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    Greyhound Racing Documentaries that Will Make You Think

    Full On Fella Posted on

    The simple truth of the matter is that greyhound racing was once one of the most popular sports that took place in the United Kingdom, but has seen a fall down the pecking order to the point that many believe it may struggle to have a long-term future.

    That is, at least in part, thanks to the fact that it is seen as a cruel sport that leaves behind the dogs that can no longer perform.

    There are plenty of critics of greyhound racing, as well as numerous people who will act in its defence, which is a big part of the reason as to why it is seen as such an excellent choice for a documentary.

    Going to the Dogs

    One of the documentaries about the sport of greyhound racing that is considered to be ‘must watch’ also happens to be one of the most recent to be released. Going to the Dogs is a vital film in the genre for the main reason that it doesn’t pull its punches about the dark side of the sport. That isn’t to say that there isn’t plenty of respect for the world of greyhound racing on show here, but the point is that it doesn’t shy away from the opposing views that are prevalent nowadays. The film looks at the fact that greyhound racing is inherently working-class, with all of the issues that come with that label.

    The march of gentrification means that working-class pursuits are becoming harder and harder for the actual working-class to enjoy, whilst shifting tastes mean that one like greyhound racing is always going to be tougher to find a justification for. Directed by Greg Cruttwell, Going to the Dogs manages to put forward both the argument for and the argument against the sport’s existence in the 21st century in a well-balanced manner. It also covers the fact that the numerous exposés about the treatment of the dogs themselves in recent years mean that the sport has booked up its ideas.

    The Flapping Track

    One of the biggest problems around greyhound racing is that the official tracks are one thing, but the existence of unlicensed tracks has long allowed for the mistreatment of the animals without any repercussions. These ‘flapping’ tracks have always existed, but their numbers are thankfully dwindling nowadays. In the film The Flapping Track, the story of Highgate Greyhound Stadium in South Yorkshire is told with unflinching honesty. Each week, a crowd of different characters turn up in order to take part in the unregulated greyhound racing that is ‘flapping’, captured well in this documentary.

    The film was made in 2008, looking back at a time in the 1940s when there were as many as 130 flapping tracks around the United Kingdom, catering to the miners who wanted a release from the tough nature of their work. By the time it was filmed, those numbers had dropped to 11, in spite of the dedication of those who love being involved in such unlicensed racing. Run by ‘Tricky’ Russ, Highgate was in financial trouble by the time that the documentary makers turned up, but enough was done to keep it going until 2019, when a decision was taken to suspend racing for the foreseeable future.

    Doggy Men

    Not to be confused with the grown adults who spends their lives literally living as dogs, up to and including using squeaky toys and eating from bowls, Doggy Men was a documentary made in in 1985 about the world of greyhound racing. It centres around working-class folk in Belfast who own greyhounds and dream of the possibility of success in the not too distant future. It is a film that looks at the way in which the ‘Doggy Men’ of the title look after and care for the dogs that are in their care, almost becoming part of the family as they train them and work with them to win races.

    Largely based at Dunmore Stadium in the Northern Irish capital, the documentary is worth a watch to learn more about a venue that no longer exists, having closed in 2000, as it is about the dog racing itself. Narrated by Niall Tiobin, it offers an up close and personal look at the way the dogs were treated in the 1980s. For that reason, it won’t be to the taste of everyone, but given the fact that it’s only about 30 minutes long, it is not going to take up much of your time to get a real glimpse in the world of dog racing as it was during the 1970s and 1980s, when the Troubles still loomed large.

    RTÉ Investigates: Greyhounds, Running for Their Lives

    As we’ve already hinted at, the world of greyhound racing is one that has its share of critics, if for no other reason than the dogs haven’t always been looked after as well as they should’ve been. This documentary, from the Irish broadcaster RTÉ, looks at the decidedly murkier side of the sport. Some of the animal welfare issues that it found includes mass culling, with as many as 6,000 dogs euthanised in Ireland in 2017 because they weren’t fast enough or their performance had declined. It also explores the issues around overbreeding, to say nothing of the distressing manner in which dogs were killed.

    Some documentaries aren’t just about showing you the dark side of a sport, but also have an impact that goes on well after the film stops rolling. In the case of RTÉ Investigates: Greyhounds, Running for Their Lives, major sponsors announced that they would withdraw funding from greyhound tracks and the Greyhound Racing Act of 2019 was introduced in order to ensure legislative changes. There was an understandable backlash over the killing of dogs, with some taken to knackers yards and killed there because it was cheaper than having to go through the proper procedures.

    Where the Track Ends: A Look into the World of Greyhound Racing

    The short film Where the Track Ends: A Look into the World of Greyhound Racing is another documentary that explores the more controversial side of the sport. It takes a look at things from the animal welfare point of view, including the issues that surround what happens to the dogs when they are retired from racing. It highlights the more realistic side of the greyhound racing world, away from the glamour of running on a track under the lights that comes with taking part in a meeting. It takes a look at concerns around how injuries are treated, as well as the doping of dogs by bad faith actors.

    The documentary touches on the fact that this is an industry in decline, seeing increasing numbers of tracks close around the United Kingdom as well as in other countries where greyhound racing is common. Directed by Veronica Handeland and Irene Lezertua Libano, it was released in 2015 and lasts for just over 20 minutes. That is a 20 minutes that might well lead you to reconsider your take on greyhound racing as a sport, presuming that you aren’t already in the camp that wants to see it banned permanently or, alternatively, believe that there is nothing wrong with how the dogs are treated.

    Run To Death: The Rise & Fall of Greyhound Racing

    Whilst those associated with the sport might rail against this, the truth of the matter is that greyhound racing as a sport almost certainly has limited days left before it is banned altogether. Although not necessarily any crueler to the participants than something like horse racing, the reality is that it doesn’t contribute to the economy in the same way that the equine equivalent does, so the desire to keep it alive as a sport simply isn’t there. If you want to get more of an idea of why it is that so many are so critical of it, Run To Death: The Rise & Fall of Greyhound Racing is a good place to start.

    Not that the film is nothing but negative. In order to explain how it is that greyhound racing grew to become the sport that it is, the documentary takes a look at where it comes from and where it is going. The firm behind the film, Faunalytics, is of the belief that this 2022 creation is what should push the sport towards extinction. Of course, given the fact that that is the angle from which those involved are coming from, you should not expect this to be a particularly balanced offering. That being said, what it is an attempt to do is to show you the cruelty of greyhound racing, warts and all.

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