The Plight Of The Greyhound
By Louise Crowley
If you are disgusted at the thought of animals being mistreated, chances are you would find the owners of greyhound racers some of the most irresponsible pet owners in the world. The tales that are slowly but surely becoming known are some of the most barbaric and inhuman stories that you will ever hear. That said, over the years, some owners have begun to respond to public outcry. As an example, you may not see owners simply shooting losing dogs at the track. They use various drugs instead. Some may even take the dogs back to the farms alive. Unfortunately, we don't know what kind of inhumane treatment goes on once the animals are back on private property. If the way chickens and cattle are slaughtered evokes horrible images, chances are these dogs are no better off.
Before greyhound puppies are born, the parents are kept in horrible conditions. Their sole purpose is to produce as many puppies as possible. From there, the puppies are fed the cheapest, worst food available. Any puppy that does not have what it takes to win races will be killed. This can happen at any point, and at any age. Over 20,000 adult greyhounds are killed each year. There is no information available about the number of slaughtered puppies, but estimates place it around the same figure, meaning that 40,000 are slaughtered every year, and that is in one country alone.
Education and boycott are the two most powerful tools you can wield in an effort to end greyhound racing. When you don't bet on the races, you directly affect the wallets of the dog owners, as well as the people that own the tracks. If you do go to a dog race, go there to educate the people placing bets. Even if just one person sees the dogs being mishandled or euthanized, and understands why, you will have made a step forward.
Every town and city has board meetings on a routine basis. This can be an excellent venue to speak about the issue of greyhound racing. Chances are, no community wants to associate with the kinds of people that run greyhound racetracks and farms. Thus, peer pressure can be very effective
in shutting down smaller or private tracks that other action groups do not have the resources to get to.
If you live in a state that allows greyhound racing, let your state legislators know that you want these practices outlawed. In addition, petitions are also very effective.
For example, the petition found at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-the-greyhound-slaughter has been purposely set up to highlight the plight of these dogs. The more people that sign it, the more effective the global voice will be against the mistreatment that these creatures suffer because it will eventually be sent to various governments and greyhound racing bodies to get laws changed.
In many towns, there are action groups whose intention is to put greyhound racetracks out of business. Frequently, these organizations go to the racetracks to adopt the dogs on the spot. Donating to one of these organizations would greatly help the cause, as would joining a group to make your own voice heard. If you are on Facebook, the social networking site, you can go to http://apps.facebook.com/causes/view_cause/18204?recruiter_id=4095598 to join a cause. You can leave donations or just join and invite your friends to make your voice heard. You have nothing to lose because it’s free.
Greyhound racers, breeders and track owners engage in their business for the sole purpose of making as much money as possible. Unfortunately, the proper care of each animal costs money that these individuals are not willing to spend. Through education, boycott, adoption and making your voice heard, you can play a vital role in helping to stop greyhound slaughter.
