2014 Irish Derby - Behind the lights

The 2014 Irish Derby began with controversial news of a return of 

Greyhound - Skywalker Puma

  'the 2012 hero returning to have a crack' at the 2014 Irish Derby €125.000 prize -

returning from a 'serious injury' sustained in the 2013 Irish Derby

 that forced his retirement to stud.

Skywalker Puma went out in the 2014 Irish Derby first round.

In June it was confirmed that Boylesports bookmakers would sponsor the Irish Derby for the next three years, starting with 2014. Chairman of the Bord na gCon, Phil Meaney, Minister for Greyhound racing, Tom Hayes, and Boylesports owner, John Boyle, gathered with Greyhounds - Boylesports Hero, Locnamon Birdie, and Droopys Nidge - to launch this years Derby: a Derby that would give the industry a brief rest-bite from the recent 'review of certain matters relating to the Bord na gCon'.

After news that Skywalker Puma would be used again, a 'gamble' was decided on the use of Greenwell Hulk suffering with a tendon injury in the toe, but he was soon withdrawn, becoming 'the first major casualty' of the Derby. 

So other 'major' casualties were to be expected?

• Boylesports Hero, wearing a bandage in the Derby launch, owned by John Boyle, owner of Boylesports, suffered with a broken hock in the first round - stunning the crowd to a 'silence'.
• Droopys Nidge being 'very sore...in his lower back and neck' continued to be used into round three, of the Derby. Trainer Robert Gleeson admitted he probably would not have been used 'if it wasn't the Derby'.
• Unlike Droopys Nidge, Surely Bassi was withdrawn after round three - suffering with a neck injury.
• Holdem Spy, who suffered in the 2013 Irish Derby with a 'hairline hock fracture', sustained a toe injury before the 2014 Irish Derby began, but his training work was 'stepped up' and they were 'going to give it a go'.
• Ballyana Foxtrot was bumped and stumbled at the first bend - screaming out of round four, but he was used again in race three on the Derby Final night(13th September).

There may well be further injuries sustained and not obviously suspected from the race results, such as was highlighted with Vanrooney(not used in the Derby - he has not been used since 19th July).

Kisses for Cloda suffered in a trial for the 2013 English Derby with a 'hock injury' - there was a gamble on the further use of him into the 2014 Irish Derby.

Kereight King withdrawn from the 2013 Irish derby suffering with a 'serious toe injury', was gambled for 2014 Irish Derby €125,000 prise.

The 2014 Irish Derby would see Pat Curtin enter Kereight King and Whizzing Archie - despite the doping scandal of Kereight King and owner/trainer Pat Curtin in the 2014 English Derby, and the doping scandal of Shelbourne Aston(winner of 2008 Irish Derby), where Pat Curtin was 'severely reprimanded' and fined £850 by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain for a positive sample given by Shelbourne Aston at Wimbledon in 2009.

The 2014 Irish Derby would see breeder/trainer/owner PJ Fahy enter Tyrur Sugar Ray and Tyrur Nathan. 

• Tyrur Nathan the son of Tyrur Sugar Ray was born in 2012. 
• Tyrur Sugar Ray the son of Top Honcho was born in 2010.
• Top Honcho was born in 1993 and died in 2007.

Under the Artificial Insemination of Greyhounds Regulations 2005 both Tyrur Nathan and Tyrur Sugar Ray were unlawfully conceived, and registered, and used for racing. The ongoing breach of the Artificial Insemination of Greyhounds Regulations 2005 in Ireland was highlighted in June by Irish Greyhound Spotlight. Regulation 14 'Death of a stud sire', sets out that: (6)  No person may lawfully implement or be involved in the implementing of a frozen insemination procedure where the stud sire is known, or could on reasonable enquiry be known, to that person to be dead for more than two 2 years.

Please adopt a Greyhound

Don't bet on one

Please don't support the Irish Greyhound Industry.

Report of, November 2013, Liaison Meeting - Bord na gCon and DAFM

On 22 November 2013 at Bord na gCon Headquarters, in Limerick,

 a meeting was held with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine 

on various topics, such as Welfare, 'Debts, Doping, and Ringing'.

IGS highlights and expands some areas of certain interest, below, from the Report of the November 2013 Liaison Meeting between the semi-state Irish Greyhound industry and their sponsors(Dept. Agriculture, Food and the Marine).The Report followed shortly after the Bord na gCon's appearance before the Public Accounts Committee.

