Dear [MP Name],
I am writing to you about an issue very close to my heart – greyhound racing. This so-called ‘sport’ forces dogs to race for the purposes of gambling, and for the personal financial gain of the dogs’ owners and trainers. I believe that the racing of dogs should be banned, and I am writing to ask for your support for the following reasons:
- Greyhound racing is cruel, as it is dangerous for the dogs used for it – The Greyhound Board for Great Britain’s (GBGB) figures reported 35,168 greyhound injuries, including 1,353 track fatalities between 2017 and 2024 – an unacceptable toll to be paid by animals for human entertainment.
- Off the track, there is equal cause for concern for the lives of greyhounds bred for racing. Thousands are bred and imported to be racing dogs within the UK but never make it to the racetrack. The industry regards the disappearance of young dogs as ‘wastage’ – I regard this as a cruel and unacceptable loss of life.
- Even those dogs who make it to the racetrack and leave without injury or fatality have an uncertain and perilous future. Many are not peacefully retired and rehomed but are killed when deemed ‘unsuitable for rehoming’. They may even be exported and found abroad where they have even fewer protections. Greyhounds have even been found within the international meat trade.
- The life of a greyhound within the industry during training and breeding, can be incredibly harsh. Investigations have found dogs living in small, unclean, and dark kennels with little enrichment. Constant muzzling causes stress, and healthcare is sparse, leaving dogs who have sustained injuries without pain relief or infection control. Dogs have been seen to die of neglect and been left to decompose in cages with other greyhounds.
- Its intrinsic links to the gambling industry make greyhound racing a risk to society, fuelling addictions that people fall victim to, whilst contributing little to local or national communities or economies.
I trust you agree with me, and with prominent animal protection organisations such as the RSPCA, Blue Cross, Animal Aid, the League Against Cruel Sports, that racing greyhounds is a cruel, archaic practice which has no place within a respectable modern society. As your constituent, I would like you to show support for the latest calls to end this industry, by signing EDM 1714 calling for a ban on greyhound racing.
I look forward to your response.
Kind Regards,
[Supporter Name]