Pet charity launches ‘How to pick a winning greyhound’ campaign

Blue Cross, the pet welfare charity, has launched a new campaign today (27 September 2023), centered around racing greyhounds. The ‘How to pick a winning greyhound’ spoof adverts will appear across the UK on billboards, digivans and streethubs in a bid to raise awareness of the plight of racing greyhounds and end the ‘sport’ within five years.

Blue Cross believes every greyhound should grow up in a happy home as much loved pets and not be made to live a lonely life in kennels or forced to risk serious injury or death every time they race alongside other greyhounds at high speed, around dangerous oval tracks for ‘entertainment’. The charity is urging animal lovers across the UK for their support and to sign its petition and get behind the ban.

The racing industry’s own statistics show that 2,239 dogs died between 2018 and 2022 and there were a staggering 22,284 reported injuries. A survey conducted by the charity to gauge feelings around greyhound racing showed that 91% of the British public neither follow or participate in greyhound racing and just 14% consider greyhound racing as part of British culture. Blue Cross is saying enough is enough and is urging pet lovers to call on the government for a ban and sign its petition to bring an end to greyhound racing.

Becky Thwaites, Head of Public Affairs at Blue Cross said: “There are only 10 countries in the world where greyhound racing is still legal, four are in the UK. The avoidable injury or death of just one dog is a tragedy and that is why this so-called ‘sport’ has to end. Instead of many puppies forced to grow up alone in a cold kennel with an inevitably miserable future before their retirement, let’s see them grow up in loving homes as much-loved pets where they can enjoy a cuddle on the sofa.”

Many racing greyhounds are retired at a young age or due to an injury. Thousands of these end up looking for a home through animal rehoming charities like Blue Cross. Frog was just two-years and five-months old when he arrived at the Blue Cross animal rehoming centre in Hertfordshire after his racing career was over. He was admitted alongside three-year-old Bluebell and neither had experienced life outside of the industry. Both had spent their entire lives in kennels and all they knew was training, racing and travelling miles to different racetracks.

Sophie Stewart-Smith, Animal Welfare Assistant at Blue Cross in Hertfordshire said: “It is vital to help greyhounds adjust to family life with so little experience of it. Frog was unsure of a sofa when we introduced him to one and needed lots of reassurance and treats before he dared to join me on it. Sadly, greyhounds are often harder to home than other breeds. Many people assume they need lots of exercise, especially ex-racers, but in a family home they are content with a couple of walks a day, and a snooze on their back on the sofa waving their legs in the air.”

Happily, Frog is finally in a loving home but his stay was typical of a black greyhound who often struggle to find homes as quickly as other colours and breeds. The average length of stay for a greyhound last year was almost twice the average of other breeds and for black greyhounds, like Frog, the wait can be even longer as they are overlooked in favour of other colours. In 2023, black greyhounds waited almost eight times longer than the more popular blue colour.

The campaign is live from today ahead of scheduled races at stadiums including Doncaster (race 27 September), Romford (races 28, 29 and 30 September), the Valley track in South Wales (the only track in Wales) and the Shawfield track in Glasgow (the only track in Scotland, races every Friday and Saturday).

To find out more and sign the Blue Cross petition to end greyhound racing visit: www.bluecross.org.uk/EndGreyhoundRacing

With the increasing demand for Blue Cross pet welfare services, the charity needs the support of animal lovers to continue its work helping pets and their people, in any way they can. Whether that’s by donating to keep rehoming and veterinary services going through these tough times, fundraising for Blue Cross, providing foster care for pets while loving new homes are found, volunteering at pet food banks, or signing up to support Blue Cross campaigns for better pet welfare.