €50 million (US$70 million) in bets were placed last year through racetrack bookmakers, while race winners collected more than €12 million (US$17 million).

But the rising financial rewards have fueled suspicions of drug-enhanced performances. In February 2006 the board came under fire for allegedly trying to cover up evidence that some trainers were feeding dogs EPO, the same drug that has tarnished the Tour de France. Two trainers were fined €1,000 (US$1,400) at the time.

The government established an independent committee following widespread accusations that the greyhound industry was not adequately policing itself. The committee, which includes a lawyer and a veterinarian, handed down its first punishments Tuesday.

Irish Greyhound Board chief executive Adrian Neilan said he welcomed the punishments as likely to deter other cheaters. He said more than 5,500 blood samples were taken from dogs taking part in races last year.

Neilan said his board "will provide all necessary assistance to ensure the highest level of integrity in the Irish greyhound

GA comment: read on for more on this story

A report published this week by the Control committee set up earlier this year as a racing watchdog by the Government, revealed the extent of doping which takes place in the sport.

Eight owners were prosecuted for doping their animals in the largest scale punishment handed out since the sport was rocked last year by a drugs-cheating scandal. The report found that the dogs had tested positive for cocaine, amphetamines or speed as well as prescription drugs.

A Lisburn owner of a greyhound was found to have given his dog cocaine and had to surrender prize money and pay a ¤1,000 fine after his dog tested positive for following a race at Lifford while a Donegal greyhound owner was found to have given his dog herbal ecstasy prior to a race in April.

Racing Manager at Lifford Greyhound Stadium, Mr Paul Murphy said it was not a common problem in greyhound racing with only one per cent or less of dogs tested nationally proving positive for drugs use.

"It is the first time a dog has tested positive for cocaine in Lifford and only the first or second time it has been found to be used in Ireland. It is very rare for dogs to test positive for drugs and there are strict measures in place and very stringent penalties imposed," explained Mr Murphy.

REGISTERED

All greyhounds are registered to an owner. Before each race two dogs are tested for drugs use. The dogs tested are selected at random by a member of the public and a urine sample taken. The samples are then sent to an independent laboratory and tested. The independent body, then deal with all incidents and will prosecute the owners. It is a separate authority to Bord na g Con, the Irish Greyhound body, and was set up by the Government to oversee doping sanctions.

It is made up of five independent people including a qualified solicitor or barrister and a veterinarian.

GA comment: read on for more on this story

DUBLIN, Ireland — An investigation published Tuesday into the extent of doping in Ireland's thriving greyhound racing circuit imposed penalties on eight dog owners, the largest-scale punishment since the sport was rocked last year by a drugs-cheating scandal.

The report from the government-appointed Control Committee imposed fines ranging from $280 to $2,800 on the eight owners, who were found guilty of feeding their dogs a range of performance-enhancing drugs, including cocaine.

Some owners also were ordered to hand their prize money for particular races to the owners of No. 2 finishers. All received warnings they could be banned from the sport if they were caught again. Most of those identified live in the British territory of Northern Ireland.

Greyhound racing is big business in the Republic of Ireland, a gambling-friendly nation where crowds bet twice weekly on dog races at more than 20 tracks nationwide. The Irish Greyhound Board says more than $70 million in bets were placed last year through racetrack bookmakers, while race winners collected more than $17 million.

But the rising financial rewards have fueled suspicions of drug-enhanced performances. In February 2006 the board came under fire for allegedly trying to cover up evidence that some trainers were feeding dogs EPO, the same drug that has tarnished the Tour de France. Two trainers were fined $1,400 at the time.

The government established an independent committee following widespread accusations that the greyhound industry was not adequately policing itself. The committee, which includes a lawyer and a veterinarian, handed down its first punishments Tuesday.

Irish Greyhound Board chief executive Adrian Neilan said he welcomed the punishments as likely to deter other cheaters. He said more than 5,500 blood samples were taken from dogs taking part in races last year.

Neilan said his board "will provide all necessary assistance to ensure the highest level of integrity in the Irish greyhound industry."

GA comment: read on ... the next story also relates to doping ... a far from unusual practise it would appear.

