The response of the Irish Greyhound Board to the shameful export of an Irish greyhound to China – a country with no animal welfare laws – has been to “emphasise to the individual in question their responsibilities in exporting to destinations that do not provide the expected levels of greyhound welfare set out in its Code of Practice”.
No other action appears to have been taken by the IGB, after the young greyhound, named Buzz Bomb Alley, was identified as one of 50 Irish greyhounds now in China – a country where greyhounds are boiled alive, beaten to death and hung on hooks at meat markets.
The disgusting export of the greyhound to China was raised this month by Tommy Broughan TD (Independent, Dublin Bay North) who asked the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed “if his attention has been drawn to a report detailing the sale of an Irish greyhound to China; the action he and the Irish Greyhound Board will take; the route of export of the dog from Ireland to China; and if efforts will be made to repatriate the animal and the 50 other Irish greyhounds now in China in view of the deplorable animal welfare record of China”.
Minister Creed told Deputy Broughan that “Bord na gCon [Irish Greyhound Board] has emphasised to the individual in question their responsibilities in exporting to destinations that do not provide the expected levels of greyhound welfare set out in its Code of Practice on the Care and Welfare of the Greyhound and will continue to do so to all other greyhound owners.”
The Minister said that “Bord na gCon have informed me that they are opposed to exports to countries that do not meet Ireland’s welfare standards [and] also informed me that the greyhound in question was not exported directly to its final destination from Ireland and its journey would have been either via other EU jurisdictions or via the USA.”
Read the full Dail Question and Answer at
https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/…
The owner of Buzz Bomb Alley – before he was sold to an unnamed Irish trainer and then on to China – said that “anyone who sends dogs to China or any other countries with no welfare should receive a lifetime ban”, adding that the “Irishman is a serial offender”.
Buzz Bomb Alley was born in Ireland in May 2016 and, according to the Irish Greyhound Board website, was entered into 8 races at Newbridge, Mullingar and Shelbourne Park tracks between May and October 2018. His final race was at Shelbourne Park on 25th October 2018 where he finished last. The following month, he was trialled at Newbridge track. Sometime after that, he was exported to Scotland and between 4th January and 15th March, was raced nine times at Shawfield Stadium in Glasgow.
Scotland’s Sunday Post recently reported that Buzz Bomb Alley “is the first confirmed sale of a greyhound from Scotland being sold to Chinese breeders, prompting calls for a crackdown on a lucrative export trade involving mostly Irish dogs”.
The report added:“Around 50 Irish-bred greyhounds, some that have raced in Britain, are being advertised on Chinese breeding sites, according to animal rights campaigners who have rescued emaciated racing dogs from China. They fear that dogs exported to China for its breeding industry will be kept in appalling conditions and sold to meat markets once they are too old or too sick to breed.”
It outlined that “[Willie Finnie], a well-known trainer who transports dogs between Scotland and Ireland…said that he agreed to take Buzz Bomb Alley to Ireland after a request by an Irish trainer who has exported greyhounds to China. The greyhound had been owned by former trainer Allan Power, who sold the dog to the Irishman via Finnie for £500. Power expressed outrage on hearing the dog ended up in China.”
Finnie told The Sunday Post that he acted as a middleman in the sale, but claimed to have no knowledge the dog would be sold abroad. He “insisted he had no idea that Buzz Bomb Alley would be exported to China and was told that the dog would be racing in Dublin.”
He said: “I took [Buzz Bomb Alley] over to Ireland, met the man, he gave me the money and signed all the documents. And three weeks later, [previous owner Allan Power] phoned me and says, ‘that dog’s in China’ and I says, ‘you’re joking, I knew nothing about it.’”
Alan Power was quoted as saying: “First of all, anyone who sends dogs to China or any other countries with no welfare should receive a lifetime ban. The Irishman is a serial offender, and had he contacted me directly to buy any dog he’d have been chased, hence why he uses other people who don’t know his past.”
Caged Nationwide, which traced the dog to China, stated: “Greyhounds have been specifically sold to breeders in China who very often keep them in dire conditions, and will use them for breeding until around 12 years old, which is often the entire lifespan of a greyhound. There are no laws to protect greyhounds at all in China.”
A spokesperson for the “Say No To Greyhound Racing Scotland” group added: “Buzz Bomb Alley is the first confirmed greyhound who raced at Shawfield sold to Chinese breeders. They will breed from him until he dies, probably in horrendous conditions and most of his offspring will end up in the Chinese slaughterhouses.”
SEE ALSO: UK & IRISH GREYHOUNDS EXPORTED TO CHINA
https://www.cagednw.co.uk/chinaexports.html
ACTION ALERT
Say NO to the cruel greyhound industry – don’t attend greyhound races or fundraisers/hen parties/office parties held at greyhound tracks
STOP THE STATE FUNDING FOR GREYHOUND RACING
