THE DEPARTMENT OF Agriculture has said it is looking into a complaint it received about the discovery of a number of greyhound remains in a Kildare bog.

The remains were found by a member of the public who was out walking at Roseberry Bog in Newbridge.

The remains, including individual skulls and bones as well as full skeletons, were found dumped at a spot in the bog.

The Irish Council Against Blood Sports (ICABS) is now calling for an immediate investigation by the Department of Agriculture and the gardaí. The organisation has shared a number of graphic images of the dumping site, which have been seen by The Journal.

“This is not the first time that greyhound remains have been found dumped in the countryside by unscrupulous greyhound owners,” ICABS said.

“In Ballyagran, Co. Limerick, in 2012, the remains of six greyhounds were found at a disused dump, having been shot in the head, while in 2005 the mutilated remains of three greyhounds were found floating in a river in the Dungarvan area.

“These dumped greyhounds are the victims of the cruel greyhound racing industry that sees thousands of greyhounds abandoned and killed each year.”

The organisation referenced a 2019 investigation by RTÉ into the greyhound industry which found that as many as 6,000 greyhounds are killed each year.  It was revealed that they were were killed for “failure to produce qualifying times”, “failure to produce desired entry level times” and for an “unacceptable decline in performance”.

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In a statement to The Journal, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine said it “can confirm it has received a complaint in relation to the matter, and is actively looking into this further”. 

An Garda Síochána has been contacted for a statement.