Greyhound racing-the UK’s bullfighting? by Connor Anderson.
Connor Anderson an animal rights campaigner today writes in the Havering Daily.
Another fatality at Romford Greyhound stadium last Friday night has once again ignited calls for the sport to be boycotted. The dog, known as “Dower Product”, suffered a broken leg after falling on the first bend, and was subsequently put down.
To those who, for years, have campaigned against Greyhound racing, this will sadly come as no surprise. Shocking statistics from the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) show a recorded 710 deaths and 4,970 injuries in 2019 alone. Not all of these fatalities were due to injuries, with 123 killed due to “treatment costs” and 83 after being “designated unsuitable for homing”. The killing of dogs who aren’t lucky enough to be rehomed after retirement, plus those bred into the industry who don’t make the cut, is sadly all too common. It’s also worth noting that these statistics could well be underreported, as injured dogs can sometimes be killed at independent vets, where data will not be released. To many people, a night out at the dogs is seemingly a bit of harmless fun, but to those who know of the horrors that go on behind the scenes, comparisons could very easily be made with ‘sports’ in other parts of the world that we in Britain collectively condemn – bullfighting being just one example.
To make matters worse, the aforementioned statistics are not simply the result of malpractice that could be easily fixed by updating existing legislation. The harrowing truth is that injuries and fatalities are, and always have been, an inevitable part of this sport, which is reflected by the fact that all licensed Greyhound tracks in the UK are legally required to have a freezer to store dead dogs. Could you imagine if the fatality rate in football was so high that all stadiums were legally required to have a morgue? The calls for change would be deafening. And yet, this has been allowed to go on in the Greyhound racing industry relatively unchallenged for nearly 100 years.
The good news is that awareness is starting to be raised, resulting in declining attendances at Greyhound races for a number of years now. Just 20 Greyhound tracks remain in the UK, with Romford and Crayford being the only ones left in London, and earlier this year, the oldest in the country (Belle Vue in Manchester) closed its doors for good. So for activists and dog-lovers alike, there is certainly cause for optimism that one day in the not-so-distant future, this so-called ‘sport’ will be consigned to the history books for good. But for now, whilst dogs continue to be bred into existence for the sole purpose of being raced for profit, in all weathers, and with the inevitable injuries and fatalities that come with that, it is important for us to continue to speak up, and make those around us aware of how this seemingly harmless bit of fun can have such dire consequences.
For further information on what’s wrong with Greyhound racing, and what you can do to help, visit http://www.cagednw.co.uk
For many years “the dogs” was my goto night out. Thanks to campagns like yours I now see the cruelty involved and will never support it again.
Keep up the good work.
Well said Connor Greyhound racing is a cruel, heartless, moneymaking abomination for these gentle abused dogs. It must stop!
Absolute rubbish !! Cag£d have a hate campaign and spew vile hate !! Print that story !!!
Yes Caged have a hate of animal abuse & exploitation!
Everything in this article is factually correct not rubbish! If all you can do is slate an organisation who raise issues regarding animal welfare & expose the disgusting treatment of racing greyhounds, as opposed to slating the industry, the GBGB & the Greyhound Forum & all their failings then that says so much about you!
Caged northwest have a hate campaign? They are just trying to end the cruelty of Greyhound racing.
It is a vile so called sport where the only winners are the greedy people who use and abuse these beautiful dogs.
It is fantastic to see so many stadiums closing.
It is a totally evil pastime.
Any human being that’s blessed with emotional intelligence and gifted with compassion and empathy know full well that using any animal for entertainment and monetary gain is exploitative and is wrong in a modern and civilised Society.
To deliberately put a dog on a track to run in close proximity with each other, at high speed, in all temperatures is barbaric and can never ever be justified as anything else.
The gaming Industries OWN statistics, which have been recently published, state that approximately 1,000 dogs are killed at the track EVERY single year. Anyone who accepts that is ok in the name of entertainment is a psychopath!!!
Recently a trainer starved 8 dogs in the Wiltshire area. Three of them were dead on the floor, all of these dogs were under licence of the GBGB and had been raced at the local track only months before! It proves that nobody looks out for these dogs and care about their welfare. By putting a dog on a track to race is risking it’s life because it is a deliberate act of putting it at high risk. A dog that breaks its leg running across a field is an accident as it wasn’t done deliberately. That’s the difference , greyhound racing is exploitation.