'Limerick Stadium' :  'Mr. Niall Healy, who attended this meeting at the request of BnG, provided an outline to the meeting of how the construction of Limerick Stadium was managed.'  The controversial Greyhound track managed on a 'gentleman's agreement'.

'Regulation' : 'Mr. Herbert, Head of Regulation, BnG, reported that following the Tullymurry Act case. BnG will be bringing forward proposals to amend the racing regulations to address the shortcomings highlighted by this case.' The Tullymurry Act case left the Bord na gCon to face a €1.5m lawsuit after the Greyhound was found to have been drugged while in the Bord's care.

'Frozen Semen' : 'The Artificial Insemination of Greyhounds Regulations 2005, S.I. 561 of 2005 provide for a two year limit on the use of semen following the death of a stud dog, thereafter the semen must be destroyed and this is provided for in Articles 11 and 14 of the aforementioned Regulations. DAFM expressed its concern to learn that the two year rule is not being adhered to' Please read further on the on-going breaches of the AI Greyhound Regulations as highlighted by IGS in June.

'Greyhound Welfare' : 'Mr. Ryan[DAFM]recommended that Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) should be prepared and implemented by staff at tracks and at kennels. Mr. Herbert[Bord na gCon]confirmed that there were no greyhound welfare SOPs in place. Mr. Neilan accepted that BnG need to address this issue.' Seven months later, in July 2014, Bord na gCon's Brian Purcell claims the Welfare of Greyhounds Act 2011 to be 'probably the strongest piece of legislation for any animal in the world'. 

'Dundalk Enquiry' : 'Mr. Herbert outlined the changes that have been made by BnG arising out of the findings contained in the report commissioned by BnG from Ms Aoife Forrest, BL, into the running of “Mays Hurronboy” 'An examination of results, between May 2008 and June 2009, found a number of cases where dogs with fictitious trials competed'[at Dundalk]. 'new evidence subsequently came to light, which showed the need for further investigation' a 'new report high-lighted significant shortcomings in the original IGB inquiry'.

'Stanozolol' : 'Stanozolol is an anabolic steroid the use of which is banned in sports. Stanozolol, in its oil-based form, is administered intravenously, the water-based form is administered orally. Mr. Herbert informed the meeting that BnG has been testing for Stanozolol, in its water- based form, for a number of years. BnG tests to the Australian standard. BnG can, under current testing arrangements in Ireland, detect the presence of the water-based Stanozolol. Testing for oil-based \ Stanozolol is proving more difficult' 

'Oestrogen Suppression' : 'BnG is seeking to identify a product that can be legitimately used as an oestrogen suppressant in bitches. Mr. Herbert explained that bitches are unable to race when they come in season and this limits the number of times bitches can compete[be used]' 'The human contraceptive pill, an effective oestrogen suppressant, is not an anabolic steroid but there is no veterinary equivalent on the market. BnG is seeking the approval of the Irish Medicines Board to use this product (i.e. human medicine) in greyhounds. In addition, BnG is examining products on the market that are being legally administered to horses with a view to identifying a solution for greyhounds' Business is business - the Greyhounds are tools - the races must go on. 

'AOB' : 'BnG’s welfare officer will travel to Spain to assess the situation with regard to greyhound racing there. A private individual is planning to export dogs to Spain' After the denial of exports of Greyhounds to China on Welfare grounds alarming news came of new sales of Greyhounds to Spain - this despite the concerns raised in 2005 and the continued abuse of thousands of Spanish Greyhounds: the Galgo. 

Please adopt a Greyhound

Don't bet on one

Please don't support the Irish Greyhound Industry.

IGB Saturday Night Injuries(part one) January - March

'Collisions and injuries....a feature of the sport'

Bord na gCon/Irish Greyhound Board - Febraury 2014

(In a statement on the revamp of the first bend at Limerick Greyhound Stadium.

Concerns were raised in February 2011.)

This is contrary to the Bord na gCon Welfare Manager, Barry Coleman.

In February 2014, Barry Coleman replied to pressed enquiries of concern about the well-being of Greyhounds: Inslips Fizz and Airforce Rebel, highlighted by IGS in January 2014. Barry Coleman replied with a general PR welfare letter, stating that Inslips Fizz was euthanised by the track(Clonmel)veterinary surgeon after being 'injured...through a freak incident, which is quite rare in Greyhound racing' . Airforce Rebel after taking 'a tumble....was found to be completely sound and healthy afterwards'.

