Ireland as a nation has long been famed for our racing animals. We breed champions at a rate unheard of in other countries and there is undeniable prestige attached to owning an Irish greyhound or racehorse. Sadly, while these animals are seen as princely, they are often not treated like royalty and horror stories of cruelty and neglect are on the rise.

In the wake of a recent media scandal over the export of Irish dogs to Macau, public interest in the fate of our animals is increasing. Motley spoke to Richard King, PR officer for the greyhound rescue association of Ireland to get a better insight into the state of this industry.

Greyhounds in Ireland
The scale of this industry is vast, according to Mr King: "Breeding numbers for the last year are approximately 16,254 – that's 16,254 puppies within 12 months."

The regulations attempting to control this over-breeding are sparse, as Mr King explains: “Greyhound breeders only need to register themselves and their business if they have more than 6 breeding bitches.

This means that small scale breeders can pass completely under the radar until their dog’s reach racing age. There are regulations on how many litters a bitch can have and the general rule is a maximum of 6 litters, but bitches may have up to 8 litters if the last 2 are signed off by a vet.  However, these regulations are often broken, with little or no repercussions for breeders.”

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