Sad News for Dogs as Birmingham Opts to Keep Unethical Greyhound Stadium Open

Birmingham City Council has voted to keep Hall Green Stadium open, a decision that means greyhounds could continue to suffer for years in unethical races at the track.

Almost 8,000 compassionate PETA supporters signed a petition to the council urging it to accept a planning application that would have demolished the dog track and replaced it with much-needed housing and amenities for the local community. Yet even though planning officials initially recommended that this new proposal be approved, councillors voted against it 9-2 at a meeting on 23 June.

This is deeply disappointing news for everyone who cares about greyhounds. Forcing dogs to race is deeply unethical. They often incur painful injuries on the track and, between races, are usually kept locked inside cages for 95 per cent of the time, often muzzled, and carted from event to event. Many of them exhibit crate and muzzle sores and suffer from infestations of internal and external parasites.

If they don’t run fast enough, these loyal dogs are often discarded like used betting slips. They may be mutilated to remove identifying marks and then abandoned or even killed.

We believe that Birmingham City Council has made the wrong decision, and we’re looking into ways to appeal it and end dog races at Hall Green. Thank you to everyone who’s supported the campaign so far – we’ll keep you posted about what’s happening next and how you can help.