Greyhound Action Organisation – A Battle Against a Sports Giant

Greyhound racing, also known as sighthound racing, has been a thriving sport that would bring fortunes to trainers and punters. However, as the industry was growing, journalists started unearthing traces of missing dogs, illegal exports, and even worse mistreatments. That’s what made Greyhound Action Organisation go on its conquest against such cruelty and animal abuse.

The institution is an international greyhound protection group that actively protests against the slaughter and suffering in dog racing. Fans were shocked when the first proofs of brutality were revealed. Everybody knows greyhound racing is quite an old sport, but has it always been like that?

History and Origin – What is Greyhound Racing?

The greyhound breed has been around for well over 4,000 years. The dogs have been assisting humans in their hunts for just about as long. Sighthounds are perfectly built for chasing and tracking – they have slim bodies, long limbs, flexible spines, and thin skins. The dogs are very aerodynamic, that makes them fast enough to hunt down even the fastest prey like rabbits and squirrels.

The sighthound breed was perhaps the most famous and talked-about dog in history – it’s even mentioned in the Bible. Greyhounds have been used only as pets and hunting assistants until the late 19th century. In the same century, the first attempt of sighthound racing was made. Unlike the oval racecourses we see today, the tracks in the past were straight. In addition, there were no mechanical hares yet, that’s why trainers would release a live bunny as a bait.

Of course, the attempt failed because it’s a live animal that the dogs were chasing – it simply doesn’t run in a straight line. Apparently, the sight of a bunny rabbit dying an agonising death didn’t appeal to a broad live audience. The young sport desperately needed to learn how to walk, or perhaps run.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a few big changes were made. Owen Patrick introduced the first mechanical hare bait. That was a game-changer for many who didn’t want to watch such inhumane acts of murder. The racecourses were also adjusted – the first oval tracks became a fact – the greyhound ellipse we’re all familiar with.

The first oval track in the UK – Belle Vue, was established in 1926, and is still active to this day. We are all familiar that betting is in the nature of every sport in one way or another. The sighthound racing was definitely not left behind by gambling, as bets were being placed at every single event. The two most popular championships were formed – the English Greyhound Derby and the Melbourne Cup.

Later, in 1961, betting shops outside the racetracks were legalised, and in the first six months alone, more than 10,000 shops were opened in the United Kingdom. Such a dramatic step has made many more punters to actually visit the events and cheer for the dogs they put their bets on. There were three greyhounds that were considered the best of all time – Ballyregan Bob, Tims Crow, and Scurlogue Champ. However, there was something more behind the flashiness, the glory, and the cheering crowds.

Dog Races – The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly

In the books, everything has two sides – a good one and a bad one. In real life, however, it’s never black and white – it’s often much more complicated than that. Greyhound racing also has its contrasting sides, and we’ll break them down. The good, the bad, and the ugly – these are the three aspects of greyhound racing as we know it.

Let’s start off with the positives. Later you can see why the Greyhound Action Organisation had to roll up its sleeves and dive into the action. First and foremost, greyhound racing is a sport, and although it’s not about humans, it encourages love for physical activities, event gatherings, championship rewards, rooting for your favourite runners, and much more. Of course, we also cannot forget about the gambling scene around greyhound racing. The best greyhound betting sites attract thousands of bettors on a monthly basis, and similar numbers of punters are hosted at the tracks, as well.

Sighthound racing has made many trainers and breeders rich, and it has also given purpose for many dogs.The sport has also immortalised many champion runners, leaving a legacy behind. The industry is strictly regulated, and it aims to promote only positive deeds, but there are certain things that go below the radar. Things that caused the sport to be banned in many countries.

Retirement is simple when it comes to sports that include humans. When you retire from a sport and your career is behind you, you simply seek to invest your money and live your life to the fullest, leaving a legacy behind. However, greyhounds have it extremely bad when it comes to retirement, even if they’re Association Cup winners.

