Greyhound racing.... just curious

i dont really know a whole lot about greyhound racing, but i think, as long as the animals are treated humanely, i dont see a problem with it. i'd imagine that the dogs quite enjoy the racing part if it...? i dont think they care whether they are used for humans' entertainment, as long as life is good...

janetmichel3009

i dont really know a whole lot about greyhound racing, but i think, as long as the animals are treated humanely, i dont see a problem with it. i'd imagine that the dogs quite enjoy the racing part if it...? i dont think they care whether they are used for humans' entertainment, as long as life is good...

Thanks for your reply. Yes, the greys enjoy running; but racing presents a whole other set of problems.

There are many owners, breeders, trainers who really do not care about the greys unless they are winning. Sadly, thousands are still destroyed each year once their racing days are over. And it is often done in inhumane ways. It can be a very cruel "sport."

I have mixed emotions about the subject.  I live in RI and greyhound racing is very popular here.  The bad side is while racing the dogs aren't treated all that well and they aren't fed all that well either.  The up side is the track here has a wonderful adoption program.  A friend of ours adopted one and went everywhere with them, she was great. I've pet sat for three retired racers and they were all wonderful.  There was one who had some real adjustment issues but they were all just great dogs. 

willowchow

I have mixed emotions about the subject.  I live in RI and greyhound racing is very popular here.  The bad side is while racing the dogs aren't treated all that well and they aren't fed all that well either.  The up side is the track here has a wonderful adoption program.  A friend of ours adopted one and went everywhere with them, she was great. I've pet sat for three retired racers and they were all wonderful.  There was one who had some real adjustment issues but they were all just great dogs. 

Some tracks do have adoption programs attached (that came about primarily due to public outcry about the number destroyed).

Greyhounds are really great pets. I have owned/co-owned many. We call them 45 mph couch potatoes. I would be glad to provide any information on greyhound adoption. They truly are in need of adopters.  

 I don't think there is anything wrong with the sport at all - the dogs only run because they want to and because it is in their nature. While racing the dogs really would need to be kept in pretty good shape or they aren't going to be competitive. There certainly are problems with how some are kept and treated but that can be said of anything including pet dogs. Is there a way to get an accurate count of how many adoptable Greys are still PTS?

I dont know too much about the greyhounds either...and I also agree that they don't know or care if they are entertainment to humans. And its true that they must be kept in shape probably much different than our pets.....but I understand that they are retired very very early in life and so many are mistreated and put down. I was talking to a couple of greyhound rescues last year...one that had dogs looking for homes in our local Petsmart....one was at a fall festival close to my home.  The one guy told me that the retired ( or perhaps even the working ) greyhounds in Europe are mistreated very very badly.     The other rescue has a program that sounds really neat.  The work with one of our local prisons where they have a select few persons that train these retired greyhounds to make them pets.  To rescue one of their dogs was a little more expensive but they were coming to you with much less work.

I know after I left with papers from that one...I decided my next dog was going to be a retired greyhound.   However for me...I don't have a fenced in yard and never will....so to work with any rescue is just not going to work for me. 

DrOgreys

janetmichel3009

i dont really know a whole lot about greyhound racing, but i think, as long as the animals are treated humanely, i dont see a problem with it. i'd imagine that the dogs quite enjoy the racing part if it...? i dont think they care whether they are used for humans' entertainment, as long as life is good...

Thanks for your reply. Yes, the greys enjoy running; but racing presents a whole other set of problems.

There are many owners, breeders, trainers who really do not care about the greys unless they are winning. Sadly, thousands are still destroyed each year once their racing days are over. And it is often done in inhumane ways. It can be a very cruel "sport."

 

yeah, that's what i hear... thing is, i dont think it's the sport itself. it's people mistreating the animals. i think the sport itself is great... i think maybe a lack of regulation and all that? i really dont know enough about the issue to give a workable solution, but yeah,...

ETA: sorry, i hope that makes sense... i'm having brain cramps today...

any sport including animals where money is involved including horse sport, dog sport, has potential for clowns to get involved and abuse the combatants. Heck that even happens in human boxing at times.

