The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine of Ireland

Dear Mr Creed,

It was with infinite regret and sadness that I received the news that 9 Irish greyhounds were sold and shipped from Ireland to Macau, China. To a country known for its abuse of human rights, not to mention animal protection laws.
Consequently, for every Greyhound that had the misfortune to have landed in Macau, this is a dead end street!

For those of us who have striven for almost 20 years to re-home Irish ex-racers here in Germany, this is a very painful blow.

This is especially sad, as in recent years we have observed a change of attitude - Irish breeders and trainers make great efforts to find a good life for their greyhounds after the race track. Just one example is a very dedicated Irish Lady who regularly visits schools with her greyhounds to raise awareness of this breed in young people.

Ireland is the country of origin of the greyhound, one of the most outstanding breeds of all. Is it really necessary for Ireland to dispose of her hounds in China?
Can a truly insignificant commercial profit from the sale of greyhounds to China justify the significant damage to the reputation of the Irish in other European countries?
Should we not all be proud of the cultural, moral and ethical successes that have been achieved in Ireland and the rest of Europe?
Or is "mere profit" once again in the foreground?

I ask you, with respect, to reconsider your decision regarding the export of Irish greyhounds to Macau.

Yours sincerely,

Iris Rutschmann-Wittig

Greyhoundhilfe Deutschland