Dog Races

[Uabassoon]

This is what I don't understand. Let's assume that everything you say is right. And that greyhounds live happy racetrack lives and so on. To me it just seems wrong that a person would breed an animal for profit, then once it's done making a profit they hand it over to a rescue for someone else to take care of so they can do it all over again.

[greysandmoregreys]

I have six hounds

As I've said before there is good and bad in everything.

There are people out there that race there dogs for no money. It's called coursing.

I've been a greyhound trainer, I know many greyhound trainers. We love these dogs. There is just no way not to.

Yes there are bad people, yes dogs get put down. I never said and never will say that this doesn't happen.

It's just not wide spread as some believe. that's all

Four of my six came straight from the race track. Warm loving dogs scared of nothing. Yes there were things that they didn't know about. Stairs for one thing but how many dogs are born and raised in a home that doesn't have stairs? lots

My GSD at 6 months old had never had a collar on her, never knew what a leash was, didn't know stairs, didn't understand that humans were good and nice, warm and loving.

It can and does happen to every breed out there. sad

[greysandmoregreys]

Responsable breeding and placement is what each and every breeder should do.

Breed only good quality to good quality and then make sure that there is a program set up for you to find the dogs homes.

Some in the greyhound industy do this some do not

When you say hand them over to rescue for someone to take care of.

Greyhound owners have tried to place the dogs themselves. Often the adoption groups frown on this because the breeder didn't do a home vistit, didn't do things properly like an adoption group would.

Some owners pay for everything for the hound to find it's forever home and some don't. Some pay part some don't.

The reason I send the dogs that I own to adoption groups is that they are darn good at what they do. Better than I would be.
I've tried to do the placements myself and don't seem to do a very good job.

Originally posted by Uabassoon
This is what I don't understand. Let's assume that everything you say is right. And that greyhounds live happy racetrack lives and so on. To me it just seems wrong that a person would breed an animal for profit, then once it's done making a profit they hand it over to a rescue for someone else to take care of so they can do it all over again.

[Kfamr]

The thing I don't get is... why breed a dog, race it, then when it no longer can race -- get rid of it?

Do people not get attached to these dogs, love these dogs? Why would they want to get rid of them?

It's just like the idiots who breed Pits, fight them, then if they lose they dump them to die if not already dead. I don't think anything could be AS bad as that, but IMO very similar.

I depise people getting "rid" of dogs unless it's for a VERY good reason, such a they aren't capable of taking care of themselves, let alone another life.

[aly]

Originally posted by K9soul
I'm guessing "greysandmoregreys" is one of Cali's friends recruited over here to dispell the stupid myth of mistreated and ill used greyhounds.

Come to think of it the spelling in this sentence looks awfully similar to Cali's

The very first thought that came into my mind was it was way too big of a coincidence that this person joined today.

*edit* Ugh, finally had time to read this whole thread. I just read what they had to say over there on that board. Nasty.

[greysandmoregreys]

We do get attached to the dogs. But do you think it would be best for these people to take the dogs back to the farms to live out there lives or to send them on to homes where there will be two or three other dogs to share a home with?

If I could take each and every one of my dogs home I would but how happy would they be if I had 50 dogs living in my house?

I feel it's best to place them with people that will enjoy them as much as I would and will have the time to give every dog in there home.

It's a great day when I hear from someone that has adopted a dog from me and tell's me how much they love this hound and how it has changed there life.

I had one hound that lives in a Nursing home. Have another hound that watches out for a woman that has seziures and lets her know when she is about to have one and nudges her until she sits down.

I would never have met so many wonderful people who love these dogs just as every bit as much as I did if I didn't allow these dogs to be adopted.

If I could take them all I never would because I know that there would never be enough time in every day to love these dogs like there new adoptive homes do with just a few animals in there homes.

Originally posted by Kfamr
The thing I don't get is... why breed a dog, race it, then when it no longer can race -- get rid of it?

Do people not get attached to these dogs, love these dogs? Why would they want to get rid of them?

It's just like the idiots who breed Pits, fight them, then if they lose they dump them to die if not already dead. I don't think anything could be AS bad as that, but IMO very similar.

I depise people getting "rid" of dogs unless it's for a VERY good reason, such a they aren't capable of taking care of themselves, let alone another life.

[Kfamr]

But WHY keeping breeding these dogs, until theres 50 or so that you own or have to get rid of?

There's so many other breeds and dogs already that need homes that could bring as much, if not more, joy into the lives of these people who have obtained these greyhounds.

I just do not agree with getting a dog and then getting rid of it.... and I don't think i'll ever understand the concept of such so I think we should end it at just that.

[DogLover9501]

I don't want to get into all of this, but...

My dad's best friend Randy and his wife just recently adopted a "retired" greyhound....

He is only 3 years old, has scars and is way underweight, the place told them that he will probably gain 30+ pounds now because he's not racing anymore, meaning he is very underweight.

He is very nervous and shy, they have owned him for 2-3 weeks and Randy just recently was able to pet him.

He doesn't seem like he was treated very well, and was obviously part of someones life for 3 entire years and was just tossed out.

I agree with Micki, Twisterdog, Kay and whoever else who said things along those lines.

[Uabassoon]

The more I read your posts the more I begin to get upset. It seems like you have these greyhounds for your own pleasure and not so much theirs.

Yes, I enjoy the breed very much. I work for a pet sitting agency and have cared for several rescue greyhounds (just giving you some background so you know that I do know and understand this breed. Maybe not as well as you, but I do have some experience with them and love them as a breed).

But I just can't imagine breeding dogs for a sport that is just for your interest. Yes, I know greyhounds love to run, and I enjoy watching them run. That's why running sports such as coursing were made so an owner can bond with their dog and do something their dogs enjoy. Even if you take the best care of your dogs while they are with you I don't agree with your breeding an animal so you can be entertained with it.