What I think is best is that because the sport interests a ton of people...those people be educated about what goes into it and there be regs in place to protect the animal participants. It's not enough that regs exist...it's also crucial...like with dog licensing and containment regs...that they be ENFORCED. It's also important that AR's do not gain the upper hand because again incrementalism is there and that will trickle down to any activity where an animal might be used even if no greater reward than a ribbon or pheasant on the table is gained.

There is a way, IMO for dogs and horse to do what comes naturally and what they enjoy most...and for people to enjoy watching it, and competing in it, without people making it into some sick empire. There has to be respect...and regulation and the very people who watch and are fans are the means to ensure that enough peer pressure is exerted to see that reg's and respect are actually involved and enforced.

AgileGSD

 ... Is there a way to get an accurate count of how many adoptable Greys are still PTS?

Unfortunately that is a question that has been tossed around for years, and goes unanswered. One could view pro-racing advocates and get an entirely different count than could be gotten from the anti-racing faction. The problem stems from the registry process.

It is safe to assume that there are thousands destroyed each year. That, to me, is unacceptable.

DrOgreys

AgileGSD

 ... Is there a way to get an accurate count of how many adoptable Greys are still PTS?

Unfortunately that is a question that has been tossed around for years, and goes unanswered. One could view pro-racing advocates and get an entirely different count than could be gotten from the anti-racing faction. The problem stems from the registry process.

It is safe to assume that there are thousands destroyed each year. That, to me, is unacceptable.

The numbers really are all over the place… usually I think it is safe to say that while we are far away from the days where they killed 50,000 a year, we likely are close to the 10,000 per year range.

AgileGSD

 I don't think there is anything wrong with the sport at all - the dogs only run because they want to and because it is in their nature. While racing the dogs really would need to be kept in pretty good shape or they aren't going to be competitive. There certainly are problems with how some are kept and treated but that can be said of anything including pet dogs. Is there a way to get an accurate count of how many adoptable Greys are still PTS?

Sorry… I gotta address this and I don’t want to come across as saying that you are wrong, but unless you know what happens on the track and what track life is really like for these dogs, you can’t say that it is ANY life to give a dog.

Perhaps you aren’t aware, but dogs are culled even as pups when they don’t “perform” to standard. When the dogs reach 18 months of age, they have their “maiden races” and they have to perform to a specific level or they are right away disposed of.  The ones that are the highest and best performers can only be kept, even as a brood bitch till 5 years of age and then they must be pulled off the track….many are killed. 

 The dogs again that are the fastest and the biggest winners are usually treated far better and you can tell the winners right away. Their entire attitude is usually different, especially the females.

But regardless of how “well” a dog is kept compared to the others, how fair is it to keep them in crates with no blankets or soft bedding (the lucky tracks use shredded newspaper as bedding) … no toys or treats or even anything hard to chew on?  How fair is it that their track diet makes even 18 month old dogs have the teeth of an 8 or 10 year old and that many of these dogs have to have pretty severe annual pullings and cleanings from a very, very young age all because of how they were cared for in their young years.

I agree… the dogs LOVE to race, and in a perfect world the dogs would have the ability to race, be treated humanly all the time and would all get their “forever home” right after their career was done. And in the perfect world, the dogs wouldn’t get harmed by one another in the races. They wouldn’t get broken bones, bone spurs and arthritis at an early age. They wouldn’t be like my Prudence who never raced a day in her life and yet has scars all over her body and is terrified of people.

But the world isn’t perfect…and humans are greed driven and don’t care what happens to these magnificent animals after they aren’t making them money any more. And the luckiest dogs live in the U.S. Heaven forbid you go to a track in another country. My guys are both from Mexico tracks and I don’t know how my rescue goes down and sees 50 tick ridden dogs ready to be put down and picks out 5 or 6 from the whole lot of them to save since they don’t have room for more than that at any one time. They pick by color most often since they know what dogs will be more likely to be adopted…simply by looks alone.       

