Greyhound deaths uncovered at registered kennels in major animal welfare investigation

Greyhound Racing Ireland said it had issued a welfare notice to the owner of the premises prohibiting the keeping of greyhounds to remove any further threat or risk to their welfare.

A serious animal welfare incident at a kennels in the west of the country is believed to have left many greyhounds dead and many more missing.

Industry body Greyhound Racing Ireland (GRI) said a “serious welfare incident” involving greyhounds had been uncovered at a registered premises in late April.

It is understood many animals were found dead at the location.

Following a number of welfare inspections of the site, GRI said “concerns escalated in late April”, which prompted an “immediate intervention" by GRI officers and and veterinary professionals.

The body said it had issued a welfare notice to the owner of the premises prohibiting the keeping of greyhounds to remove any further threat or risk to their welfare.

GRI said it “continues to engage with the relevant authorities, including An Garda Siochána" in relation to the incident.

“As the matter is currently under investigation and involves a deeply sensitive personal situation, no further comment is being provided at this time," it said.

However, when the Irish Examiner contacted gardaí, a spokesperson said: "I have carried out inquiries and can find no incident matching that description at this time."

A GRI spokesperson said its designated welfare officers investigate all reports of alleged mistreatment of animals, adding some 2,500 welfare checks are carried out on greyhound premises each year.

It is unclear how and when the issue first came to light. GRI was queried to that effect, and as to precisely how many animals had died, but did not directly respond to the query.

It is also unclear whether or not the animals at the premises in question are subject to GRI’s traceability system, as many of the dogs involved, while born in Ireland, had since been exported to Britain before being returned for breeding.

It is understood some of the missing animals involved are worth thousands of pounds.

The traceability system, known as RCETS, was first introduced in 2021 amid the fallout from an RTÉ documentary, Running for their Lives, which alleged as many as 6,000 greyhounds in Ireland were being culled each year due to their not being fast enough.

Nuala Donlon, spokesperson for advocate body Greyhound Action Ireland, called for the power to investigate allegations of cruelty to be removed from Greyhound Racing Ireland.

“[It should be] given to the lSPCA and An Garda Síochána, as is the case with every other breed of dog in this country,” she said.