06/06/2026
Thanks to Dan Danaher for covering the Parteen greyhound case in this week’s Clare Champion🙏
In the article, our director Stiofán discusses not only the appalling conditions in which these four beautiful dogs are being kept, but the cruelty and suffering that remain woven into the fabric of the Irish greyhound industry.
As well as calling for a ban on greyhound racing, Stiofán highlights the extraordinary situation whereby Greyhound Racing Ireland polices itself. He also discusses overbreeding in the industry and the estimated 5,000–6,000 dogs killed annually when they are no longer considered useful.
Anyone who has adopted a greyhound will tell you what wonderful companions they are – gentle, calm, affectionate dogs who adore their home comforts and form deep loving bonds with their people. Yet across Ireland, countless greyhounds spend their lives confined in small cages, without freedom, comfort, or knowing what it feels like to be part of a loving family. Thousands are killed every year when they can’t run fast enough or are retired from racing, many others die from injuries sustained on the track, and countless more are exported abroad for breeding and hunting💔
Our favourite senator, Chris Andrews, is also quoted in the piece, having highlighted the Parteen case in the Seanad and called for stronger welfare protections for greyhounds in Ireland. Thanks to Chris for continuing to be one of the few politicians willing to speak up for these dogs and challenge an industry that has been allowed to operate with far too little transparency and accountability.
This case has raised important questions about transparency, accountability, and the fact that Greyhound Racing Ireland is effectively tasked with regulating itself. No industry should be allowed to investigate itself, police itself, and then assure the public that everything is fine. An industry receiving almost €20 million in public funding every year should be subject to genuinely independent welfare inspections and oversight – not left to mark its own homework.
The article is here for anyone who would like to read it🐾