It is understood to be the first time that an animal was found with benzylpiperazine (BZP) anywhere since the substance was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency's list of prohibited substances last year.

It also comes just months after a new independent committee was set up to investigate doping in greyhound racing.

BZP is legally sold in Ireland as an ecstasy substitute in dance clubs and various outlets, and is also available in health stores here as a slimming pill.

However, its legal status is being reviewed by both the EU and Pat Carey, the junior minister with responsibility for drugs in Ireland.

In September of last year, WADA named BZP as a stimulant that was to be added to its list of prohibited substances.

In April of this year, a dog running at Lifford in Donegal was tested and BZP was found, and the new independent body overseeing the policing of greyhound racing has since fined the owner €250.

"It is the first time a BZP case has come before the committee," DJ Histon, the deputy CEO and head of regulation at Bord na gCon, said yesterday. "It's the first I've heard of it."

Sanction

Earlier this year, Bord na gCon, the dog racing industry body, announced that an independent control committee was to investigate and sanction those involved when greyhounds test positive for drugs.

A committee made up of board members had previously done the work but the new body was recommended following a review of the board in the light of a row over hearings into positive drug tests on dogs trained by Paul Hennessy and John Kiely.

The dispute led to the dismissal of the then chief executive, Aidan Tynan, and the subsequent early resignation of former chairman, businessman Paschal Taggart. The row flared after the board's decision not to publish findings against Mr Hennessy and Mr Kiely, whose dogs tested positive for performance-enhancing protein, EPO.

Kevin Heffernan, the former Dublin football manager, chairs the new independent body, and recently published its first findings.

Among the stand-out cases is that of Callukes Mentor who tested positive for BZP. The dog's owner, Martin Crossan from Main Street, St Johnston, Lifford, was fined €250.

Human users of BZP have reported adverse reactions such as vomiting, mood swings, liver failure, nausea and anxiety.

GA comment: doping appears to be widely spread in greyhound racing click here to see more stories

The Irish Greyhound Board is to splash out a total of €28 million to provide new state of the art stadia at Limerick and Kilkenny.

For almost a decade a new world class stadium has been promised for Limerick but plans to locate at the old Greenpark racecourse and at Coonagh fell through.

However, it has been confirmed that it has been decided to revert to the Greenpark site, which will also become the new headquarters of Bord na gCon who have been based at Henry Street in the city centre since it's foundation in 1958.

The Limerick project will cost €20 million and the stadium will also include restaurants, bars and corporate boxes with ready made access from the DockRoad.

In Kilkenny, the development will take place at the grounds of the local Show Society.

The greyhound board became the major shareholder of the Kilkenny Greyhound Racing Company which up to now has operated the facility.

The new Limerick stadium is, subject to planning being granted, due to open in June 2010 while the €8 million Kilkenny development is due to open in January 2010.

A truck was due to arrive in the small west Bohemian town of Okrouhle Hradiste on Tuesday bearing a most unusual cargo; not a regular consignment of goods, but around 40 greyhounds from Ireland. The animals are being adopted by Czech dog lovers who want to save them from being (often brutally) destroyed - and help these greyhounds enjoy a dignified life in a loving environment.

Lucie Miric breeds dogs and runs a canine beauty parlour in Prague. She is also the head of Adopce chrtu (Greyhound Adoption); the association organises regular transports of former racing greyhounds from Ireland to the Czech Republic, where interest in taking the animals in is growing.
"I learned last year how greyhounds are treated in Ireland when they are either too old to race or are injured. They're killed in a barbaric manner, either by shooting, hanging or - in the best cases - put down. I was so moved that I became the first person in this country to adopt a greyhound, and it really is a great dog, full of love. I began telling other dog owners about it and now many Czechs want to help and make such dogs happy."

The term Lucie Miric uses is "adoption", because, she says, the animals are finding a new home. What's more, where they go has already been decided before the greyhounds arrive in the Czech Republic, as she explained while awaiting the arrival of the latest batch.

"This is the fourth and biggest transport. Before we took, for instance, eight greyhounds - this time there are 40. All of them already have new owners, who have chosen a dog on the basis of photographs and profiles we've received from a shelter in Ireland. So we know which ones like kids, which ones don't, which ones are dangerous for cats, and so on."

