Ricky Gervais joins save the Irish greyhounds campaign

as for the irish looking after greyhounds in china, well, the rescue centres are full of abused irish ex racers, some of the irish dont look after their own dogs and abuse them cruelly, and they say they will monitor animals sent to china, imagine even the horrific journey, let alone the life of the animals in china.

i am really fearful for these gentle animals, i worked for 3 years in spain indirectly with g.i.n. and cannot ever forget some of the dire cruelty inflicted maliciously, i thought that was the worst thing, BUT...one chinese practice is to burn and singe the hair from dogs WHILST ALIVE..prior to eating them,,as this makes the adrenalin surge, the chinese believe this makes them virile, see articles from P.E.T.A. and activist organisations

Is there no limit to the unnecessary suffering inflicted on dogs by the callous and outdated racing industry? Along with animals in circuses, bear-baiting, performing monkeys and the like, history will judge the irresponsible and often cruel treatment of racing greyhounds as a sad indictment of the time – an inevitable consequence of a backward and notoriously corrupt industry driven entirely for profit and quick money, that has had its ‘heyday’. As public opinion is starting to develop a distaste for the emerging details of highly unsavoury practices concerning the disposal of unwanted racing greyhounds, and are turning away from the racing stadiums, the Irish wing of the greyhound racing industry has spotted a sleazy opportunity to make an easy buck by selling them, as market commodities, to countries less fettered by animal rights (and most likely, to feed crude gambling cartels). They are wilfully and knowingly upping the stakes on animal cruelty by selling on greyhounds to countries such as China and Spain –where they will inevitably end up in unregulated, unsupervised and sordid hands –as they are simply money-making commodities to be traded on the open market. What happens to these animals when they no longer generate enough income to justify keeping them? Do the sales dealership's in Ireland really care? Shame on everyone who turns a blind eye to the inhumane and callous treatment of these gentle and noble dogs that have provided easy money and public entertainment at such a price.

How pathetic! You know those poor Greyhounds are going to end up on Dinner Plates. IGB....Please... it's all just a ruse... for profit. Shame on you!!

And who from Ireland is going to China with them???

Ricky Gervais is right. China has a terrible legacy of killing dogs and cats for human consumption and they use their fur as trimmings on coats and jackets. Burlington coat factory no longer accepts imports from China once they found out that the trimmings on the jackets were dog hair. I watced a video from the Humane Society who went undercover to China pretending to be fur buyers and on the video I saw a dog bleeding to death so as not to get blood on the fur. Disgusting. How could the IGB export these kind and beautiful animals to China? How are they going to monitor them? I think that the IGB couldn't care less what happens to them as long as they get their money. People have to take a stand to protect these kind and beautiful dogs.

In his later years, Ferdinand, who won the Kentucky Derby, was shipped to Japan to be sold for "steaks". In many Asian cultures, dog and horse are delicacies. Do some research on just how many American Asian fast food shops use unusual forms of meat for "fried rice".

And just how is the IGB going to monitor what goes on in China? Give me a break...they can'y even monitor what happens in Ireland. How soon we forget the disgusting torment and slaughter by Larry Earle in 2009 of countless greys. Do you notice how the "spokesman" for the IGB wasn't named...no ownership to their comments, so no one will be liable when the atrocities occur (and they will). Shame on the Irish government for even contemplating this!

I agree with McGlynn0704. It is a disgrace what is done to these animals in the U.S. and all over the world. Although the U.S. has many watch dogs at the tracks here. Horses as well need a voice. Kudos to Mr. Gervais.

I applaud Ricky Gervais for taking a stand on something which is so completely immoral. The IGB would ensure any greyhound sent to China would be looked after? Isn't their track record in Ireland itself questionable?