Originally posted by ilovehounds
I just recieved this in the mail, I know there are some fans but I was aked to post it here. Im just copying and pasting

It is standard for the dogs to spend
their entire lives outside tethered to metal chains that can be as short as four feet long. In 1997 the United States Department of Agriculture determined that the tethering of dogs was inhumane and not in the animals' best interests. The chaining of dogs as a primary means of enclosure is prohibited in all cases where federal law applies. A dog who is permanently tethered is
forced to urinate and defecate where he sleeps, which conflicts with his natural instinct to eliminate away from his living area. Because he is close to his own to his own fecal material, a dog can easily catch deadly parasitical diseases by stepping in or sniffing his own waste.
I don't know much about dog racing but I have seen many pictures of racing dogs housed as described above, and this upsets me. I am sure there are some dogs that are kenneled in far more humane conditions as well so I have no information to make sweeping generalizations. Of course this is not something that is only done with racing dogs. Whether or not all the accusations raised here are accurate, I don't have a clue, but I think it is good to bring out these concerns. As we have seen with Greyhound racing, there can be a system that promotes conditions that are not in the best interests of canines. I don't think it is the racing per se that anyone objects to but the inhumane treatment of animals.