One might imagine that these greyhounds could be dangerous to cats, and children, given that they have been bred to chase hares, mechanical or otherwise, and have perhaps had little contact with people. What state are they in when they arrive in the Czech Republic - and can they really make appropriate family pets?

"These dogs are really destroyed. They were used for racing, so many have problems with their joints and ligaments. Some are mentally unstable, but in 99 percent of cases such greyhounds settle in to living with families. It does take time, after they've been kept in cages two metres by two metres and been fed once a day. They have a reputation as bloodthirsty beasts which kill every little creature that moves - it's not true. Every dog we've adopted has adapted to its family - they're very adaptable."

GA comment: How embarassing for the Irish racing industry that people from the relatively poor country of the Czech Republic have to help these dogs when the racing industry in Ireland abandons them.

THE Irish Coursing Club (ICC) will announce this week that they are to rejoin the World Greyhound Racing Federation (WGRF).

The ICC withdrew from the global body two years ago after pressure from the then Bord na gCon, who had pulled out earlier.

At the time, Bord na gCon gave the ill-treatment of Irish-bred greyhounds in Spain - a founder WGRF member - as their stated reason for quitting.

But the ICC, who administer greyhound racing in the North of Ireland, stayed loyal to the WGRF where their secretary Jerry Desmond had held high office.

The old Bord na gCon, for a number of reasons including the Spanish question, then withdrew advertising from the ICC-published Sporting Press.

Financially put to the pin of their collars, the ICC struck a deal with Bord na gCon at negotiations held in Clonmel in 2005.

The advertising revenue would flow again - as long as, among other concessions, the ICC withdrew from the WGRF.

Having hosted the WGRF conference in Cork in 2003 Ireland were, two years later, without representation on the WGRF.

Ironically, news of the changed Irish Coursing Club position will be carried in this week's Sporting Press publication.

The new Bord na gCon will not be joining the ICC at the WGRF conference in Melbourne, Australia later this year but a spokesman at the semi-State body in Limerick said that they are actively considering an invitation to rejoin the WGRF.

GA comment: This clearly shows the intimate links between the vicious sadistic "sport" of hare coursing and greyhound racing ... if you don't know about hare coursing click here

SPORTS Minister John O'Donoghue could do without it on the eve of a general election, but it seems that he may soon have a major new greyhound drugs scandal on his hands.

To counter criticism in the wake of previous drugs disclosures in the sport, O'Donoghue made a number of personnel changes in Bord na gCon.

As a result, a fresh control committee was set up to fast-track drugs cases on the semi-State files.

Giving the new control committee added credibility was the appointment as its head of Kevin Heffernan, the highly respected former manager of the hugely successful Dublin football team of the '70s.

But one of the cases in the pipeline for the control committee may plunge the sport into fresh controversy as it concerns a greyhound owned and trained by a prominent industry figure.

Meanwhile, Minister O'Donoghue narrowly avoided embarrassment when he presided over a greyhounds award function in Naas on Sunday evening.

Among those nominated for an award was the Paul Hennessy-trained Heart Rumble which once failed a drugs test in Britain.

However, the Minister avoided an embarrassing situation when another greyhound was announced as the winner in that category.

Meanwhile, Irish Derby winner Razldazl Billy was named Irish Dog of the Year at the same function.

For info on the background on this story ... click here

THE pre-general election submission made by the new management at Bord na gCon to the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism is an inspired document.

For those of us entrusted with the task of predicting race winners, the submission takes the art of the clairvoyant to a new level by seeming to anticipate the make-up of the new Government and the installing of a new Minister in the relevant department.

This white paper on the future of the greyhound industry has 'green' written all over it. It is the first report of its kind to seriously address animal welfare issues and how these reflect on the sport.

The layout also presumes no knowledge of greyhound racing by the new incumbent at the Department, and sports supremo Seamus Brennan will find on his desk in Kildare Street a clear and concise blueprint of what this semi-State body are about and where they hope to go.

There is no guarantee that Brennan will be sufficiently impressed as to match the generosity toward the sport shown by his predecessor John O'Donoghue.

But while other sports administrators will invariably come knocking on the Ministerial door in the months to come, Bord na gCon already have a foot in.

