Madam, – Listeners to RTE’s Liveline this week will have been shocked by the graphic account of animal cruelty given by a caller who witnessed the “blooding” of greyhounds with live rabbits.
This practice is widespread in Ireland, and an integral part of both greyhound racing and hare coursing. Trainers are keenly aware that a dog is likely to perform better on the track or coursing field if it is allowed to savage a live rabbit, hare, or cat. The taste of blood is deemed to give it an edge over competitors.
The trainer ties the captive animal to a pole, and waits until the dog has been whipped up into a frenzy of bloodlust before releasing it to attack. Alternatively, the animal’s back legs are broken so that the dog catches it within seconds and rips it apart.
Blooding is especially cruel when applied to a cat, because it has tougher skin than a rabbit or hare and takes much longer to die. Family pets that mysteriously disappear may end up in the hands of unscrupulous trainers, so cat owners should be vigilant if blooding is prevalent in their neighbourhoods.
There have been very few convictions for blooding in recent years. But many more of the low-lifes who inflict this horrific suffering on animals would be brought to justice if more people reported their evil “training” sessions.
The informer stigma acts to the advantage of these trainers. It’s about time people with knowledge of such cruelty stopped protecting the culprits and found the courage to report and expose blooding – and not just for the sake of the animals that are so horribly abused.
For, as Gandhi, said, “the greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated”. – Yours, etc,