Caged broke into our place and stole 2 young pups, they killed them and left a blood trail leading up to our kennel with the dogs corpses cut up and dumped outside the front door. Caged are horrendous.
Total agreed Caged continue to sprout lies including using pictures of none race dogs making out they are racers
Greyhound racing is a cruel and nasty “sport” , dogs are discarded or sold to breeders in China and then eaten by the Chinese .
I can’t believe in this day and age that this cruel and corrupt ‘sport’ is still going ahead. These gentle dogs are over bred just to make money and provide entertainment for people. The industry itself is self regulated and therefore open to corruption. The tracks are lethal for the dogs, that first bend is often fatal. The fact that each track has a freezer to store the dead dogs says it all. How many more dogs have to die before it gets stopped? The dogs are raced in heatwave, heavy rain, snow and on bonfire weekend. They are dogs not machines. The betting industry should hang their heads in shame exploiting animals in this way.
I have a beautiful rescue ex racer who was a complete shell and terrified of everyone and everything when I first had her. Thankfully she will now only know love and kindness. Unfortunately thousands of other hounds will never know love or how it feels to have their own family 💔
Is this the Connor who, along with his cohorts, protested outside the stadium wishing cancer on the people attending the race meeting? The ‘compassionate’ protesters that abused a disabled gentleman causing him a great deal of distress.
I trust the Havering Daily will give the racing industry a right to reply. Perhaps publish an article on the truth about the – in their own words – ‘non welfarist’ organisation cagednw.
I would be really interested to know how greyhounds make money. Mine cost an absolute fortune. Contrary to what Caged would have u believe dogs don’t die just because they don’t win!! Several of my retired dogs never won a race. Angus won 9 out of 46 races. They all live at home with us – alive and well. Caged want your money!! Please donate to your local pound. They do actually help all dogs in need !!
Well done Connor for highlighting the exploitation of these poor souls, have really felt for them especially racing in the recent temperatures, RSPCA advice don’t take your dog for a walk but if money is involved let’s race them ☹️
It’s high time greyhound racing is stopped and the cruelties involved in the exploitation of these dogs becomes better known to the general Public. There is little or no interest from owners and trainers in the welfare of the dogs and even less in their future when they can no longer race. So many are being sent to Asia where their living conditions and treatment is sheer evil. If you care about animal welfare then you must be opposed to this so called sport.
I hate greyhound racing!!
I love greyhounds!!!
I love the people who fight for the end of greyhound racing!!!!
“To those who, for years, have campaigned against Greyhound racing, this will sadly come as no surprise. Shocking statistics from the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) show a recorded 710 deaths and 4,970 injuries in 2019 alone. Not all of these fatalities were due to injuries, with 123 killed due to “treatment costs” and 83 after being “designated unsuitable for homing”. The killing of dogs who aren’t lucky enough to be rehomed after retirement, plus those bred into the industry who don’t make the cut, is sadly all too common. It’s also worth noting that these statistics could well be underreported, as injured dogs can sometimes be killed at independent vets, where data will not be released. To many people, a night out at the dogs is seemingly a bit of harmless fun, but to those who know of the horrors that go on behind the scenes, comparisons could very easily be made with ‘sports’ in other parts of the world that we in Britain collectively condemn – bullfighting being just one example.”
Greyhounds are not consumables & they have the right to live as pets & lapdogs – if rather large ones!
They are the gentlest & funniest of breeds!
Thank you to all of you who fight this abuse, in any way at all! 👏👏🐾🐾
I have nothing but admiration for these people acting in the dogs interest. Not only is it a cruel sport the dog’s are being killed when they have served their purpose. I know i’ll be told this isn’t true but i have heard so much about it. Find something else to make money out of rather than put these poor dog’s through unnecessary pain just to line your pockets with money.
Totally agree with this Lady I have friends who worked at Greyhound tracks over the decades and have seen first hand the nasty way these beautiful dogs are treated.Why would you send your beloved dog out onto a track knowing it could be the end of them.Its the love of money not the hound. Just pure greed and animal abuse.
Hock injuries and breaks are fixable but expensive. If a rescue takes an injured greyhound in, they sometimes face thousands in veterinary bills but pay them they do. Pro trainers kill them. Fact.
