Greyhounds are a very misunderstood breed in Ireland, often overlooked as pet dogs due to their perception as a working dog, as well as misconceptions about their energy levels and exercise requirements. The greyhound racing industry in Ireland is far from flourishing, yet is still producing between 10,000-15,000 greyhounds per year, several thousand of which will go on to race in the UK, some in Ireland, while others are not suited for racing, due to a variety of circumstances. The Irish Greyhound Board (IGB) or Bord na gCon does not keep specific records for the exact number of dogs bred in Ireland every year or the outcome of the what happens to each dog after their racing career ends. HUG finds homes for approximately 130-150 greyhounds per year and between the other greyhound rescues and homing schemes throughout Ireland, we estimate approximately 1000 greyhounds may find retired homes each year. There is a large discrepancy between the figures of the number of dogs bred versus those sold or re-homed, so we can only assume that there are still several thousand greyhounds being destroyed annually in Ireland.
For more information please visit the website of Greyhound Rescue Association of Ireland.