What To Do With Greyhounds?

RTÉ recently aired a documentary entitled "RTÉ Investigates: Greyhounds Running For Their Lives", which looked at malpractices in the greyhound industry, the economy of the greyhound racing , and the euthanising of greyhounds. There were scenes in the documentary that distressed some viewers, and angered them at the thoughts of taxpayers' money propping up the industry, and sparked protests outside greyhound stadiums.

But while some of scenes were simply undefendable, others need more clarification, which I hope to look at in this piece. The title of this article is not a rhetorical question, there needs to be answers to the questions posed following the documentary, some of which I hope to shed some light on. This article isn't about taking sides in an argument about the programme, but rather to look at what can be done to reform the industry, and what really happens with greyhounds who no longer make the cut.

One major talking point on social media following the documentary, was the €16.8m that "taxpayers" give to the greyhound industry. While this statement is technically true, it failed to mention that those taxpayers are in fact exclusively those who gamble, not the ordinary taxpayer. The funding comes from the betting levy, not VAT, PAYE, or any other form of tax, so this means that the government funding given to the Irish Greyhound Board/ Bord na gCon is at least partially accumulated by the IGB itself.

On top of this the IGB generated roughly €8m last year for charities, including the charity for retired greyhounds. Along with supporting many sports clubs who host charity events at racenights, the IGB along with Limerick businessman JP McManus, host the Kirby Cup every year, a racing tournament that sees GAA clubs allocated a dog, and whichever dog wins, the GAA club receives a prize. In 2019 the top prize was €10,000.

Greyhound racing is a big industry, in 2017 it was responsible for over 5,000 jobs, paid €12.7m in PAYE and PRSI, and had an economic impact of over €300m. This makes the €16.8m in funds from the betting levy which it generates, quite insignificant in the bigger picture.

Now that we have discussed the finances, let's look at the animal welfare side. The biggest question I would pose, particularly to those who want the industry outlawed, is what is to be done with the greyhounds when they no longer have a purpose? 16,000 greyhounds are born in Ireland every year, where do they go and what do they do? There aren't 16,000 families looking to adopt greyhounds in Ireland. What seems to be the only solution, were this to happen, would either be euthanising the dogs or exporting them. These are two things that the protesters are protesting against.

Greyhounds are bred to run, even when they get old all they want to do is run, but unfortunately time catches upon them. Sometimes the most humane thing to do is to let them die peacefully. Now not all greyhounds make it to an old age, many are put to sleep once their career is over, but many are also kept for breeding or as a pet by the owner once their racing days are done. Once again money comes into the equation here, when it comes to how dogs are put down. The documentary showed dogs being put down in a knackery, rather than at a vets. While both methods can be distressing for some owners and dogs, both are relatively quick and painless, the main difference is cost. According to the documentary it was roughly €60 cheaper to go to the knackery.

What some people seem to forget is that the animals used to make their burgers and sausages, are put down in a similar way. Seeing it on a TV screen would cause distress in many people regardless of the animal. While I'm sure that the undercover operation would deter many knackeries from continuing the practice, perhaps this is an area where the betting levy could be used to a greater affect. If the IGB or Department of Tourism and Sport subsidised euthanisations  by €30 or €40, it could bring the price of going to the vet down enough to deter people from taking a risk by going to the knackery.

The government and IGB certainly need to take this issue seriously. It has greatly damaged the reputation of the greyhound industry and painted all greyhound owners with the one brush in the eyes of many. Owners caught using knackeries, steroids, or other malpractices should face lengthy bans, even lifetime bans for repeat offenders. It is at least worth trying methods such as increased bans and grants for euthanizing, in order to tackle a problem that clearly exists. In the end the documentary was correct in stating it's a business, but like all businesses you have employers who care for their employees and others who don't. The IGB needs to make sure that all guidelines and laws are adhered to, and that when the time comes for a greyhound to die, it is done so in the best way possible.