Submission

The submission details the achievements of the previous decade when over €90million was invested in capital projects.

Other achievements saw the Totalisator at dog tracks in the Republic jump from €6.7m in 1995 to €50.5m in 2006 (654% increase); on-course bookmaking went, in the same period, from €22.2m to €93.2m (320% increase).

There was a leap in prizemoney from €2.4m to €12m (400% increase); sponsorship went from €610,000 to €2m (227% increase); attendances shot from 686,000 to 1.33m (94% increase); fixtures went from 1,736 to 2,138 (23% increase).

Fundamental to that growth has been the grant from the Horse and Greyhound Fund which the Government set up in 2001 and which runs to the end of 2008. Bord na gCon are now looking not just for a continuation of that fund but to copper-fasten the financing of a number of projects up to 2012.

New Bord na gCon chief executive Adrian Neilan, the author of the report, writes in his preamble of the challeges they face: "Emergence of strong animal welfare views; reduced UK and international greyhound market; concerns about racing track safety and maintenance procedures; slowing Tote revenue growth; slowing attendance growth; the need to boost employee morale and provide a clear organisational structure with defined accountability at all levels; emergence of threats from betting exchanges as well as possible entry of adjacent competition (eg casinos): overall track operating profits not achieving above-average goals."

Neilan further added: "In the long run this industry needs to be as self-sufficient as possible but this cannot be achieved without further capital investments and the support of the government in broadening our business scope."

Neilan, who hails from Ardfert, Co Kerry, joined Bord na gCon in June 2005 as head of IT, before his elevation to the post of chief executive this year.

Before embarking on the plan, meetings with representatives of all shades of greyhound racing opinion were held.

But the over-riding mantra at Bord na gCon headquarters in Limerick these days is that growth will have to be achieved without the excesses and free-spending of other days.

Beneficiaries in the shorter-term of the savings policy and Government funding will be Limerick track, which has tremendous potential, followed by Kilkenny and Clonmel. Neilan says: "These are absolute priorities and are key to the overall success of our five-year business plan. These developments will be closely followed by the developmentof Mullingar and Enniscorthy."

He reports: "At the moment, the under-developed Limerick is showing a yearly overall financial loss of €50,000 whereas the state-of-the-art Cork makes an overall profit contribution of €800,000 per year to the industry."

On internal housekeeping, Neilan says: "The Board plan to review the current organisational structure so that it is in a position to support the delivery of key revenue streams and identification of cost-saving initiatives."

Apart from their current customers, and the need to make a night at the dogs so appealing from a spectator and dining point of view that they will become 'repeat' customers, another question vexing the Board is how to make greater use of their stadia.

Neilan explains: "The commercial use of facilities on occasions other thangreyhound racing is limited by the scope of the 1958 Greyhound Racing Act.

"Many of the Board facilities are ideally located for alternative uses such as bingo, which has experienced a resurgence in the UK in recent years through significant investment by the major operators including Gala and Mecca.

"The Board is anxious to broaden the commercial use of its facilities to generate an alternative income stream on non-greyhound racing nights.

"The financial and commercial strategy will be very much influenced by the Oireachtas approach to gaming.

"The deliberations of the committee on the regulation of casinos are yet to be published and any broadening of the licensing for additional forms of gaming, in particular casinos, will have a significant adverse effect on attendances and totalisator turnovers at greyhound stadia.

"Historical evidence and econometric modelling suggest that the licensing of casinos and electronic gaming in Ireland would result in a reduction in on-course Tote betting of greyhound stadia in excess of 40 per cent or €20m on an annual basis and a 25 per cent reduction in on-course attendances.

"Accordingly, if casinos are licensed in Ireland then the Board must be provided with an opportunity to capitalise on its prime site locations by reforming its business to incorporate a casino product offering.

"If the scope of the Board's operating remit is not so extended or an alternative funding method established, as happened in USA, Canada and Australia, then the livelihoods of all those involved and working in the greyhound industry will be significantly and adversely affected."

Neilan is coy about actually declaring the percentage increases detailed in the plan sent to the Department "but it would be unrealistic to expect them to grow at the rate of previous rises".

