Letter to the Editor: Greyhounds need your help

Dear Editor,

I am writing to you with regards to a movement that is taking place within the local community. Residents of the Midlands are calling for an end to Greyhound racing at Dunstall Park, Monmore Green, and Nottingham Greyhound Stadiums – and the movement is growing.

The greyhound racing industry is fast running out of track, evidenced by intentions in Scotland and Wales’ devolved governments to ban the ‘sport’, and Animal Aid’s recent petition to achieve a nationwide ban which has just reached 10,000 signatures.

There are countless reasons to oppose the continuation of greyhound racing in the UK, including the facts that:
• Since 2017 more than 4,000 dogs have died in use by the racing industry – last year a dog was killed every 3 days due to racing
• Racing injuries include broken legs, cardiac arrest and spinal cord paralysis
• Off the track, life for a racing greyhound can be miserable, with hours spent in kennels, no socialisation or enrichment, and even doping with dangerous drugs
• Greyhounds are overbred by the industry, meaning many are abandoned or killed. Many go missing between birth and registration – reportedly known to the industry as ‘wastage’
Animal Aid opposes the use of animals for all forms of ‘entertainment’ and stands with numerous national and international campaign groups calling for an end to greyhound racing. We support the local activists calling for the closure of their local stadiums and are helping to coordinate a week of action beginning on the 20th of October. This week of action will see demonstrations and public outreach across the country, including protests at Monmore Green on Thursday 23rd, at Dunstall Park on Friday 24th, and at Nottingham Greyhound Stadium on Saturday 25th.

We are calling on the public to support local campaigns to close tracks in their communities and sign the petition demanding a nationwide ban on the sport. 100,000 signatures will secure a debate in parliament, which will give many supportive MPs chance to represent the thoughts and feelings of their constituents in the commons.

Greyhound racing is a cruel and barbaric form of ‘entertainment’, now seen in only a handful of countries worldwide. A ‘nation of animal lovers’, surely, should not be one of them.

Sincerely,

Isobel McNally
Campaign Manager
Animal Aid