The dogs have to live with many injuries and traumas, and on top of that, the breeders simply cast them away when they get older, relying on people’s kindness that the hounds would get adopted. The ugly face of greyhound races is always hidden behind the scenes, deep in the kennels. That’s where dogs get mistreated, beaten, and pushed to their limits, all while living in cages that are barely enough for them to stand straight.

Unimaginable things happen when sighthounds’ performances are not good enough for them to be competitive. When a greyhound racer passes its prime, and there is no one to adopt it, it is usually exported to another country. Various media sources state that the dogs get murdered when they pass the border. The Greyhound Action Organisation had to get involved and put an end to that.

Greyhound Action Organisation – What Does It Do?

The Greyhound Action Organisation hasn’t been here the whole time – it was established in 2008, and existed only for a short time. It was created when concerned citizens wanted to take action against the cruelty against greyhounds. In the beginning, the GAO was simply writing informative articles about what happens in the sighthound kennels and updating people in the UK about the greyhound racing measures worldwide.

However, raising awareness in readers who were already aware of the situation didn’t prove to be so useful. That’s why the Greyhound Action Organisation decided to take over social media. Once the GAO moved to platforms like Facebook and Twitter, the readers followed. Dog lovers were sharing the posts everywhere. “Don’t support greyhound racing! Don’t go to it! Don’t bet on it!” – that quickly became the motto of the organisation.

Some bettors were quick to move from gambling on traditional dog race platforms to betting at virtual greyhound betting sites. The GAO also helped organise and give life to a greyhound awareness day, where people would go out to the streets with signs and inform even more citizens about the plight of dogs.

Several countries and states had already banned greyhound races. Unfortunately for the animal rights organisations, the roots of the problems in the sport were running too deep for a small campaign to make a significant change. That’s why they needed to raise more awareness.

The GAO launched a line of knitted dog accessories, bags, cards, badges, and even more, just so people and greyhounds would carry them around and raise awareness across the country. Soon enough, celebrities like Ricky Gervais, Ellen DeGeneres, Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan, and quite a few more have joined the movement and addressed the issue publicly.

Of course, celebrities brought even more attention to the crimes and cruelty, but everything escalated when the information that greyhounds are being exported to China got to the media. The Eastern country apparently wanted to start a greyhound sports industry of its own, and it needed well-bred dogs. However, when Greyhound Action found out about that, the actions were quick.

Many protests and demonstrations were organised, a strike group was formed, and the organisation even provided people with example letters that they could send to the embassy. The reason for the raging campaigns against the exports to China was because the UK wouldn’t be able to supply such a big country with enough fit dogs. That would ultimately result in more and more breeding, which would mean more destruction, mutilation, and a spike in greyhounds seeking adoption.

The campaigns and the awareness that was raised managed to lower the export amounts, but they didn’t completely stop them. In its prime, from 2009 to 2011, the Greyhound Action Organisation managed to reduce the deaths of greyhounds by nearly 40%! That was huge, considering it was a new, non-profit organisation. The institution was able to help find homes for more than 10,000 greyhounds across the UK. The GAO also succeeded in lowering the greyhound races’ viewer counts and the sizes of public races.

The greyhound sport was in for a steep decline. In 2011, in order to be more effective, the Greyhound Action Organisation ceased operations and its co-ordinator, Tony Peters, decided to go on his way, helping other sighthound campaigns worldwide. Many view the GAO as one of the noblest movements in the UK for the last decade. However, the battle for greyhound rights continues.

Countries Where Greyhound Races Are Legal

Greyhound races are not an issue that’s exclusive just in the UK; it’s a global problem. It turns out that the battle against brutality and animal abuse are equally serious in more than a few nations across the world. Many countries have banned greyhound races not only because it’s a violent sport, but because trainers and breeders often give dogs illegal drugs like cocaine, amphetamine, and pentobarbital.

