Victory for Dogs! Birmingham Greyhound Stadium Closes Its Doors

The day has finally arrived – no more dogs will suffer on the track at Hall Green Stadium. Birmingham City Council approved plans to replace the stadium with housing last year, following an 8,000-strong petition from PETA supporters and pressure from local groups such as Birmingham Greyhound Protection. Saturday saw the last race run at the track.

This is great news for dogs who are treated as commodities, rather than intelligent, sensitive animals, by the greyhound industry. They often sustain horrific injuries on the track, including broken legs and necks and fractured skulls, and suffer heart attacks. Between races, they spend 95 per cent of their time in kennels where their physical and emotional needs can never fully be met and where they’re often muzzled.

Dogs who can’t keep up in a race are of no use to the industry, and nearly 10,000 greyhounds are “retired” in the UK every year. Some of these dogs will be re-homed by charities, but around 3,700 a year disappear without a trace. Because of the secretive nature of the greyhound industry, it’s impossible to know exactly what happens to these dogs, but it’s likely that many of them are abandoned, killed, or exported to other countries, such as China.

What Can You Do

Dogs aren’t the only animals who are abused on British racetracks; horses also suffer when forced to race. ITV is the current broadcaster of the Grand National – the most deliberately hazardous course in the UK, responsible for the deaths of six horses in 2016. Please speak up for these beautiful animals by asking ITV not to broadcast this cruel event.

Contact ITV

©Liss Ralston