Irish greyhounds killed to teach UCD veterinary students
29 October 2014

Irish greyhounds have been sold to University College Dublin and dissected to teach anatomy to veterinary students, it has been revealed. A new report by the League Against Cruel Sports and GREY2K USA Worldwide presents copies of invoices which confirm the purchase of live dogs by UCD's Veterinary College.

The authors of the report, entitled "The state of greyhound racing in Great Britiain - A mandate for change" express great concern about "University College Dublin’s continued practice of buying unwanted greyhounds and killing them specifically to use in veterinary anatomy studies".

The report outlines that in response to an information request, "the University provided receipts dating from 2006 to 2013 demonstrating that it had purchased a total of 212 greyhounds, at the price of between €80 and €87 each".

Thirty-three dogs were purchased in 2013, the report reveals, adding that "the records make clear that all of the dogs were alive when purchased and killed by the University for the express purpose of teaching anatomy to veterinary students."

"Most racing greyhounds are viewed as commodities whose usefulness ends when they no longer bring in prize money, either through career-ending injuries or natural decline," Iain Blake-Lawson of the League Against Cruel Sports states in an introduction to the report. "After that, their life can go one of two ways: the lucky ones are adopted into loving homes and enjoy the creature comforts that every dog deserves. The rest – and no one knows how many dogs that currently is – are either killed (by a vet if they are fortunate) or shipped to Ireland where unwanted greyhounds are still sold for dissection. This needless killing must stop."

Read the League Against Cruel Sports and GREY2K USA Worldwide report below.

The state of greyhound racing in Great Britiain by Irish Council Against Blood Sports

For more information, visit http://www.league.org.uk/news-and-opinion/press-releases/2014/oct/greyhound-industry-must-reform-or-face-ban

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