This is why I don't support greyhound racings, even if a breeder takes great care of their dog I don't agree in supporting a business that would treat their animals as if they were property.

I do realize that not every greyhound is abused, and I know many of them have happy endings. Many shelter dogs have happy endings, but that doesn't mean a person should breed dogs then go take them there because they can get adopted and have a happy life.

[micki76]

Ironically I met a rescued racer this evening at Petsmart when we went to get Tank a snail. Her name was Daisy and she was sickly thin (still needing to gain 15+ lbs), had a to the bone injury on her right front leg, and had a scary looking old injury to her left shoulder that was never treated and thus the muscle atrophied and so the formerly broken bone healed so that it sticks out. She was scratched and bruised all over. She's been in her foster home for 2 weeks and is adjusting to all the things that she should have been acclimated to as a puppy, such as furniture, mirrors, doorbells, air conditioner noises, etc.

This dog was horribly abused, even if she was never hit.

The husband is the President of Greyhounds Unlimited. I doubt he's lying about the atrocities these animals face. I doubt he's lying about what he deals with EVERY DAY. What he sees on a DAILY BASIS.

Why would ANYONE continue to breed animals KNOWING they’ll just turn them over rescuers in the end? WHY?
It’s all about the almighty dollar.

SICK.

Here's a pic of Daisy from their website:

[Amber]

Originally posted by aly
That reminds me of a show I saw on animal planet about a woman who rescues retired greyhounds. She talked about the extensive process of introducing the dogs to different textured floors, grass, carpet, everything! It is quite an extensive process when a dog has been raised in a kennel. I have had a few fosters myself who were scared of the world because of growing up in similar circumstances. It is almost a full time job to try to socialize them to the world when they are past their critical socialization period.

I seen this too. I would never go to one. ever.

[greysandmoregreys]

Quoted from Greyhound Unlimited web page
"We take a neutral stand on greyhound racing"

How could anyone take a neutral stance on greyhound racing with all the atrosities that he told you?

Makes me wonder?

Also quoted from there web site where you got the picture:
"Daisy's foster mom tells us:

Daisy came to us from the Forney Road Animal Shelter in Dallas. She had been found wandering loose and a kind soul picked her up and brought her to the shelter."

Now where does it say anywhere that this was a race greyhound? It talks nothing about ear tattos which an NGA registered greyhound would have.

Mickey you stated that it was a retired racer and there you were wrong.

For anyone else that would like to take a look at the whole story about Daisy you can click here:


How can you even be sure that this was a race greyhound? Could have been someone breeding greyhounds for pets, or an
AKC hound, or a coursing dog.Daisy's whole story

[greysandmoregreys]

Do you not think that these dogs enjoy running? Do you not think these dog enjoy what they do?

Go to a greyhound kennel on race day and take a look you will have a whole different outlook on things then.

These dog LOVE, let me say that again LOVE what they do!!

For my own pleasure? Do you not own your own pets for your own pleasure as well as theres?

If you say that the only reason that you own a pet if solely for there own pleasure and that you get nothing out of it then you shouldn't be an animal owner. Just that plain and simple/

As I said before and I will say again. If you don't agree with it that's fine. Heck my own mother doesn't agree with it but if it's going to be done best to be done right.

So with what your saying that there should be no pure bed dogs. No dogs bred unless you plan on keeping every dog that you bring into this world.

We would be missing out on a great number of breeds if this were true. We would be left with greyhounds, the only dog mentioned in the Bible, and what maybe a mastiff?

Originally posted by Uabassoon
The more I read your posts the more I begin to get upset. It seems like you have these greyhounds for your own pleasure and not so much theirs.

Yes, I enjoy the breed very much. I work for a pet sitting agency and have cared for several rescue greyhounds (just giving you some background so you know that I do know and understand this breed. Maybe not as well as you, but I do have some experience with them and love them as a breed).

But I just can't imagine breeding dogs for a sport that is just for your interest. Yes, I know greyhounds love to run, and I enjoy watching them run. That's why running sports such as coursing were made so an owner can bond with their dog and do something their dogs enjoy. Even if you take the best care of your dogs while they are with you I don't agree with your breeding an animal so you can be entertained with it.

This is why I don't support greyhound racings, even if a breeder takes great care of their dog I don't agree in supporting a business that would treat their animals as if they were property.

I do realize that not every greyhound is abused, and I know many of them have happy endings. Many shelter dogs have happy endings, but that doesn't mean a person should breed dogs then go take them there because they can get adopted and have a happy life.

[DogLover9501]

Originally posted by greysandmoregreys
Also quoted from there web site where you got the picture:
"Daisy's foster mom tells us:

Daisy came to us from the Forney Road Animal Shelter in Dallas. She had been found wandering loose and a kind soul picked her up and brought her to the shelter."

Now where does it say anywhere that this was a race greyhound? It talks nothing about ear tattos which an NGA registered greyhound would have.

Mickey you stated that it was a retired racer and there you were wrong.

For anyone else that would like to take a look at the whole story about Daisy you can click here:


How can you even be sure that this was a race greyhound? Could have been someone breeding greyhounds for pets, or an
AKC hound, or a coursing dog.Daisy's whole story

I don't think it stated that she was a retired racer because isn't the entire rescue for retired racers??

[greysandmoregreys]

NOPE, most if not ALL, greyhound adoption groups and rescue groups will take in any greyhound weather that be a retired racer or a greyhound that is in a shelter with ear tattoes or not.

Several groups will also take in lurchers which for those of you that don't know what a lurcher is they are a cross between a greyhound and another breed of dog. Could be a deerhound, or a coonhound.