Surviving the high-speed 'tumble',  Airforce Rebel was exported to England where he now continues to have his life risked.

Throughout 2014, IGS has been recording Greyhounds who suffer through racing on each IGB Saturday race night throughout Ireland: The IGB's Saturday nights 'at the dogs' 2014.

IGS records Greyhounds(from race results)who had been knocked over, or fell, stumbled, 

finished lame, struck rails, bumped, or faded, never showed, baulked, or did not finish - 

and/or not given a recorded finishing time, and/or race comments.

For January to March 144 Greyhounds were recorded as a concern.

Of those 144 Greyhounds:

• 36 never raced again after suffering on the Saturday night recorded
• 4 continued to race but have not raced since February
• 7 continued to race but have not raced since March

Of the remaining 97 Greyhounds:

• 24 continued to race but have not raced since April
• 16 raced into May
• 50 have continued racing into June
• 7 were exported/sold to continue being used for racing in England.

From the 144 Greyhounds recorded as a concern 47 have not been heard 

of again, in racing, since March 2014.

 Concerns remain over at least a further 24 Greyhounds.

Remember that these worrying results are taken from just Saturday race nights. The tracks raising the most concern from these findings were Mullingar and Lifford.

In these findings, of just the first quarter of 2014, it, sadly, is indeed the case that the Bord na gCon are correct in saying that 'Collisions and injuries....a feature of the sport', and that the Bord na gCon Welfare Manager is incorrect in saying injuries are 'rare in Greyhound racing'. 

Maybe such contrary statements from the Bord na gCon are to be expected given that there has been on-going certain matters of concern and even their own Regulations continue to be breached.

Please adopt a Greyhound

Don't bet on one. 

Artificial Insemination Regulations Breach

In March(2014)IGS highlighted an example of artificial insemination,

 in Greyhound breeding, of how

 Top Honcho has sired well over 10,000 Greyhounds - 

despite dying in 2007 he still sired Greyhounds into 2013.

On further research into the artificial insemination of Greyhounds it has come to light there has been a continued breach of the Artificial Insemination of Greyhounds Regulations 2005.

The breach being the continued use of the semen of dead Greyhounds, such as the exampled Top Honcho. Regulation 11 of the Artificial Insemination of Greyhounds Regulations 2005, 'Eligibility for registration of a litter conceived in Ireland by artificial insemination', sets out that:

A litter conceived in Ireland by means of artificial insemination will be eligible for registration in the Irish Greyhound Stud Book only if:

(e) the requirements of regulation 13 and regulation 14 have been complied with.

Regulation 14 'Death of a stud sire', sets out that:

(3) ..At the end of the two year period, all unused frozen semen of a stud sire shall be destroyed by the manager of the approved centre in which it is stored.

(4)  No greyhound or its progeny may be registered in the Irish Greyhound Stud Book which is the progeny of a conception which took place by means of artificial insemination after the sire had been dead for more than two years.

(6)  No person may lawfully implement or be involved in the implementing of a frozen insemination procedure where the stud sire is known, or could on reasonable enquiry be known, to that person to be dead for more than two 2 years.

The Greyhound Top Honcho, sire to over 10,000 Greyhounds, died in 2007 but 

Greyhounds were still being registered from the use of his frozen semen into 2013.

In a 2013 letter, in reference to Bord na gCon Artificial Insemination Regulations, Pat Herbert, Head of Regulation Irish Greyhound Board, stated in 2012 that 'the Bord is considering extending the two year death limited to five years' 
Under the Greyhound Industry Act 1958 Regulation 39(1): The Board may, after consultation with the Club and with the consent of the Minister, make regulations controlling the practice of artificial insemination of greyhounds. But 'this does not appear to have been done yet'.

