Walthamstow Racing Track Closes, Greyhounds Celebrate

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by sara August 18, 2008
Categories: Animals
Tags: , , .

Being completely against animal use in sports, I was stoked to read that London’s Walthamstow Stadium, which was ground for greyhound racing for seventy-five years, closed on Saturday. Several causes were cited, among them pressures from the animal rights community.

“I’m sick as a pig. It’s a formidable shame. It is to Walthamstow what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris,” said owner Barrie Clegg. Yeah, well–does the Eiffel Tower account for overbreeding, dogs running until they are sick or being caged or euthanized because they’re not fast enough? I sincerely doubt it.

Past celeb visitors, such as Lana Turner and Brad Pitt, as well as David Beckham, who worked at the stadium as a teenager, might be sad to see it go (or might not). I, for one, am hoping it’s one step closer to ending greyhound racing for good.

  • greg c

    Try the truth treehugger. Why would a industry treat their greyhounds badly, when most in it rely on their (greyhounds) for a living? Try visiting a farm or kennel and see the treatment the dogs recieve before you make such ignorant statements.Get a life.

  • Mouse

    greg c – I appreciate healthy skepticism and questioning others’ statements, but your reaction seems like a knee jerk, and your rhetorical question proves nothing. In fact, it is easy to understand why an “industry” like dog racers would treat greyhounds badly – because in the long run it is profitable for them. Hence the OVERbreeding and euthanizing the ones who are sick or not fast enough. You suggest that “treehugger” get a life (last I looked, a dog is not a tree), but I wonder why you choose to spend your life defending animal-exploitation-for-profit?

  • sara

    Mouse is quite right when it comes to profits over beings–in this case, greyhounds. A little research on the topic (including one of the links I provided) will show you how badly the industry does treat greyhounds.

    There have been dozens of public cases of documented abuse, hundreds of the dogs are killed each year when they aren’t fast enough, and typically the dogs are kept in crates for 18-20 hours a day. This may not be the case in all places, but it is typical. Unfortunately, about a third of those adopted go to good homes–many of the rest end up in science labs. It really is tragic, and if you are interested I highly recommend checking it out.

    I have friends who adopted old worn out greyhounds and they are pitiful but very loving–if you are ever interested in adopting a dog you may want to look into that as well.

  • VeggieTart

    I’ve never heard of this place, but I’m glad to see one bastion of animal cruelty shut its doors for good. Now, let’s hope we can close down the animal racing facilities on this side of the pond.

  • http://NA Londoner

    Since when was greyhound racing an act of animal cruelty?

    The dogs are born to run fast, and I’m sure the owners who race them at Walthamstow give them good living conditions. Like the first poster here says, it’s in their self-interest to look after their dogs.

    Shutting down Walthamstow is the end of another piece of East London history, and a loss for the local economy too.

    I’m a vegetarian and pro animal rights, but don’t have a problem with animals in sports. What’s your moral objection?

  • Alicia

    I’m so happy that craphole closed. Every heartless jerk involved with that cruelty should euthanized!

  • anonyc

    Wow, so the lessons of slavery have still not been learned? Hard to believe. Both greg c and Londoner say exactly the same things that slave owners used to say: ‘Why would I treat my slaves badly when I rely on them for my income?’ and ‘Oh how sad that the Civil War brought an end to the southern lifestyle, economy, and history.’ Look, we’ll be judged in the future as harshly as we look back and judge those who came before us. And we will deserve it. Cruelty against sentient creatures is wrong. They feel fear and pain. Because they can not defend themselves against us does not give us the right to do with them as we please. The sooner places like this close, the better.

  • http://www.greytexploitations.com greyt exploitations
  • John

    Londoner…”I’m a vegetarian and pro animal rights, but don’t have a problem with animals in sports. What’s your moral objection?”

    Do you even realize what you just said???

    Well being that you’re not vegan part of your statement does make sense since you’re fine with the consumption of eggs, dairy and with that the pain, suffering and exploitation of the animals involved in those industries.

    But claiming to be pro animal rights??? Dude…take a step back and reevaluate yourself.

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