Victory: Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium to Close Following Campaign by PETA and Others

For Immediate Release:

11 December 2015

Contact:

Jennifer White +44 (0) 20 7837 6327, ext 222; [email protected]

VICTORY: WIMBLEDON GREYHOUND STADIUM TO CLOSE FOLLOWING CAMPAIGN BY PETA AND OTHERS

Merton Council Votes in Favour of Transforming One of Nation’s Oldest Dog-Racing Tracks Into Modern Football Stadium

London– Following a massive campaign by animal-protection groups and members of the local community – including an almost Merton Council decided last night to approve a planning application submitted by AFC Wimbledon and Galliard Homes that will close Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium and transform it into the new home of Wimbledon football.

“Finally, this old dog-racing track will be turned into a new state-of-the art football stadium that will give ticket-buyers what they want, and that’s compelling sports that feature only willing human participants”, says PETA campaign coordinator Kirsty Henderson. “PETA looks forward to waving goodbye to one of the few remaining holdouts of a cruel industry that breeds dogs for speed at the expense of their health.”

Many greyhound puppies are killed in the name of “selective breeding” and never make it to the racetrack, and dogs who do qualify to become racers are typically caged and muzzled by their trainers and suffer from crate and muzzle sores as well as infestations of internal and external parasites. Once their racing days are over, many dogs are discarded. Some have their ears cut off to remove identifying tattoos and are then abandoned or killed.

As PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment” – pointed out in its petition to the Merton Council, ticket sales for greyhound races have plummeted as modern audiences realise that dogs suffer when they’re exploited for profit.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk.

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