While the first two are performance-enhancing substances, the third is a chemical that is often used for euthanasia. However, you should keep in mind that not all trainers and breeders around the world are abusive outlaws, there are still good sides to greyhound races. In fact, some countries decided to ban greyhound races because they were deemed rigged, set up, and used just so high-level drug lords and businessmen could launder their money. However, there are currently only eight countries that hold commercial dog races.

The countries where the sport is legal are spread across five continents, but the greyhound racing industry is in a severe decline in all eight of these countries. The United States is one of the countries where dog racing is still legal. However, not all states in the US actually allow greyhound racing. You can find racing tracks only in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, and West Virginia, that’s about 12% of all states. Here is a list of all eight countries where commercial dog races are still legal:

• UK
• Ireland
• New Zealand
• Australia
• USA
• Vietnam
• China
• Mexico

Nations like Canada do not hold commercial greyhound races, but the sport is still legal over there. However, simply because the CA government decided to ban betting on dogs, the industry is suffering a steep decline. Florida, alone, although it’s just one of the few states in the US where greyhound races and betting are allowed, has more than 1,000 greyhound deaths on various tracks from 2008 until now, which is a huge number, considering that more than 4,000 dogs went missing.

Animal rights organisations like PETA also stood their ground against greyhound brutality. According to one of PETA’s researches on kennels, trainers, and breeders, the average greyhound remains in a cage up to 23 hours per day, which is quite crazy, considering that sighthounds are built for movement. Some forecasts show that Florida is expected to ban greyhound races by 2022. However, thanks to the kindness of people and organisations, there is hope for greyhounds after all.

Greyhound Racer Retirements – From Track to Sofa

When a sports greyhound retires, it’s much more complicated than when a human athlete decided that he’s finished with his career. The dogs need homes, and some of them have far too many injuries or are already far too old for breeding – they’re left with no hope or choice. Breeders either export them to other countries, or they simply euthanise them. That’s one of the main reasons why animal rights activists are starting such movements.

Greyhound Action and many other greyhound help organisations like Action For Greyhounds, Greyt Exploitations, and the Racing Dog Protection Act are not only raising awareness and protesting against the animal abuse – they’re promoting adoptions. The greyhound adoption rate in the UK is above 90%, thanks to dozens of protests, demonstrations, and addressing the issue in public spaces. Organisations are against both horse and dog races. According to many non-profit establishments, an animal shouldn’t have to race for its life.

From a trainer’s perspective, when a dog is not fast enough, it’s no good. Many dog farms can’t afford to maintain all the greyhounds, especially when they’re not bringing any money in. That’s why Greyhound Safety Net and multiple other organisations work on rescuing and rehoming the former racer pups. “If the race finishes on the sofa, every dog is a winner” – that’s one of the most popular quotes by rehoming organisations that are famous around the internet.

Over the last decade, more than 200,000 retired greyhounds were adopted in the USA. The amount in the UK is nearly 60,000. However, a particular growth in adoptions can be seen. In the United Kingdom, adoption rates have grown by 19% over the last eight years, which is a considerable improvement.

Greyhound Action Today – What’s Next

Although the Greyhound Action Organisation ceased to exist, its message was spread across Europe and North America. The conditions for racing dogs are seemingly better, while the adoption rates are at an all-time high. Despite being in decline, you could say that the greyhound sport is in good shape in terms of regulations.

The betting aspect of the sport has also made itself much more available compared to two decades ago. Online bookmakers are making more and more attractive offers for bettors by the day. Some of the best new greyhound betting sites have been launched in the last few years. This means that the sport still has a long future ahead of itself, and it’s not going anywhere. Not all breeders and trainers are violent criminals, and the major tournaments are as prestigious and flashy as ever.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Greyhound Action Organisation

In order to make our article as informative as possible, we decided to make a short section that aims to shed more light on the topic. Through our research on the Greyhound Action Organisation, we found common questions UK citizens occasionally raise, we compiled them, and we had our experts answer them for you! Let’s dive in!