Greyhounds Forced to the Ground - Injected with Drugs at Underground Dog Racing Event in Birmingham
Event goers were able to access the hobbyist race track via a HS2 gated haul road that led to the area.
This Exposé Identifies Failures to Enforce UK Animal Welfare Laws
SWUK gathered evidence between Autumn 2022 and 2025 in an effort to gain assistance from the authorities but were met with both resistance and silence.
Dogs intravenously injected with suspected illicit drugs
We watched in horror before the races began as dogs were being pinned to the ground while looking frightened; nervously licking their lips, and submitting to the numerous gruesomely botched attempts to stick needles into their veins and administer drugs.
Photos: © CAGED Nationwide
Veterinary Opinion by Dr Kendal Shepherd
Connections Found Between the Underground Dog Race Track and GBGB Licensed Greyhound Racing
a) The dog racing event where greyhounds were being intravenously injected is a short walk away from a GBGB licensed greyhound racing kennel - on occasion vehicles were seen commuting from the underground racing event to the cul-de-sac where the kennels were situated.
Photo: © CAGED Nationwide
b) A tractor used to prepare the race track beared the name of the GBGB licensed trainers family business. A business known in the racing industry for sponsoring licensed greyhound racing.
c) At least 3 of the men involved in pinning a greyhound down and injecting him, had connections with GBGB licensed greyhound racing - a former licensed greyhound trainer, a former licensed Greyhound owner, and a kennel hand.
At the racing event dogs were forced to the ground and injected with IV drugs by lay persons (persons with no veterinary qualifications) before they were let loose on the greyhound racing track then surrounded by a male audience who would cheer them on. A man on a motorbike would drag the lure behind him as the dogs chased behind.
Underground Racing
When we use the term 'Underground greyhound racing' we refer to an unregulated event which ordinary members of the public are generally not made aware of. It is privately organised and only selected persons are allowed to attend.
In this case the racing event was kept out of plain sight from the public and went unreported by local residents for many years. Several local businesses in the area were disgruntled by our presence and objected to SWUK trying to film in the area, even on public land. Site security at the event turned non members including SWUK away, disallowing them any entry to the event.
Usage of HS2 Haul Road
It was on a weekend when the gates to the HS2 haul road were opened, allowing regular event goers to travel through the road. They did not wear hard hats and often took children - all appeared to be dismissive of the signage.
After weeks of us liaising with HS2 and getting nowhere, we contacted the Department for Transport who was able to confirm to us that the haul road definitely belonged to HS2, as we had always suspected. It was later concluded that the landowner and HS2 shared a key to the gate which the event goers where allowed to use to access the haul road and gain entry to the private field where they were injecting and racing dogs.
It took us approximately 6 weeks of phonecalls and emails to get full transparency as to how the race goers where being authorised to use the HS2 gated access.
Lack of Police Action
Attempts to Involve Authorities With Statutory Powers Fail - Leaving Dogs Open to Further Harm.
A 999 call was made at one point - The police were asked to take action under sec 18 of the Animal Welfare Act. We stayed at the site for almost 10hrs along with a Private Investigator who assisted us in every attempt to get Warwickshire police to move in along with a vet to examine and blood test the dogs. The dogs and their owners had left the racing event in vehicles that drove to the GBGB licensed kennels and were there for several hours.
The RSPCA have NO statutory powers however the police do. We exhausted every avenue in trying to get support from the law, due to what we would describe as 'suspected' illicit drug use that involved potential breaches of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 - Dogs appeared to unnecessarily suffer while untrained persons made repeated failed attempts to insert hypodermic needles into their veins.
Its accepted that in rare circumstances a dog may be ill enough to need life sustaining injections - at this event it seemed there was no coincidences, while under our observations numerous dogs were being injected and given pills. It quickly became apparent to us that this was unlikely a fleet of sick dogs needing life sustaining treatment but instead seemingly healthy ones being prepared for underground racing.
Video evidence was captured using the equipment we had, but it was impossible to film everything that the eye could see.
We moved fast to approach the
Police, the Rural Crime Team, the RSPCA and the VMD, and in desperation we even shared sensitive information with other Animal Welfare Organisations, and several private investigators who we hoped might collaborate with us in ending this barbarism but all our attempts sadly failed as time was always limited due to these events being seasonal.
Involving the Press was a Positive Step Towards Shutting it Down
Finally and as a last resort the evidence was brought to the attention of the press. They watched the film and were eager to publish a hard hitting story based on it. Days before the story was due to be published, they approached the Greyhound Board for comment. Just a day or two later and without any reason given, the media declined to run with the article.
(4 men who took part in injecting a dog at one of the Sutton Coldfield racing events had been involved in GBGB licensed greyhound racing - these were a former licensed owner, trainer and a kennel hand)
The press told us they broached the land owner and HS2 and even the Police for comment. This helped us to get a result.
Result
HS2 has told us; they were taking steps to restrict access to their haul road. We expect the land owner and HS2 will now work together in the interest of welfare and safety to both animals and children. The police agreed to keep in touch with us. Finally news came that a racing event due to go ahead in Autumn 2025 was cancelled.
All Correspondence Relating to Authorities and a Lack of Action to Protect Greyhounds
Greyhounds Are Failed in the UK