Those members of the Green Party at the Cabinet table will appreciate the fact that much of the Board revenue is to be earmarked for welfare matters.

Neilan says: "The public perception of the industry is determined by how well we treat our greyhounds.

"A negative perspective by the public will have serious implications at all levels and impact upon overall strategy success.

"To ensure we manage this area effectively, a number of key initiatives will be developed and implemented over the life of the plan.

"The outcomes from the welfare management system will demonstrate that the Irish greyhound industry recognises its obligations and adopts a pro-active and planned approach in this area."

He pledges to introduce a fresh approach to the promotion of retired greyhounds as pets: "The Board established the Retired Greyhound Trust to create a mechanism whereby owners could place their greyhounds in a well-structured and resourced homing scheme.

"When a greyhound's racing career is complete it is incumbent on the industry to afford opportunities for homing."

To this end, a dedicated website dealing with all aspects of the problem is to be set up.

GA comment : Some of this makes interesting reading from the 'new' Bord na gCon chief
executive Adrian Neilan - especially regarding his concerns about ........

"slowing Tote revenue growth; slowing attendance growth; the need to boost
employee morale"

"emergence of threats from betting exchanges as well as possible entry of
adjacent competition (eg casinos)":

"overall track operating profits not achieving above-average goals."

Mr Paisley said it would not be "convenient" to have Sunday School children
arriving in buses with a greyhound track outside the door.

He added: "It will not be and I'm told it cannot be under the planning act."

Belfast City Council is considering a possible stadium, incorporating a
greyhound park, at the park.

On Wednesday, research commissioned by the council suggested a new national
sports stadium for Northern Ireland should have an urban setting.

"Seldom have we experienced such overwhelming evidence for the in-town
location," the report stated.

The findings went against proposals for a 35,000-seater stadium for soccer,
GAA and rugby at the Maze/Long Kesh site.

On Tuesday, the culture minister said he was not satisfied that plans for a
Belfast site for the stadium were viable.

Edwin Poots added that the process could not go on indefinitely.

He said the Maze/Long Kesh Site was the only site able to accommodate "a
potentially viable shared stadium for all the sports involved".

Regulations dealing with the registration and sale of greyhounds have been introduced after the discovery of a mutilated animals in Waterford. Officers fro the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) rescued the greyhound, which they named Aoife, after a day-long chase around Tramore in April last year. The dog's ears had been cut off to prevent its owners being tracked using its unique ear tattoo.

The Irish Greyhound Board (IGB) used a DNA sample to trace the dog's Munster-based trainer, but gardai in Tramore say there is not enough evidence to bring criminal proceedings for animal cruelty. On Thursday the board's control committee also decided it could not take action. The file will remain open.

Andrea Quinn of the WSPCA said he was "disgusted" by the board's decision. "I am utterly frustrated and angered by this." he said. "Cutting off Aoife's ears is one of the worst acts of barbarity I 've ever seen. At first the IGB was all over this and they rushed in to take a hair sample and get statements. But over the past year is has cooled off and show no intention of bringing someone to book. I don't blame the gardai as I don't think the IGB gave them enough to go on."

The owner, traced by the DNA sample, said he sold Aoife to another trainer. This second man has told the greyhound board and the gardai that he sold the dog to an unidentifiable traveller he met "on the road".

"Blaming travellers is ridiculous," said Quinn. "I deal with travellers all the time and none of them would to(sic) this to a dog. The IGB should fine both men who admitted to owning Aoife because they are the people who bear responsibility for her. "

Quinn said he would now take Aoife to every racetrack in Munster to demonstrate the board's "lack of willpower" to punish those responsible for mutilating the dog's ear. "I want Aoife to be an embarrassment for the IGB and to show what some trainers will do to a dog who isn't considered good enough to race," he said.

DJ Histon, head of regulations at the IGB, said the board had changed its regulations in light of the Aoife case. Owners must now register the sale of a dog immediately with the Irish Coursing Club. Buyers will face a fine if they do not register ownership within 14 days of purchase.

"We are as disappointed as anyone not to secure in this case," said Histon."We had hoped we could set an example with this high-profile case, but that hasn't been possible".

The coursing club's DNA database is being expanded. Currently just over half of all greyhounds are on it; the plan is to include all of them by 2009.