['The Board' being Bord na gCon(Irish Greyhound Board), 'the Club' being The Irish Coursing Club, and 'the Minister being the Minister for the department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine]

Minuets of a meeting held in 2007, did not record any 'representation made by or on behalf of the Bord....general consensus was to remove the[two year]limit from the[Artificial Insemination]Regulations....but no binding  resolution, decision, or otherwise was taken' 

In 2008 a meeting was held between the Bord na gCon and the Irish Coursing Cub: the 'Bord agree to remove the two year death limit...from the Regulation.....However the Minister[of Department of Agriculture, the Marine and Food]must approve the amendment prior to its enactment' 

The period for the use of frozen semen may be varied, as Regulation 14 (7) sets out:
(7)   The Board, having regard to the improvement and development of the greyhound industry in Ireland, and in the light of both national and international developments, and following consultation with the Club, may vary the Period for use of frozen semen of a dead stud sire as limited by this regulation 14. Notice of any such variation and the date of its effectiveness shall be given by advertisement published in “The Sporting Press”.
However the Bord failed to publish anything of amendments of the Artificial Insemination Regulations in the Sporting Press.

On 19th of June 2014, Simon Coveney(Minister, department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)answered a written parliamentary question, in relation to the breach: 'My Department was informed by Bord na gCon in early 2013 that procedural issues had arisen in relation to the registration of greyhounds conceived following artificial insemination which were at variance with the provisions set down in the Artificial Insemination of Greyhounds Regulations, 2005' and that 'The matters at issue are between Bord na gCon and the ICC.'

In summary: 

• the Artificial Insemination of Greyhounds Regulations 2005 was enacted in 2005
• in 2007 unofficial meetings were held to remove Regulation 14(in reference to destroying frozen semen of a stud sire two years after the stud sire had died).'but no binding  resolution, decision, or otherwise was taken' 
• in 2008 the Bord[Irish Greyhound Board], in a meeting with the Irish Coursing Cub, 'agree to remove the two year death limit...from the Regulation'. This needs to be approved by the Minister[of Department of Agriculture, the Marine and Food]
• in 2013 the Department of Agriculture, the Marine and Food was informed by the Bord that: 'procedural issues had arisen in relation to the registration of greyhounds conceived following artificial insemination which were at variance with the provisions set down in the Artificial Insemination of Greyhounds Regulations, 2005'
• in 2014 no Ministerial approval has been made - Regulation 14[Death of stud sire]of the Artificial Insemination of Greyhounds Regulations 2005 still stands.

Just how many Greyhounds have been registered and used by the industry illegally?

Maybe more will soon come to light in the 

long-awaited review of certain matters relating to the Bord na gCon.

Please support Greyhound rescue

not the Greyhound industry.

UPDATE November 2014

Nine years on the Artificial Insemination of Greyhounds Regulations 2005 has now been amended.
The two year rule has now been dropped - a rule that was constantly breached and allowed the unlawful breeding of Greyhounds for nine years. It is a concern that an amendment to regulations of industry 'integrity' has taken so long. Artificial Insemination of Greyhounds(Amendment)Regulations 2014.

Poignant April - Remembering All

Saoirse a thabhairt as a n-confines

Bring freedom from their confines

In April 2012 six former racing Greyhounds 

were found shot and dumped in a former quarry, outside Limerick.

Within 24 hours of the discovery the Bord na gCon had identified the owners of the 

Greyhounds but it wasn't until a year later for any prosecutions.

In April of 2013 the prosecution for the Limerick Greyhounds would show no real regard for the Welfare of Greyhounds despite Barry Coleman, Welfare Manager of Bord na gCon, welcoming it as a 'successful prosecution'. The shooting of Greyhounds only resulted in a combined fine of €800 for John Corkery for the forging of a signature and a failure to notify any transfer of ownership. John Corkery refused to give details of who had shot his Greyhounds, seeing nothing wrong with shooting a dog in the head. This, sadly, against the hugely supported petition, from Greyhound Safe Ireland, to the Director of Public Prosecutions showing the public concern. 

Any thoughts of the prosecution being 'successful' was blatantly shadowed by the shooting of Greyhounds being regarded as not inhumane, and a further hearing in July 2013 only resulted in any charges being dropped, as witnessed by Greyhound Rescue Association of Ireland.

The month of April is a graphic poignant reminder that we must remember, and speak up for, all those thousands of Greyhounds who have and do suffer because of the Irish Greyhound Industry.

• The tens of thousands of Greyhounds bred.
• The on going recordings/research of Greyhound abuse cases.
• The on going recordings/research of Greyhounds who suffer for 'IGB Saturday night at the dogs'.
• The questions raised on the accountability of Greyhounds.
• The lack of any real Industry rehoming efforts of Greyhounds.

