Target: Zac Goldsmith, UK Minister for Animal Welfare
Goal: Support ban on cruelty-laden greyhound racing that kills innocent animals.
Despite holding significantly fewer races in 2020, the last year of lockdowns still saw the deaths of over 400 greyhound dogs in Great Britain. This number is only a slight alteration of deaths reported from previous years. Half of these animals died on the track, while the remainder were euthanized because they were ill or officials believed they could not be “re-homed.”
This so-called sport has a long and tragic legacy of animal cruelty. These inherently sweet animals are essentially deprived of any companionship, affection, or comfort. Their only “freedom” comes for the brief moments when they are let out of their lifelong cages to race –sometimes to death—for the entertainment of spectators. Abuse, injuries, and malnourishment are rampant. When the captive animal is finally retired, sometimes his or her life gets even harder. Reports of discarded greyhounds being used in medical experiments have emerged. More, however, are starved or euthanized because they are deemed no longer useful or profitable.
These ongoing horrors, compounded by the report verifying that hundreds of animals still lost their lives in 2020, have renewed calls for a ban on this blood-sport across the United Kingdom (UK). Sign the petition below to join in these calls for compassion and decisive action.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Mr. Goldsmith,
You recently stated that “greyhounds deserve the highest level of care not only during their racing career but also in their retirement that follows.” Yet you followed these words with a truly perplexing statement touting “improved outcomes for greyhounds following retirement from racing “ as “positive progress.” Sir, do the deaths of over 400 greyhounds during a year that saw massive lockdowns spell progress to you? How about the documentaries exposing the widespread culling and euthanizing of these animals for so-called “poor performance”…not to mention the many exposes detailing other atrocities they routinely endure?
You took an oath to ensure the well-being of all UK animals. This mission is your job and responsibility. Do not become just another politician in the pocket of special interests. Do your duty and endorse a ban on this cruel relic that exploits and slaughters animals for profit.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Silvia Aranda
They were smart enough in the U.S. to stop greyhound racing, but it doesn’t look like they have enough intelligence in the U.K. to cease & desist by themselves.
End greyhound racing all iver the planet!!
I totally agree with You!!!!!!!
Well not that smart since there are four tracks still being used, one in Arkansas, one in Iowa and two in West Virginia.
Well of course THOSE are the states. I’m just surprised Florida and Texas aren’t in the mix
I believe there are still 5 states in the US that still allow greyhound racing and have active tracks. Makes me sick. This should have been outlawed across the board a long time ago. Frankly all forms of animal racing for profit should be banned. What those animals go they is torture. END THIS NOW!
This so-callef cruel “sport” should have been BANNED and OUTLAWED a long time ago!!
I don’t think I’ll ever get why pieces of shit abuse dogs. They’re the most loyal loving babies you could hope for. These monsters have to be stopped.
I hope the human race will pay hard for all the cruelty to the poor defenseless animals.
Greyhounds are sweet loving companions and should be rescued from this abuse. I’ve rescued a few from that plight and the psychological damage they try to overcome is horrendous.
Exploiting Grey Hound’s attributes by entering them into a life of racing is inherently cruel.These animals are thought of and treated as disposable commodities for human amusement and gambling. In racing ,these dogs are a means to an end.The very nature of Greyhound racing insures that some version of that is all they can ever be. They are not and never will be properly cared for and loved by the people who are exploiting and racing them. They are not beloved pets, but a means to an end.
Greyhound racing really isn’t a sport. It’s slavery. Greyhound racing is enslaving defenseless animals that have no voice. The fact that some slave owners are better or worse than others will always be a minor detail. Reciting and proclaiming lofty intentions and high ideals about meaningful improvement is a fantasy masking that brutal reality. That is and always will be the case even if someone is well intended. Bottom line:forcing living beings into racing for human entertainment is not a sport. It is a misguided sacrifice of animal’s lives, animals that deserve better. Insuring their welfare inside of the problem isn’t possible and will never work. There is no way to supervise this enough. Also, Dogs tend to be obedient,seek to please, and cannot always tell you they are in pain or exhausted. Those attributes will only add to their ultimate misery. While dogs like to run, routinely Forcing animals into unnatural activity levels ( which racing them always is)and pushing them to and past their limits is perverse. All evidence will ultimately yield that same conclusion until the overwhelming facts are finally faced.The attempt to do so always has and will fail because the situation and what it yields will always be a problem. In the meantime more individual dogs are this now moment, right now enduring unspeakable suffering, (malnutrition, injury, neglect, loneliness, and death) Greyhound dogs are suffering and dying right under your nose (Today, now, this moment and this moment and the next). This is not an exaggeration or hyperbole. It is the plain and documented truth. Animals, by their very nature as living beings deserve the best quality of life possible in any civilized society. Greyhound racing will never be conducive to their quality of life. Inducing animals into unnatural activity levels and pushing them to and past their limits will never be conducive to that. It is inherently unnatural and abusive. Enforcing their decent treatment within that context will never be possible. Sufficient Supervision of this will never really be possible anyway for all the above reasons. Any other arguement is self deception or an humanly selfish agenda. For all of these reasons, the time has come to ban Greyhound racing. That will “free the captives” and restore humans to humanity.There is no other agenda or plan that is truthful and humane.
