The organization against dog racing that is responsible for the ballot initiative that will ban greyhound racing in Massachusetts by 2010 is still debating what its next move will be in New Hampshire. "Hey, no need to worry about us," said a representative of Seabrook Greyhound Park, on of the two operating greyhound race tracks in the state. "We really care for our units...er...dogs. Nobody gets hurt around here. Well, maybe the occasional tiny boo boo, (pdf) but that's just because we pet them so hard."
Seabrook officials have historically been against the ban of dog racing in the state. Such a ban would result in a loss of about $165,000 in annual racing fees the race track pays into the town's scholarship funds, as well as lessen the $141,000 in property taxes the park pays annually. "Where else is the state going to get that kind of money?" asked a racing industry spokesperson. "Oh sure you could put a Walmart on the land, or develop it as stores and houses, or just turn it into a park or some sort of tourist destination and really clean up, but where's the profit in that. What about the people who work here who could probably get better jobs if this land were actually used in a positive way, huh? What about them. What was the question again?"
Uh...we think we have our answer. But to get on with our story, fate wasn't done peeing in the overlords' shoes.
The greyhound racing industry is in severe decline as the public become aware of the cruelty and death that is an inherent part of it but which has been kept well hidden for decades.
OK, now if you're an overlord and you read that opening sentence, you know this isn't going to be one of those, whadyacallit, flattering profiles? And you know what? You'd be right.
Please don't believe any of their claims; the dogs are still suffering and dying just as they always have. How could it be otherwise? What are they going to do with the thousands of greyhounds that reach the end of their racing career every year? They will tell you that all the dogs go to good homes and live happily ever after but where are all these homes coming from? Anyone who has ever tried to get any animal into a sanctuary will know that they are always full with long waiting lists.
Now that's unfair. The overlords don't use sanctuaries. Too much paper work. Too many questions. They just dump the dogs on whomever they can find that suffers from a terminal case of compassion.
The industry will also try to refute our claims that greyhounds are suffering on a massive scale by telling you that they look after their dogs well because it's in their interest to do so; they want their dog to be fit and healthy so that it will be able to win races. Well at least they are admitting here that their concern is of a commercial nature.
Aw, come on. How many times have we written about the overlords' deep and abiding care for their units before, during and after their racing careers? Oh yeah. Never.
We have not yet even mentioned the worst, most disgusting part of this whole issue. The vast over breeding of greyhound puppies mainly in Ireland to supply the relatively small number of dogs required by the racing industry each year. It is estimated that 30000 to 40000 puppies are produced every single year to replace the 4000 or so that leave the tracks and go to an unknown fate. What happens to the surplus?
Umm...if they can't make it in sports, they move on to entertainment? No? Real estate? Oh, we know. Let's ask Informer.
Informer “purrs” when he is happy. He’s an absolute gentle dog. He likes to walk with you. Sometimes he bumps into doors. He comes up to you and looks into your eyes. He is very clever and allows his foster dad to use the dremel tool on his nails. He is used to traveling in the car. He likes to “collect” items. He’s like a big puppy. He just stands in front of you and talks to you. He acts like a three-legged dog because he holds up his right rear foot, where he had a corn removed. Informer would do well in a working family home with well-mannered children. He gets along with the cats and other greys in his foster home. For more information about this dog, and other rescued racing greyhounds looking for homes, go here. If you don't know about the plight of racing greyhounds go here.
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6 comments:
Thank you for your 'Friday Hound Blogging'. Your comments and knowledge of the greyhound racing industry are spot on! And your link to the Greyhound Protection League site is excellent. You might also link to the Greyhound Network News site as it is a good source of what is going on regarding greyhounds around the world. Thank you again, and regarding greyhound racing--we can get rid of it YES WE CAN! morningglory
Wow. "Informer" is a gorgeous dog! That kind of face talks to you even without the "purr'!
Can anyone answer to the howl of these caged canines trapped into the life of constant shuffling from city to city across America's racetracks , despite all the economics pointing to shutdowns? It is not only demonic in nature, it is moronic in financial hope.
The gas, the taxes, the veterinarians, (if they ever do get called), the food, the shelter the electricity, the "workforce", all points to failure, particularly in 2008.
When you bring into the equation 40,000 puppies , it is sounding more and more insane . Greyhounds have no chance for survival under inadequate if not tortuous conditions, all created with mass expenses
even before it gets to the dog!
Most puppies are drowned in England and Ireland before they even reach half a year. Who's going to know? Certainly not the gambler at the track, and certainly not the housewife buying Iams for her Chow.
I have seen "retired" racers , get shuffled about from Jacksonville to Tampa and it looks to me that so many are in Rescues for years.
Is it any wonder we have violent societies where you can replace a cat, dog, kid and wife with very few questions asked and hardly a shrug of the shoulders!
America ,with all its "legal;" guns is under a government corrupt and "well-hidden" with abuses of power in every section of its workings. It is no wonder this thought is carried throughout the villages and cities as what one often sees becomes second nature and is easily copied if not accepted as " right".
With these types of attitudes, there will be little advancement in human decencies unless agencies such as Grey2K , World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace, etc, try to cancel out these horrific philosophies. Greyhounds are not a piece of meat and represent, more than ever, a view into man's wretched soul.
When you have a bully in mind and matter, great and sad consequences occur. And eventually, all these negatives shall hit the initiator back in the face.
Hey divagirl, We're easy. GNN it is.
IM...I think you once said you were a lawyer.
How about the victimization of the vulnerable such as animals, kids and women.
This year alone, more than 54,000 women went missing in USA. There are more than 1,000 murdered women, probably by their partners, every year.
If you put two and two together, men look at women, and living creatures as "property". Whether it is cultural, habit or ignorance, it's going to take tough laws to prevent further abuse and violence.
Getting used to "civility" is a difficult scenario, and only laws will force the issue.
Hence: only the banning of all tracks will do. Let's hope Obama puts infrastructure on his agenda and fast. That and opportunities for the poor and the ambitious. Education and real work is the only way out.
A lawyer? You wound us madame! We are wounded!!
You are so funny.
But we all love you because you're utterly irreverent.
MYC :)
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