After Aoife's case was highlighted in the media, the WSPCA received more than €2,500 in donations towards its care. The money paid for three operations on the its ears which have returned 70% of its hearing ability. The dog, which was named after the vet who first operated on it, is in the care of greyhound owner.

GA comment: This just shows how little they care about the dogs ... despite this being a very high profile case and the owner being tracked, they still refuse to do anything ... makes you wonder about all the cases which aren't high profile ... are they just swept under the carpet too? What do you think?

You can click here to see the original story detailing how Aoife came to be found in this state.

Paul Hennessy from Rathvawn, Garryduff, Gowran, Co Kilkenny was fined €4,200 and ordered to pay €800 in expenses at Kilkenny District Court today for the possession of illegal substances.

The prosecution was brought by the Special Investigations Unit of the Department of Agriculture and Food following a visit by veterinary inspectors to Mr Hennessy's premises.

Greyhound Action Ireland Comment: We are very proud that we are heavily responsible for this case coming to court ... read the article below to find out why.

Greyhound Action comment: In his pursuit of (quite literally) a fast buck, Hennessy was obviously totally unconcerned about the harm that these "remedies" might cause to the dogs and of course he didn't mind gaining an unfair advantage by doping his dogs either.

Click here for more about doping in Ireland. You may also like to click here to see another case of attempted doping where the person injected themselves by accident while trying to dope one of their dogs.

Approximately 10 written statements containing the complaint detailed below were sent to Noel Conroy. We were then contacted by Gardai and questioned which we believe has ultimately led to the conviction today.

“With regard to a report that appeared in the Irish Examiner newspaper of Saturday January 28th 2006, we urge an immediate Garda investigation into the alleged criminal activities referred to in this article.

We ask you to investigate, as a matter of urgency, the claims that a number of named greyhound owners and trainers administered prohibited substances to greyhounds.

The article revealed that greyhound trainer, Paul Hennessey, of Gowran, County Kilkenny administered a prohibited substance, namely Erythropoitin (EPO) to a racing greyhound known Barefoot Jenny”

WE ARE DELIGHTED WITH THE CONVICTION TODAY THAT RESULTED AT LEAST PARTIALLY FROM OUR EFFORTS. WE HOPE OTHERS WILL BE PROSECUTED IN THE FUTURE FOR CAUSING SUFFERING TO GENTLE GREYHOUNDS.

Bernie Wright,

Greyhound Action Ireland

(if you haven't already ... read the article directly above this one to see what happened)

Footballer-turned-Hollywood-actor Vinnie Jones will appear before the High Court in Dublin on Friday in an effort to recoup the prize fund for the world’s richest coursing race.

Footballer-turned-Hollywood-actor Vinnie Jones will appear before the High Court in Dublin on Friday in an effort to recoup the prize fund for the world’s richest coursing race.

The former Wimbledon and Leeds United star is suing the Irish Coursing Club in a row over the €80,000 prize money for the Irish Cup in Co Tipperary.

Boavista, one of Jones’ greyhounds, won the race earlier this year but was disqualified after he tested positive for a prohibited substance.

The Hollywood actor is seeking to take judicial review proceedings in the High Court in an effort to reclaim his money. Boavista is trained at Monard, near Limerick Junction, by Pat Curtin, who owns the dog with Jones and Co Clare bookmaker Denis Gould.

Jones owns several greyhounds, most of which bear the name ‘‘Smokin’’, a reference to Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, the Guy Ritchie film which starred Jones. Boavista was named after a Portuguese football club.

According to sources close to Jones, the former Welsh football international will argue that the withdrawal of the €80,000 prize was illegal, since the owners of the greyhound were never properly briefed on the ‘‘chain of evidence leading to the positive test’’.

The dog’s owners were told of a positive sample.

However, they claim the Irish Coursing Club’s body of enquiry never deliberated on the matter, even though it was twice scheduled to. The Irish Coursing Club rules are set out under the 1958 Greyhound Industry Act, and the club is therefore open to judicial review. It is understood that Boavista was tested at the Irish Coursing Championships at Clonmel in January of this year and the result was negative.

