Westmeath IRGT volunteers set for Great Global Greyhound Walk

Westmeath greyhound owners will gather next month as part of the Great Global Greyhound Walk annual event.

The event sees greyhound owners from all over the world take part in a dog walking event that aims to promote the benefits of retired racing greyhounds as pets.

A number of volunteers for the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust, a registered charity that was established and is operated by the Irish Greyhound Board, have organised a walk in Mullingar on Sunday June 9.

The walk is free to attend and is open to all members of the public, whether they own a greyhound or not. Participants are asked to meet in the car park at Mullingar Greyhound Stadium at 10am.

Welfare Manager with the Irish Greyhound Board, Barry Coleman, added: “Greyhounds make for excellent pets and have an uncanny ability to transition to the family couch with ease. They are best known as couch potatoes, needing very little exercise or special diet.

“With greater public awareness, we can ensure these prized athletes get the retirement they deserve and equally bring happiness to many people’s lives.

“Events like this one in Cork allow people to get close to a greyhound, often for the first time. We’d encourage one and all to come along to Mullingar on June 9.”

The Irish Greyhound Board, together with greyhound owners, contributed €212,000 of the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust’s total income of €242,000 in 2018.

The Trust provides financial assistance to private rehoming agencies in Limerick, Clare, Tipperary, Kerry and Belfast.

Some 337 retired Irish greyhounds have been rehomed with IRGT assistance between January and April of 2019, with over 1,000 retired greyhounds rehomed with IRGT assistance last year.