I could not have said this any better. Well said Anna. I agree with you completely.
Thank you so much for your gracious message.May he have the ears to hear all of us and the grit to act on it. That is what would make Winston Churchill proud.
Anna George – I absolutely agree with your fantastic comment.
I LOVE GREYHOUNDS. I HAVE RESCUED TWO BEAUTFUL GREYHOUNDS, MIMI AND PENNY.
MIMMI BROKE HER LEG AS A PUPPY AND COULDN’T RACE, SO I RESCUED HER AND PENNY RACED FOR A SHORT TIME AND WAS RESCUED BY ME. THEY ARE BEAUTFUL SENTIENT BEINGS AND ARE SO LOVING.I JUST LOVE THEM SO MUCH.MY PUDDYS AND THE GREYHOUNS LOVE EACH OTHER. I COULDN’T LIVE WITHOUT THEM.
And so say all of us who love animals and particularly dogs. Humans seem to have lost any humanity they had and the stories on cruelty to any animal seems to be getting worse. Either the punishments are not enough or the people are losing their grip and anything goes. If that is the case, then there is no hope for the human race.
BAN DOG RACING EVERYWHERE NOW!
Please stop this kind of thing happening to all animals.
POS!! Savages!! I read someone’s comment said that there are still 5 states in the US allow this racing. They better stop!! I also read that article about how they kill those greyhound in Spain and they are savages!! I hope all of the country stop this greyhound racing!! Those greyhound have right to live!!
End greyhound racing in ALL COUNTRIES!!!
Man’s abuse has no bounds! UK another reason to dislike you.
On what planet is making any living being race race race until it dies, or is so sick it cannot be homed happily and has to be put down and has every chance at a good quality of life robed from them….on what planet is this acceptable?. NO WHERE!!!!! The UK AND EVERY COUNTRY ON THE PLANET MUST BAN RACING GREYHOUNDS OR ANY ANIMAL IMMEDIATELY! THIS SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN DONE. YET ANOTHER THING THAT MAN WILL PAY FOR!
THIS OUTRAGEOUS, DISGUSTING, REPREHENSIBLE “SPORT” SHOULD BE PERMANENTLY BANNED — IMMEDIATELY, IF NOT SOONER!!!!!!!!!!!!
This ANIMAL HELL must END IMMEDIATELY !!!!!
Animals shall NOT be VICTIMS of greedy, primitive, dehumanized, desensitized and sadistic PSYCHOPATHS!!!
The DOG-RACING industry is BLOOD-SPORT, and has NO PLACE in the civilized world!!!
BAN THIS CRUEL BLOOD SPORT NOW!!!!! PEOPLE THAT ALLOW THIS ARE PSYCHOPATHS!!!!!!!
All the comments above are spot-on. Animal abuse and animal exploitation is never good. These dogs deserve to live in a house with a family who loves and cares for them and being a part of that family. Racing for cruel owners is no life for any animal. Too many people don’t seem to realize that these dogs have feelings and the owners don’t see anything but money.
When are people going to STOP abuse and cruelty to animals for entertainment?? People who get their thrills and/or profit at the expense of an animal being abused are selfish, narcissistic, greedy, inhumane, and have no conscience. Animals have no voice so WE need to be their voice! End greyhound racing worldwide! STOP THE CRUELTY!!
LEAVE ANIMALS ALONE!!!!!
leave animals alone, to enjoy their lives
Ban dog racing globally!
My husband & I moved to Az. with the hope of fostering Grey Hounds. We fostered about 10 and adopted the last one. The Greys were hauled around in an
almost enclosed trailer (100 degree weather), were fed slaughter house guts, tumors, beaks(I am told) and most break their hind leg going around the first corner. In the past the owners would dump them in the desert after cutting off their tattoed ear (way to identify the owner)and let them die a slow death.
Then rescue clubs started up and the dogs’ owners now, if they so wanted it, could let a rescue take on the dog and all it’s Vet bills. We were told never to talk about the dog’s treatment or the kennel owner would refuse to allow our taking the injured dog.
Our rescue got a contract with one of the nearby prisons – the select prisoners were allowed to train the dogs to be sedate pets.
Read what you can find about Spain. They hang their dogs.
Many years ago when in England I went to a Greyhound race and right from the start I had a feeling “this is not right” and it still isn’t.