Just seeing how dogs fall when they crash into barriers or go flying across the track is all that is needed, to know that no one who cares about their dogs would never race them and expose them to such risks.Some of those poor dogs who are clearly petrified when being placed into their starting gates is also against everything any half decent dog owner would do.. fact!
Greyhound racing is cruel, dogs get injured and can be put to sleep for treatable injuries such as a broken toe. There is a legal requirement for tracks to have their own freezer to store dead dogs. Greyhounds are dogs and should be treated like dogs, not machines which is expected of them, brought out to be raced and trained and then go back to a dark and dingy cell
No way can greyhound racing be called ‘sport’. It is a despicable, heinous excuse for people to exploit innocent animals and use them to line their own filthy pockets. To me, it is a licence to kill, kill, kill . . dogs suffer immensely .. either on the track with horrendous injuries, put to death for breaking limbs or not racing fast enough to make money for evil, cruel humans, or sent to China to become breeding machines or suffer absolutely horrific deaths at the hands of the meat trade. This MUST be stopped . . it is abhorrent in the extreme.
Excellent, well done to everyone involved highlighting the cruelty in the racing industry. Won’t be long until its banned….
Great article. I’ve seen first hand the condition of some of the lucky greyhounds who get rescued. The majority of which require dentals to deal with their rotten teeth, have pressure sores and callouses from inadequate bedding and scars from injuries which haven’t received veterinary treatment. These are the lucky ones as many will never get into a home, being used/exported for breeding and never getting a comfortable retirement, or given away to anyone they can offload to. I don’t think this is how you would treat a dog who you claim to love.
Thank you for this factual article. Greyhounds are such wonderful dogs, treated so cruelty by the greyhound racing industry all to feed the profits of the gambling industry.
If they truly loved greyhounds why not let them run safely in enclosed fields like those of us that have them as companions. Racing is solely for betting and human entertainment and ego, not the benefit of the greyhound.
Here is a comprehensive review of all the veterinary Articles on how racing greyhounds in oval tracks, which is an abnormal running pattern, is destroying their bodies, this can only be slightly decreased, not eliminated.
http://www.andrewknight.info/resources/Publications/Entertainment/Greyhound-racing-Knight-2018.pdf
Attendance continued to decrease, and in any poll the majority of the public is against greyhound racing, time for it to be phased out
Let’s be clear on this. The Havering Daily are support a for-profit company, that pretends to be a charity, raising money through lies and propaganda about Greyhound Racing.
Anyone from the Havering Daily has an open-invite to any greyhound trainer kennels to do a factual report & article.
Why are you giving a platform to Caged. their vile supporters stand outside tracks in pathetic numbers abusing anyone who dares to enjoy a night at the dogs. There was only 1700 signatures on a petition To close Swindon which shows how little support they have. They also use pictures or pet greyhounds and Galgos passing them off as race dogs in a desperate attempt to raise money. plus this rubbish about greedy people owning race dogs. mine cost me an absolute fortune to look after and I don’t make a penny. They have also had their adverts pulled and amended by the ASA as misleading.
9.9% mortality for racing hounds (GBGB 2019). Compare that with 12.4% mortality of the 25 largest kennel club breeds within the age range of a racer (Kennel Club 2914)…and that’s not even considering mortality rates of domestic dogs. Use comparable statistics to understand the figures not to twist to prove an invalid point
I have to be totally honest , up until a few years ago I used to go dog racing with a group of friends , deep down I knew the dogs were being exploited but I had my head in the sands and thought just because I had a fun night out it wouldnt make a difference . I now know that we all have a responsibility to make a difference in this world and the first thing we can all do is to stop supporting sports that exploit and harm animal’s . People forget that many dogs once their racing days are over are then dumped or even sent off to Asia for the meat trade .
I would be interested to know when you’re publication is going to print the pro racing view please, in the spirit of balanced journalism? Please do let me know as thousands of us are ready and waiting to share the real facts about these incredible athletes and about our 100% focus on welfare. We also have concrete evidence of the bullying and hate crimes for which CAGED and the like are responsible. Frankly we’ve had enough of their lies, and the public need to know how they operate, especially as recently they have openly admitted they are “not a welfarist organisation”