Which Came First, the Pigeon or the Dog?

Thursday, May 24, 2001 - UK

WIMBLEDON — Have you ever noticed how much humans are obsessed with watching animals go really fast?

We've got horse races, dog races, turtle races and the fastest cow contest  (not to mention the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's bird strike cannon that shoots 800mph dead chickens at airplane parts).

Well, yesterday they did it again: a race between a dog and a pigeon.  Greyhound-racing entrepreneur David Hood cooked up the idea six weeks ago in a bar, as a way to promote this year's Greyhound Derby.

Photo: BBC News

At Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium, bookies took bets of as much as £200, as well as "a tidy sum" by the animals' owners, from gamblers wagering on the 80-meter race.

"Althea Storm", a 4-year-old Greyhound who is nearing the end of his career, outpaced the trained bird "Speckled Jim" by 0.43 seconds.

Althea Storm's handler Brett Capaldi later said, "There would have been a lot of humiliation if he had been beaten by a corn-fed piece of poultry."

Speckled Jim's company has already called for a re-match.

The UK's Greyhound racing scene has suffered temporary setbacks in recent months due to the epidemic outbreak of foot and mouth disease.  Tracks were closed down and only re-opened a few weeks ago.

Greyhound Racing in the World

In the United States, Greyhound racing has been steadily losing its appeal due to the US public's increasing knowledge of the racetracks' inhumane treatment and disposal of dogs (each year as many as 30,000 killed).

With revenues dropping dramatically, track owners have sought to bolster their profits by introducing slot machines and other on-site gambling, but many legislators, responding to the public outcry, have been reluctant to assist the industry by allowing additional for-profit games.

General Manager of the Wichita Greyhound Park (Kansas) recently resigned, stating: "With our continued legislative setbacks in attempting to add slot machines, the financial viability of the track is very poor. Major moves need to be made to keep the track open."

Another track, Camptown Greyhound Park (also in Kansas), closed down just a few months ago for the same reasons.

Similarly, Alabama lawmakers recently shot down the Birmingham Race Course's petition to add poker tables.  The track's owner Milton McGregor admits, "It is no secret that we've got a dying industry unless we get some relief soon."

And in Florida, racetracks are being hit with a double whammy from dog-lovers; a strong legislative backing not only has opposed the addition of slot machines, but it has also passed a bill that will require tracks to operate a Greyhound adoption program to find homes for dogs facing retirement (effective July 1, 2001).

Editor's note: The above victories would not have been possible without the efforts of loyal Greyhound rescuers, such as

But while dog racing may be on the decline in the United States (where it began in 1919 California), the practice is becoming increasingly popular in the rest of the world: UK, Ireland,  Spain and Southeast Asia, where allegedly the animals receive horrific treatment.

The welfare of the world's Greyhounds rests largely in the hands of local and national groups who are struggling to achieve the same progress that has been possible in the USA.  These groups include

Can you guess how many Greyhound tracks are there in the world, and where are most of them located? Click here.

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