Controversy surrounding dog racing continues to boil over as the sport has now been banned in Wales and New Zealand with the UK parliament continuing discussions around whether it should be banned in the UK. New film GOING TO THE DOGS in cinemas from Friday 7 November reveals exclusive access to those within the industry and those campaigning against it. Director Greg Cruttwell (whose previous feature on Football Referees In The Middle) presents a powerful, balanced documentary exploring class, culture, community and the future of greyhound racing in modern Britain.
Once the UK’s second most popular sport, greyhound racing is now fighting for survival amid stadium closures, welfare controversies and shifting social attitudes. Through voices from inside the kennels to activists calling for reform, GOING TO THE DOGS paints a human, thought-provoking portrait of a world rarely seen on screen.
As audiences continue to engage with hard-hitting animal-rights documentaries that question humanity’s relationship with animals, GOING TO THE DOGS sits firmly within that powerful tradition. Below is a look at 10 influential films that, like Cruttwell’s, have sparked conversation, controversy and change.
Top 10 Controversial Animal-Welfare Documentaries:
- Going to the Dogs (2025) – Greg Cruttwell’s deep dive into Britain’s greyhound-racing culture and its uncertain future.
- Seaspiracy (2021) – Investigates the global fishing industry and the hidden cost of seafood.
- Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (2014) – Explores the environmental impact of animal agriculture.
- Dominion (2018) – A powerful and often disturbing film documenting animal cruelty in modern agriculture.
- The Cove (2009) – Documents the slaughter of dolphins in Taiji, Japan.
- Blackfish (2013) – The film that changed the conversation about captivity and marine parks.
- Earthlings (2005) – A widely viewed exposé of how animals are used for economic purposes.
- Project Nim (2011) – Follows a chimpanzee raised as a human child, exploring questions of intelligence and ethics.
- The Ghosts in Our Machine (2013) – Tells the stories of animals living within and rescued from industrial systems.
- Racing Extinction (2015) – From the makers of The Cove, connecting biodiversity loss to human impact.
