Dog owners from across Salford have spoken out about greyhound racing after a UK charity announced a new campaign to ban the sport.
The Blue Cross have called on the UK Government to phase out greyhound racing over five years, allowing the industry to wind down while working with dog welfare organisations to ensure the safety of all racing dogs. While Salford’s Albion racing track closed in 1976, there are still 21 active greyhound tracks across the country.
A retired Salford doctor who runs a group raising awareness of greyhound racing says more awareness of the sport and the consequences for racing dogs is needed.
Dr Moe Kaur founded the Greyhounds, Many Nations, One Voices , says greyhounds and a member of Alliance Against Greyhound Racing. Her love for greyhounds began with JoJo, a greyhound she rescued who had a spinal injury that prevented her from ever going on the tracks.
“She was just incredibly gentle, very shy, scared of everything, but just stunning,” she said.
Racing greyhounds can suffer injuries caused by repeatedly stunning around oval circuits that put stress on their joints. Dr Kaur says that this can lead to greyhounds being killed, due to being unable to race competitively.
Dr Kaur added: “Back then they were simply killing them for the stress fractures, which were all treatable. When I got JoJo and I found this out and I lost the plot. I thought ‘I can’t believe this is happening’.”
Dr Kaur joined a group that protested outside Belle Vue stadium in the late 2000s and from there went on to formalise a partnership with other like-minded people.
“From there, we put a petition out in 2020. And in 2021, we received over 104,000 signatures. So there was a debate in Parliament. We showed there was an interest in banning greyhound racing and hope that other organisations seeing this would come on board.”
She explained that the injuries are a direct effect of racing.
Ann and Andy Brown rescued Floki (formerly known as Dinnington Maxi) just as the pandemic was coming to an end when they lived in Salford.
Floki’s career left him with noticeable injuries. Ann said: “all down one side he’s got broken ribs.”
Floki’s racing career was not a huge success – despite one win he failed to start seven times. Ann says this is proof he did not want to run.
“His ribs have been broken in the past, he has broken teeth and he’s absolutely terrified of everything,” said Andy.
In the first week of him arriving home Andy said: “He had never been in a house before, he just paused at the door and looked as if to say ‘I can’t go in there’. We bought him a bed and he just didn’t understand it, we end up putting duvet across the floor so he could sleep.
“He just had no concept at all that anything was for him.”
Owned by Salford local Jo Cleghorn, Winnie (formerly known as Windedgo) comes from a long lineage of racers.
“She was coming first and second. It was then Bellevue to first and then you suddenly go from first right the way down to six within a matter of months. You just see a sort of going down pattern.”
Life at home with Winnie differs from your average dog as Jo put it.
“She’s neurotic, if anything changes she can’t cope. We were gradually trying to get a bed over to the other side of the room and had to do it in small stages, because she wouldn’t cope. She’ll just freeze in the kitchen and when we spend about half an hour trying to coax her back out.
“She’s quite reactive but she is not as bad as some of the others.”
Despite some quirks Jo stated: “She’s an absolute star.”
Visit Bluecross for more information.
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