A Woman And Her Greyhounds.

While at work the other day, at Just Dogs! Gourmet, I met a woman that owned a Greyhound kennel at the Tri-state gaming track, in Crosslanes, WV. I was skeptical at first of her, and started to ask her questions about her practices when it came to retiring her hounds. What I found, was a woman that actually loved her dogs, and they weren't just money to her.

They live in the Buffalo area, and I didn't get her name or the name of her kennel, but I was impressed with her. I am not a fan of dog racing due to what usually happens to the dogs that can't race anymore. But, when one of her dogs retires, she has it spayed or neutered, and then goes through a major placement regime.

She has quite a few hounds at her home that are not racing anymore, and she just can't get rid of them to other homes. She is also very, very active in the Greyhound adoption programs, not only in WV, but in several other states as well. She was telling me about a place in one of the Carolina's, I can't remember which one, that is a huge adoption center for retired hounds. She says that she took one of her dogs down their because she just didn't have room at her home for anymore dogs. When she took it down there, she said she was heart-broken at having to leave the dog, but was very satisfied that her dog would live a life of pure luxury.

This place has "Greyhound play-dates." I think that is absolutely cool. People from all over come to this place to let their hounds run and play with other hounds. If you don't know, a Greyhound cannot just be turned loose in an open area. They have to be in an enclosed, fenced area. I guess this adoption center has over 10 acres, fenced just for the dogs to run and play with one another. This is so great. Greyhounds are bred to run, and letting them run in that large of an area is fabulous for their mental and physical well-being. Kudos to the woman in Buffalo who loves her Greyhounds. It is nice to know that there are some that actually do like and love their athletes.

Greyhounds - Running For Their Lives - Literally.

In the 10th century, King Howel of Wales declared that the penalty for killing a greyhound was the same as that of killing a person—death. In the days of the Egyptians, greyhounds were valued by the pharaohs for their grace, beauty and mild temperament. But in the 21st century greyhounds in the racing world are prized for only one thing—speed. In 2003 alone, an estimated 7,500 to 20,000 greyhounds were euthanized simply because they couldn't run fast enough.

Because greyhound racing has little to do with dogs and everything to do with money, scant regard is given to the humane treatment of the greyhounds. This is an industry that places profits above the health and welfare of greyhounds. How else would you explain the culling of unwanted dogs, a general disregard toward animal injury, and the inhumane living conditions that the dogs endure?

Greyhounds are at a disadvantage even before they are born. Tens of thousands of greyhounds are bred annually—many more than are needed to race—in an attempt to create the fastest dogs. The greyhounds are then "weeded out"—killed if they are at any time determined unable to become racetrack stars. Throughout their racing career, the dogs routinely endure inhumane conditions and have little human contact. Many greyhound farms are barely getting by financially, so the dogs are kept caged most of the time and fed low quality foods.

Each dog is a major expense, which is why so many are killed when they are deemed unfit to race. In addition, greyhounds are very vulnerable to injury. Thousands of racing dogs are injured each year nationwide. The most common miseries are bone fractures and soft tissue injuries. Less common afflictions include spinal injuries, seizures, and death from cardiac arrest.

Luckily for greyhounds and animal lovers, greyhound racing is on the way out. What's more, attendance at racetracks is dwindling, and revenue has decreased significantly. During the 1990s, the total amount wagered on greyhound racing fell a staggering 45 percent. A recent victory occurred on May 24, 2004, when Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell signed a law banning greyhound racing in the state. That law is still in effect to this day.

Greyhounds tend to be excellent companion animals, and their easygoing nature makes them ideal for families with children. "Greyhounds are truly wonderful dogs," says Bevan. "They are generally gentle, graceful, beautiful animals." But, remember, because of the way these dogs are raised, they have had very, very little socialization, so it might take some time for them to get used to being a companion animal. And, because they are taught to chase a "lure", you need to evaluate your home situation. Example, if you have a cat or a small animal that gets to run loose, your new Greyhound might attempt to "catch" it.

Historically speaking, greyhounds are the most revered species of dog. Eliminating greyhound racing and the cruel practices that surround the sport will ensure that these beautiful dogs live out their lives in dignity, just like the ancient Egyptians envisioned. Remember, you can do your part to stop Greyhound racing by not patronizing a dog track or bet on a race, educating your friends and family on the reality of the horrors of the track or volunteer at a Greyhound rescue organization, if you live in one of the 15 states that still operate race tracks or one of the 42 states that has not banned it, yet.

Greyhound Racing - A Sure Death To The Dogs.

Racing Industry Status:

September 2007: There are currently 35 dog tracks conducting live racing in 13 states; 8 tracks operate seasonally, 27 year-round.

Racing States and the number of racetracks in each are: Alabama (3), Arizona (2), Arkansas (1), Colorado (1), Florida (13), Iowa (2), Kansas (1), Massachusetts (2), New Hampshire (3), Rhode Island (1), Texas (3), West Virginia (2) and Wisconsin (1). The Wichita, Kansas track is scheduled to close October 6, 2007.

Eight states have banned live and/or simulcast dog racing since 1993. The states and the date the laws were enacted are: Maine 1993, Virginia 1995, Vermont 1995, Idaho 1996, Washington 1996, Nevada 1997, North Carolina 1998, and Pennsylvania 2004.

Dramatic declines in attendance and wagering handles have forced 27 tracks to cease live racing since 1991. Eight of the 27 no longer exist; ten remain open for simulcasting. The nine remaining racetracks are either up for sale, in varying states of disrepair, or awaiting state approval of “enhanced gambling options.”

Legislation passed since the 1990s allowed six greyhound tracks in four states to operate video lottery terminals (electronic slot machines) or coin-drop slot machines. Wagering handles on live greyhound racing at those tracks — Mardi Gras Greyhound Track [Florida]; Bluffs Run and Dubuque [Iowa]; Lincoln Park [Rhode Island]; Tri-State and Wheeling [West Virginia]; and Southland Park [Arkansas] — continue to plummet. However, because these tracks are licensed as pari-mutual racing venues they are bound by statute to continue offering live racing. As a result, thousands of greyhounds are being bred to supply these tracks with a live “product” that is of little interest to the wagering public.

Recent changes in state racing statutes are expected to hasten the demise of live greyhound racing in Florida. Melbourne Greyhound Park ceased live racing on July 1, the same day legislation allowing racetrack card rooms to operate without live racing went into effect. Tampa Greyhound Park suspended live racing five weeks later. Wagering on live greyhound racing has declined dramatically in recent years, while card room revenues have exploded.

A comparison of the published numbers against the combined number of greyhounds estimated to be racing: 28,000; alive on breeding and training farms: 28,000; and greyhounds that have been adopted: 179,000, indicates that more than 600,000 greyhounds have died in the 21-year period from 1986-2006. Recent Statistics: In 200 24,567 greyhounds were born. Of those, 22,951 entered the racing system. Approximately 14,800 graded-off grey-hounds were rescued and adopted. An estimated 8,567 greyhounds were killed. This number includes 1,616 farm culls and 6,951 “retirees” who were not rescued.

source: Greyhound Network News and the Greyhound Protection League