I won’t even get into the fate of the beautiful Spanish Greyhounds called “Galgo’s. If you are truly interested in knowing how absolutely inhumane racing is… check out the graphic sites listed off the site below.   

http://www.galgorescue.org/content/view/25/33/

Sorry to disagree with you AgileGSD, but you have a very inaccurate view of greyhound racing. If my guys could talk I am sure they would have a lot to tell me about it...

jjsmom06

But regardless of how “well” a dog is kept compared to the others, how fair is it to keep them in crates with no blankets or soft bedding (the lucky tracks use shredded newspaper as bedding) … no toys or treats or even anything hard to chew on?  How fair is it that their track diet makes even 18 month old dogs have the teeth of an 8 or 10 year old and that many of these dogs have to have pretty severe annual pullings and cleanings from a very, very young age all because of how they were cared for in their young years.

 I have always seen track dogs being kept with shredded paper and quite a few rescues use the same kennel set ups. As for the teeth issues, the same can be said for many pet dogs.

  If so many Greys are still being PTS here, why are rescue groups bringing additional dogs from other countries?

  What do Galgos have to do with racing in US? I don't doubt that some racing greyhounds are treated poorly in the US but that doesn't mean all are treated poorly. Without any kind of accurate count as to how many adoptable Greys are still being PTS, it is really hard to say what the current situation is for them.

I agree that these beautiful dogs live terrible lives and I feel the same about any so called sport that involves animals and makes money for people.  Greedy humans just don't think of these dogs as anything but money makers and if they don't make money they don't want them.

The track in Corpus Christ finally closed down this past year and over two hundred dogs were left behind for rescue groups to deal with. 

And the argument that these dogs love to race is weak.  These dogs love to hunt game and track racing is a very poor substitute.  I love strawberry shortcake but I don't want to be restrained and force fed and then killed when I don't eat enough!!

AgileGSD

jjsmom06

But regardless of how “well” a dog is kept compared to the others, how fair is it to keep them in crates with no blankets or soft bedding (the lucky tracks use shredded newspaper as bedding) … no toys or treats or even anything hard to chew on?  How fair is it that their track diet makes even 18 month old dogs have the teeth of an 8 or 10 year old and that many of these dogs have to have pretty severe annual pullings and cleanings from a very, very young age all because of how they were cared for in their young years.

 I have always seen track dogs being kept with shredded paper and quite a few rescues use the same kennel set ups. As for the teeth issues, the same can be said for many pet dogs.

jjsmom06

But the world isn’t perfect…and humans are greed driven and don’t care what happens to these magnificent animals after they aren’t making them money any more. And the luckiest dogs live in the U.S. Heaven forbid you go to a track in another country. My guys are both from Mexico tracks and I don’t know how my rescue goes down and sees 50 tick ridden dogs ready to be put down and picks out 5 or 6 from the whole lot of them to save since they don’t have room for more than that at any one time.

  If so many Greys are still being PTS here, why are rescue groups bringing additional dogs from other countries?

 

jjsmom06

even get into the fate of the beautiful Spanish Greyhounds called “Galgo’s. If you are truly interested in knowing how absolutely inhumane racing is… check out the graphic sites listed off the site below.   Sorry to disagree with you AgileGSD, but you have a very inaccurate view of greyhound racing. If my guys could talk I am sure they would have a lot to tell me about it...

  What do Galgos have to do with racing in US? I don't doubt that some racing greyhounds are treated poorly in the US but that doesn't mean all are treated poorly. Without any kind of accurate count as to how many adoptable Greys are still being PTS, it is really hard to say what the current situation is for them.

First off…ask ANY VET who specializes in greys that are off the track and they will tell you that a greyhounds teeth is NOT like “many other pet dogs”. My vet not only owns greys, and a 1/3 of her clientele owns greys, but she cleans the teeth and fixing every dog off a track for one of the 4 rescues in our city.  When she sits down to discuss how the teeth cleaning went for an annual cleaning (which, btw, most breeds don’t require an annual cleaning), she will tell you “for a greyhounds teeth” how your dogs rate. She is very clear that greys teeth are not even comparable to other breeds teeth. These dogs have chronic teeth problems because of their track life.  My last female died because of her teeth. Had I had the vet I have now who is very grey savvy, pretty much all her teeth would have been yanked by the time she was 7 and we wouldn’t have lost her just after she turned 10.  

JMHO.....