Jerry Desmond, chief executive of the Coursing Club, has previously said that Jones could face penalties and fines if it is proven he breached the Coursing Club’s rules as set out under the 1958 Greyhound Act.

THE Irish Greyhound Board (IGB) is using DNA profiling for the first time to bring to book an owner who allegedly hacked off the ears of his racing dog so it could not be identified.

The greyhound, which was abandoned in the Co Waterford resort after being mutilated, is being kept at a secret location until disciplinary hearings by an IGB panel conclude.

The IGB will also hand its evidence to gardai in Tramore who are expected to bring criminal proceedings against the man for animal cruelty.

A hair sample from the dog was analysed and compared to genetic records held in a central database of all Irish greyhounds, which revealed its identity along with that of its Munster-based owner.

The two-year-old dog, now named Aoife after the vet who treated her, is being kept hidden by the Waterford Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (WSPCA) which fears the animal may be kidnapped while the case is still in progress.

"We don't want to expose her to undesirables, who could find out where she is," said Andrew Quinn of WSPCA. "We just relocated her again to keep her safe.

Until the case comes to a conclusion she won't be re-homed officially. But she is extremely happy where she is with other greyhounds. She is fit and has put weight back on."

Last month, a Sunday Times investigation revealed that thousands of greyhounds in the UK were slaughtered after they underperformed at races. Last year just under 24,000 greyhounds were bred in Ireland, about 60% of which were exported to Britain.

Aoife first came to the attention of the WSPCA after it received dozens of calls from motorists who spotted her wandering around Tramore in a "frightened state".

It took more than eight hours to capture her. "As you can imagine she is some runner," said Quinn. "She had the whole of Tramore chasing after her but eventually she got tired and went to ground. She was afraid of people but not cars so we drove up to her and caught her on the snatch poll from the van and then threw a duvet over her."

After she was caught the greyhound was brought to a vet who treated her for dehydration and loss of blood from her severed ears. Following local media attention the WSPCA received over Euros 2,000 in donations from people appalled at her condition, including money and a card from children at a pre-school in Kerry. The money will be to pay veterinary bills.

"People like this - and they are the exception in the greyhound community - are mean bastards who wouldn't even spend the money on an anaesthetic. It's sickening what some people do to dogs," said Quinn.

All racing greyhounds are required to have identifying tattoos in their ears. Animal welfare groups have reported finding several abandoned dogs with their ears mutilated by their owners who don't want the dog traced back to them.

The Irish Coursing Club (ICC) now requires all breeding sires (males) and bitches (females) to have their DNA registered in a central database. This enabled the investigation by IGB stewards, who took a sample of Aoife's hair for analysis and were able to confirm, "100%", the dog's sire and its registered owner.

The ICC is responsible for keeping the greyhound stud book and records of greyhounds bred in Ireland each year. The DNA records, kept at Weatherbysb Laboratory in Kildare, have been used to guarantee a dog's pedigree but this is the first case of DNA being used to track an abusive owner.

The DNA evidence was used to back up interviews conducted after the IGB received a tip-off from somebody familiar with Aoife's markings who saw them
in a photograph of the dog on the front of Greyhound Weekly. This led the team in the direction of a Munster-based greyhound owner.

The investigation team will present its evidence to the IGB control committee within two weeks. If Aoife's owner is convicted with the charge of cruelty and maltreatment of the greyhound, the man will be hit with a fine and banned from owning greyhounds and attending greyhound venues. The maximum fine is set at Euro 2,000 but the committee is authorised to increase this if the case is deemed sufficiently serious.

"It is important for this case to be resolved," said DJ Histon, welfare manager at the IGB. "We abhor any act of cruelty on any dog and the feeling on the ground is that this must be fully prosecuted. DNA is a great source of information and hopefully this will send a strong message to anyone who would contemplate such an act in the future."

Jerry Desmond, ICC chief executive, denied that there was an oversupply of greyhounds in Ireland. "It's like any industry, supply meets demand. Demand has fallen in the UK so we have seen the number of dogs born in Ireland fall in the last year."

GA comment: has the number of dogs bred really fallen? or have more just been killed and abandoned? Either way it is encouraging that the demand for greyhounds in the UK is falling ... we are winning!

Click here to read the original stories about Aoife