ATTENTION GETTER: Fifty Thousand Greyhounds are put to death every year in this country for failing to profit from the sport built upon their talents. That is fifty thousand dogs dead each and every year, and that figure is on the rise. You may be thinking to yourself how is this possible or even legal in the United States. The answer is money. These dogs race in order to make profit for their owners. Their very livelihood depends on whether they can continually win a race. This just doesn t seem fair. We as a society must take a stand against this terrible crime. We should not support any organization that is affiliated with the Greyhound tracks. We also must give our support to those organizations that fight against cruelty to animals.
Other organizations such as The Racing Dog Rescue Project, which finds homes for retired dogs, should be given the credit and support that they deserve.PROBLEM: 1. The abuse that is afflicted upon greyhounds while they participate in dog racing is wrong and must be stopped. In order to understand why and how this terrible crime takes place we first must set the clock back to the beginning. A: Greyhounds are hounds that have large litters, usually six to eight pups on average. Within three weeks the runts are culled, and the remaining pups are sold South, generally to Florida where the training begins. B. In the early training period those dogs that are slow a foot, slow to learn, or just plain stubborn are put to death. The instrument used to kill the pups is usually a bullet, but stories have surfaced in Key West that some are sold to fisherman as shark bait. C. According to the Greyhound Protection League at age eleven to fifteen months, the picnic is over.
The graduates go to work at a racing kennel. Many which operate similar to the one here in town. The Sarasota Racing Kennel pens between eighty and one hundred dogs. Here is where they run for their lives. D. Racing dogs are grouped in classes from A to D. A few losses are sometimes enough to drop them down a class. Until they finally reach class D which stands for death not long after. Losers don t get action and its gambling that pays off in profits and legitimacy. E. According to the American Kennel Club dogs are mistreated even when they produce wins and profits. They are muzzled all day long. They live in iron crates that are stacked one on top of another in tight enclosed spaces.
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They are let out of their cages just three times a day, and their muzzles are only removed when they eat. F. As the years go on even a dog that was blessed with exceptional speed will find itself in the D class. For most the end of their racing career brings the gas chamber, the incinerator, or a bullet. About five percent do luckily manage to be rescued by adoption programs. G. Yet another fate that is even worse than death itself is when certain dogs are wheeled into the Wide World of Animal Labs. The Lab at Boston s Tufts University profits nicely from its proximity and its affiliation to a nearby dog track.
This university participates in several different experiments. They range from controversial bone-replacement tests to the dogs being used in dissection labs. This just doesn t seem to be the correct treatment for an animal that is defined as mild-mannered, docile, and well behaved. Together we must take a stand in order to prevent this injustice from happening anymore. SOLUTION II: One solution may be obvious, and that is to implement regulations that must be followed in order for a kennel to remain open. A. Although this solution seems good in theory it has been tried in the past and has not worked. Adoption only favors a lucky few, while thousands of healthy dogs are put to death each year.
Uncaring breeders and trainers abandon hundreds of others to starve in their cramped cages. 2. The only true solution to the problem is to put an end to dog racing. We can all help put an end to this crime by not supporting any organizations that promote greyhound racing. B. The other alternative is to continue to support all of those organizations that are affiliated with saving greyhounds. Adopt a Greyhound Page is a web site that is a thorough adoption page with loads of information, pictures, and contacts for adoption groups worldwide. The same group that puts out the Celebrating Greyhounds calendar and magazine established the site. A Breed Apart is another site on the web that puts out a bimonthly electronic magazine devoted to greyhounds.
Other goodies at this site include message boards for greyhound-related questions, a twice-weekly greyhound chat, and an electronic NGA pet transfer application. This site also allows greyhound owners to set up a free home page in order for their pets to be viewed all over the world. The Racing Dog Rescue Project is a greyhound adoption organization that is trying to change the fate for many retired dogs. They are a nonprofit organization that is located here in Sarasota; its main goal is to find homes for ex-racing greyhounds that would otherwise be destroyed.
The majority of retired Greyhounds are quiet, clean, good-natured, gentle dogs who get along well with other animals and older children. They seem very grateful for their new homes and reward their new families with unending affection. They do not require a great deal of space and are usually quite content to curl up on a soft rug, blanket, or on the sofa next to their owners. They can not live outdoors because they are very sensitive to heat and cold. They also are easily housebroken. The basic donation to adopt one of these wonderful animals is only one hundred and fifty dollars. This fee includes spaying or neutering, teeth cleaning.
All inoculations, heartworm test, the book adopting the Racing Greyhound, a new safety collar with matching leash and ID tags. This organization also participates in a program called Meet and Greet. Many people have never had the chance to even see a Greyhound, and this gives them a chance to get up close and personal with these animals. The Racing Dog Rescue Project is a wonderful organization that is really trying to make a difference, but it needs our help and support. If you know anyone who is looking for a pet or would like to make a donation to a good cause please refer him or her to this local organization.
VISUALIZATION C. Just for a minute reflect back to a time in your life when you had a pet, remember how much you cared for and loved that animal. Now imagine what these poor dogs go through each and every day of their lives just yearning for the chance to be free and have a master that shows them love. It is our job as a society to take a stand and prevent this crime against animals from happening.
CALL TO ACTION: I hope that I have opened your eyes to a problem that too often seems to go unnoticed. The way that these dogs are treated is an absolute crime and should not be allowed anywhere in the world let alone is promoted in the United States. I have close friends that have participated in Greyhound adoption programs and have loving pets as a result. I can t stress enough how important it is for all of us to take a stand against these barbaric track owners and put them out of business. Until that day comes we must continue to support the organizations that are fighting for the lives of the Greyhounds. With continual support we can and will make a difference.
