Campaign against greyhound racing

Members of Bolton Green Party continue to demonstrate their opposition to greyhound racing on a weekly basis at the Belle Vue track.

According to the organisation Greyhound Action, tens of thousands of dogs are disposed of every year by the British greyhound racing industry - because they fail to make the grade as racers or when their racing days are over.

Thousands of greyhound pups and young dogs are put to death because they fail to reach racing standards. It is estimated that over 10,000 are killed annually in the British Isles.

Dogs which actually make it to the track are very likely to experience suffering due to injuries during their racing careers.

At least 10,000 greyhounds "retire" from racing in Britain every year, at an average age of just 2½ years old. This is either because of injury or because they are adjudged to be no longer good enough to race. Very few of these dogs manage to find good homes.

The British greyhound racing industry has admitted that 500 - 1,000 retired greyhounds are put to death every year. This alone would be enough to justify a ban on greyhound racing, but the true figure for retired dogs killed is estimated to be far higher.

It is not suggested that everyone involved in greyhound racing is cruel or insensitive. There are some owners and trainers who love their dogs and take good care of them for the whole of their natural lives. But this only applies to a small minority of the thousands of dogs which enter racing, and thousands more are put to death before even reaching that stage.

The only way to prevent the massive suffering and killing of greyhounds caused by the greyhound racing industry is for greyhound racing to be abolished, as it has been in six US states.

In the meantime it is important that people avoid attending or betting on greyhound racing, so that it gradually comes to an end through lack of finance and support.