The likes of the above are all cruel realities that continue - cruelties that former Bord na gCon chairman, Paschal Taggart, wishes to preserve in his desire to save Wimbledon Greyhound track in the UK.

Greyhounds suffer for the Irish Industry every day - they are just tools.

Please don't support their cruel use.

Please adopt, foster, rescue a Greyhound.

Breeding

On 17th October 2010 there was an announcement of seven Greyhound puppies being born:

'ninja jamie is a dad again,4 daughters and 3 sons, all blue.

well done to mum, buzz lamars on her third and last litter.'

This litter especially highlights the the frequent questions, raised by Greyhound advocates in Rescues and awareness groups, on the subject of the vast numbers of Greyhounds bred
 in Ireland and the concerns of accountability.

Despite the above announcement of seven Greyhounds being born, five are only listed on the pro-racing forum 'Greyhound Data'. Scroll down the pedigree of 'Another Bruiser' and you will see 5 Greyhounds(2 Female and 3 Male)from the Ninja Jamie/Buzz Lamars litter:

Another Bruiser: last used for racing on 1st Oct 2012 in Ireland.

Buzz Off Idjit: last used for racing on 16th July 2013 in England.

 Filling Station: last used for racing on 17th May 2012 in Ireland.

 Jamie: rehomed at 5months after sustaining an injury in the paddock.

 Lamars Girl: found dead and dumped in England, Feb 2013.

Only four are listed on the Bord na gCon database(Jamie has not been listed).

Buzz Lamars, after giving three litters of Greyhounds to the racing industry, two of those litters in 2010, was rehomed in Italy. Ninja Jamie has(to date of writing)sired 246 Greyhounds(listed). His semen can be supplied fresh or frozen.

The (Irish)Welfare of Greyhounds Act 2011 Restriction on breeding gives Greyhound bitches some protection: by making it an offence if a Greyhound bitch is used for breeding before reaching 15 months of age, and restricts the numbers of litters she can have in her lifetime, although there is allowance for extra litters. Any further litters thereafter shall not be registered in the Irish Greyhound Stud Book, maintained be the Irish Coursing Club.

There is no restriction as to the age a Greyhound bitch can go on being used to produce Greyhounds, as we can see with Pepsi Tops. After being used in six races she was used for breeding for nine years, then sold at the age of ten for further breeding but was saved by the GSPCA. Pepsi Tops began her freedom aged ten and half. There are the breeding bitches who will be used and then simply dumped at a Local Authority Pound, like Diamond: born in 2004, and used for breeding until 2011, Diamond thankfully found the great care of Halfway There Hounds.

The (Irish)Welfare of Greyhounds Act 2011 gives no breeding restrictions to male Greyhounds. Indeed the male Greyhound stud-ness, such as Top Honcho, is celebrated. Retired to stud after breaking a leg in two places, in an 'horrific racing accident', Top Honcho has sired well over 10,000 Greyhounds - despite dying in 2007 he still sired Greyhounds into 2013 - cellebrated as No.1 Irish Sire of the Year 2008 and 2009.
Moes Tavern, born from Fly Mel and Top Honcho(7 months after Top Honcho died), followed his fathers fate, after being used in racing until he did not finish his last race in 2011 after breaking his hock, to be used for breeding.

The Greyhounds mentioned above are just a few examples

 of what Irish Greyhound breeding is - the list could go on and on. 

It is business and Greyhounds are simply the tools.

Registered Irish litters

• 2010:  3,003 
• 2011:  3,272
• 2012:  2,980
• 2013:  2,736

These litter figures show that 11,991 litters were registered,

meaning that at least 71,946 Greyhound puppies were born

 in Ireland between 2010 and 2013 to be used for racing, or coursing.

Three thousand-plus litters of twenty thousand-plus Greyhound puppies each year are either not enough(page 18-19)to please the Bord na gCon or too many for Irish breeders to sell, especially with declines in the UK industry.

Other countries such as Spain, Pakistan, and Australia also buy Irish Greyhounds. Despite the overwhelming breeding problems in Spain and Australia(scroll to end of page for litters registered), and the withdrawal of voluntary welfare/rehoming funds in the UK, the Irish industry is only too willing to export.

 If only the Irish industry was just as willing with the rehoming of Greyhounds in Ireland.

