Top Hare Coursing Sponsor has interesting CV

international | animal rights | press release

Wednesday February 08, 2012 22:11

by Ban Hare Coursing

Dominic Magnone, of Greyhound and Pet World, has drugs convictions. Proof of this is clearly documented. Yet the Irish Coursing Club, which claims it abhors the use of prohibited substances to enhance the performance of greyhounds, accepted his sponsorship of the "Oaks" section of the National Coursing Meeting.

Greyhound and Pet World sponsors this "sport"

Animal protection and anti-blood sports groups are calling on the Irish Coursing Club (ICC) to hand back the sponsorship money that County Limerick-based Greyhound and Pet World made available to finance a major part of last week’s three-day National Hare Coursing Meeting in Clonmel, County Tipperary.

We do so because Dominic Magnone of Greyhound and Pet World has, we have discovered, convictions for serious drugs-related offences. We reproduce relevant article extracts below. The Irish Coursing Club has repeatedly asserted its abhorrence of such activities. It frequently insists that it has a strict policy of clamping down on any use of prohibited substances and warns of the penalties imposed on any greyhound owner who is caught applying such illegal drugs. We wonder if the ICC is aware of Mr. Magnone’s record.

We maintain that the ICC’s credibility will be dealt a severe blow, adding to its negative image as the governing body of hare coursing in Ireland, if it fails to immediately return the sponsorship money donated by Mr. Magnone to finance the so-called “Oaks” event at the National Hare Coursing Meeting.

Following are extracts from relevant articles we refer to:

Extract One from Irish Times Thursday 06 Jun 1999

Court fines dog trainer £2,700 for illegal drugs

A court was told yesterday that a greyhound trainer became hostile, abusive and threatening during a search for drugs by Department of Agriculture officers.

Dominic Magnone (53), of Killaculleen, Tournafulla, Co Limerick, was fined £2,700 and given a three-months suspended prison sentence and bound to keep the peace for 12 months at Abbeyfeale District Court.

…End of Extract

Extract Two from: Irish Times Tue 04 Apr 2002

Greyhound trainer jailed over imports

A west Limerick-based man involved in the greyhound industry up to a year and a half ago was sentenced to a total of seven months in prison for possession, importation and sale of a number of unauthorised animal remedies at a special sitting of Listowel District Court yesterday.

Dominic Magnone (54), of Killaculleen, Tournafulla, Co Limerick, described in court as an Italian gentleman and a British subject living in this country, pleaded guilty to 18 charges relating to 17 animal remedies.

…End of Extract…