Sir, – Damian Matthews, chairman of the Irish Greyhound Owners and Breeders Federation (Letters, May 22th), is entitled to his view that greyhound racing is above board, but his contention that the sport is being subjected to social exclusion is completely over the top. People protest outside racing stadiums not to "socially exclude" anyone, but because of legitimate concerns about the industry.
These concerns stem partly from revelations in a report commissioned by the greyhound racing authority itself relating to the annual “disappearance” of thousands of underperforming or unwanted greyhounds. The industry’s woes can’t simply be blamed on a few “bad apples”. Overbreeding of dogs inevitably leads to many of the animals being killed or dumped. The 2019 RTÉ Investigates programme laid bare the horrors, including footage of greyhounds being casually shot and left to die. The classification of greyhounds as livestock creates the illusion that they are somehow different from other dogs. In fact they have a central nervous system similar to that of your cuddly Jack Russell or poodle or any domestic canine.
It is as susceptible to pain as those other dogs upon which we lavish so much care and affection. Yet it finds itself on the receiving end of a cruel industry that regards it as a mere commodity to be exploited.
I agree that no law-abiding human being deserves to be socially excluded. But I also believe that no dog deserves the ill-treatment dished out by this heartless industry. – Yours, etc,
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JOHN FITZGERALD,
Callan, Co Kilkenny.