Trainers convicted of “blooding” greyhounds on live rabbits still have full access to greyhounds and other animals...

international | crime and justice | opinion/analysis

Thursday April 13, 2017 18:34

by Campaign to end cruelty to greyhounds and hares in Ireland

A blot on Ireland's shamed greyhound industry...

With the Greyhound Industry Bill due before the Oireachtas in the coming weeks, legislators need to be lobbied to ensure that any greyhound owner or trainer convicted of “blooding” greyhounds be banned FOR LIFE from access to, or ownership of, animals of any kind.

"sport"?

Prominent greyhound trainers convicted of “blooding” are still heavily involved in the industry.

An example: In 1994, Owen McKenna was one of a number of trainers secretly filmed feeding live rabbits to greyhounds at a track in County Tipperary. He and the others were caught red-handed by an undercover journalist using a hidden camera (Donal MacIntyre) and the footage featured in a programme about aspects of Ireland’s greyhound industry titled On the Line.

Please see below a link to the relevant excerpt from the programme. In addition to the actual “blooding”, cages full of rabbits being carried about on the track were filmed.

Mr. McKenna and others were later convicted of “blooding” the dogs and fined. Mr. McKenna is a son of the legendary Ger McKenna, an icon to track racing and hare coursing fans. In the programme featuring the “blooding” footage, the late Ger McKenna is seen warning off a journalist who seeks to get answers regarding his son’s activity.

Despite repeated assurances from the Irish Greyhound Board (Bord na gCon) that it abhors “blooding” and will not stand for it within the industry, people convicted of it are free to continue owning and or training greyhounds.

See below information from the Irish Greyhound Board website, clearly showing the extent of Owen McKenna’s continued involvement in the industry, despite his “blooding” conviction, and information from the “Greyhound Knowledge Forum” website showing that in 2013 Mr. McKenna acted as PRO for a committee dedicated to the promotion of greyhound racing in Ireland.

This is totally unacceptable and sends the wrong signal to people tempted to enhance a greyhound’s performance by using live bait to train it. TDs and Senators should press for a zero tolerance approach to “blooding” when they progress to considering the next stage of the Greyhound Industry Bill. Anything less than complete exclusion from the industry of people who engage in this detestable practice will be unacceptable to the many groups and individuals committed to the welfare of animals in Ireland.

Currently, the greyhound industry is in turmoil, with a bitter stand-off between the Greyhound Board and groups representing owners and trainers. Both sides in the dispute ought to be agreed that “blooding” needs to be stamped out and that all involved in it banished forever from the industry.

Here is the relevant info re Owen McKenna’s involvement in the Irish greyhound industry and his “blooding” activity:

1) Excerpt from programme called On the Line screened in 1994 in which Owen McKenna was filmed with other trainers feeding live rabbits to greyhounds at a County Tipperary track:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q33yiORJfXs

2)

Information from IGB website re Owen McKenna:

Owen McKenna

Public / Private:
Public

Trainer / Agent:
Trainer

Last Recorded Race or Trial:
09-Apr-17 (Clonmel)

Address:
Co. Tipperary

Recorded 2017 Race Entries:
68

Recorded 2017 Winners:
15

Recorded Race Entries :
5414

Recorded Winners :
1622

Recorded Finishes :
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th

1622
1092
915
724
609
452

Showing dogs 1 to 15 of the 27 recently raced greyhounds currently trained by Owen McKenna

Allen Challenger

Allen Junior

Allen Lynx

Allen Tank

Ballymac Tomasso

Business Master

Escapism

Gormans Mixture

Farloe Joey

Garfiney Bolt

Dumas

Farloe Falcon

Create A Star

Cahir Castle

Leamaneigh Mags

3)

Information on Greyhound Knowledge Forum (website) re Owen McKenna’s high profile role in promoting greyhound racing:

NEW TRAINERS’ ASSOCIATION

30/09/2013

The new Trainers’ Association is trying to contact all members as soon as possible and have submitted the following letter which is addressed to all owners.

Issued by Association Chairman Paul Hennessy, it reads:

Dear Trainer,

A new Irish Greyhound Trainers’ Association was recently formed and a Committee was appointed. The members of this Committee for the first year are:

Chairman: Paul Hennessy; Vice-Chairman: Graham Holland; Secretary: Tommy Bolton; Treasurer: Tom O’Neill; PRO: Owen McKenna.

The aim of the Irish Greyhound Trainers’ Association will be to improve the lot of every greyhound trainer and to promote the industry in every way possible. It is the intention of the Association to represent ALL greyhound trainers.

The Association intends to work in tandem with the Irish Greyhound Board in an effort to achieve this end. The Association hopes to improve communications between both organisations and to convey the hopes and concerns of its members to the Irish Greyhound Board.