FINALLY: Unethical Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium Can Be Shut Down
At long last, Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium can now be shut down! Following a decision by the mayor, the unethical dog-racing track can now be turned into a football stadium and new affordable housing.
After a massive campaign by animal-protection groups and members of the local community – including a petition from PETA with nearly 15,000 signatures – Mayor of London Sadiq Khan gave the go-ahead for Merton Council to approve a planning application submitted by AFC Wimbledon and Galliard Homes that will close Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium and transform it into an arena for Wimbledon football and new homes for local people.
Last year, compassionate people celebrated when plans were unanimously approved by the council to close down the track, but former Mayor of London Boris Johnson intervened and called in the planning application, meaning that cruel dog races have continued to be held at the track. Today, though, news broke that the new mayor has handed back powers to the council.
Greyhound racing is on its last leg, as more and more people learn that the industry uses dogs as mere moneymaking machines, bred for speed at the expense of their health, strength, and stamina.
Many greyhound puppies are killed in the name of “selective breeding” and never make it to the racetrack, and dogs who do qualify to become racers are typically caged and muzzled by their trainers and suffer from crate and muzzle sores as well as infestations of internal and external parasites. Once their racing days are over, many dogs are discarded. The ears of some are cut off to remove identifying tattoos, and the dogs are then abandoned or killed.
Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium’s closure comes after years of dwindling ticket sales and is good news for dogs.
Thank you to everyone who signed the petitions: your actions have helped prevent more dogs from suffering for “sport” and have relegated this archaic track to the history books.