Please think of the maths 

Please do not support the industry
Please adopt.

On IGB Rehoming

'Ireland may be the country that loves its greyhounds more than anywhere else. But our perception of them is as working dogs or racing dogs, not as pets.....

Barry Coleman is the man responsible for ensuring Ireland’s former track heroes enjoy their retirement and he is passionate about making sure more greyhounds live out their days here[Ireland]...'

The above quote was from 'Greyhound welfare at the heart of new initiatives', published late 2011(which used to be found here but is now removed).

Since the figure of  680 Greyhounds, the Welfare Manager of Bord na gCon(Irish Greyhound Board)was involved in financially assisting to rehome in 2010, through the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust/Greyhounds As Pets Ireland program, how far has 'changing perceptions' come?

For the years from 2010 to 2013 it is worth noting here that, in Ireland,

 at least 81,590 Greyhound pups were born from the 12,689 litters that were registered

(but IGS will cover more on breeding in a future post).

We can see in the Bord na gCon Strategic Business Plan that the emphasis is for Irish Greyhound racing to grow both nationally and internationally: 'to educate non-greyhound customers'. Every business needs to attract new customers to survive and continue to operate. As we saw earlier:

 'Ireland may be the country that loves its greyhounds more than anywhere else. But our perception of them is as working dogs or racing dogs, not as pets...'

Imagine if such a business as the Bord na gCon was to invest more time and resources to rehoming Greyhounds in Ireland, a country of such a small population comparative to any real rehoming efforts from its breeding program of Greyhounds, despite the industry's troubled financial time - 'changing perceptions' could be argued to not be in the best interest of the Bord na gCon.

We can see from annual reports that the contributions to the Irish RGT/GAP Ireland and welfare - being the 4% deductions of prize-money which is matched with donations from the Bord na gCon - has declined each year from €218,035 in 2008(scroll to the last page) to €142,648 in 2011.(€194,999 in 2009 - €148,419 in 2010).

2012 and 2013 annual reports are not available yet but we can see from the Bord na gCon Strategic Business Plan that prize monies paid out from 2008 to 2012 has also declined each year - €11.3million 2008 to €7.2million in 2012(see page 18), so we can only assume that prize-money rehoming contributions would have again declined in 2013.

So have the declines in Irish RGT/GAP Ireland industry-contributions reflected 

on the figures of industry-assisted Greyhound rehoming?

As we saw in 'Greyhound welfare at the heart of new initiatives'  680 Greyhounds were rehomed in 2010 and 530 to the end of November 2011.

In 2012 'changing perceptions' had not worked as the figure of industry-assisted rehomed Greyhounds declined to 324 and 'over' 420 in 2013, clearly going against the 'substantial rehoming project' claim.
The announced increase in prize-money, and breeders incentive, for 2013 seems to have had no bearing on the 2013 rehoming figure compared to the 2010 and 2011 figures - and with 'capital development on hold for the year[2013]' we can only wait with hope that a higher financial investment is given to the Irish RGT/GAP Ireland, and that a higher figure of Greyhounds are rehomed for 2014.

2010:  680 rehomed and 672 killed in pounds
2011:  530(to the end of November) rehomed and 546 killed in pounds
2012:  324 rehomed and 404 killed in pounds
2013:  'over' 420 rehomed and 427 killed in pounds.

The majority of Greyhounds in the above rehoming figures were rehomed outside of Ireland.

It is worth noting that under the Bord na gCon 'Best Practice Guide' it is sanctioned for Greyhounds to be PTS in Local Authority Dog Pounds under point 7 of the Best Practice Guide - Main Principles: 'where euthanasia is inevitable' .
It is also worth noting the words of Irish Greyhound trainer, John Daniels in 2013 on the subject of Greyhounds being shot. IGS wonders if Barry Coleman can perceive that 'you can't keep them all on your couch' 

The perceptions that Greyhounds are 'working dogs or racing dogs' is indeed something that must be changed - creating perceptions that all is good on the industry-funded rehoming

 front is PR that fails the industry tool: the beautiful Greyhound.

Please think of the maths 

Please do not support the industry
Please adopt.

Greyhounds in Ireland are bred by the tens of thousands
 but just very very few are homed

Update(July 2014)

After the publication of the Bord na gCon 2012 annual report we can see that contributions to the Irish RGT/GAP(for 2012)has continued its decline to €131,763.