Friday Hound Blogging

Now, we've never pretended to understand what it takes to come to the conclusion that exploiting innocent animals is an appropriate thing for someone who considers him or herself a member of the human race to be doing with their time. What pre-birth trauma, what genetic malfunction, what kind of degradation in the environment must all come together to create the conditions that produce an overlord?

It's truly a puzzler. And yet, the overlords are out there in their trailers, with duct tape on their shoes, 12 teeth in their heads, a forged third grade diploma and a buzz in their heads that sounds like a 747 just took off.

Wonder what Darwin would have to say about all this. We mean, where's the evolutionary advantage in being a heartless, soulless bag of mostly water that preys on the good nature, naivete and natural proclivities of those around him or her? Can't be good for the long term survival of the species, just look at the republicans.

But we digress.

Our point is that even though the existence of the overlords makes no sense, there they are. But even if you accept the seeming chaos of a universe that randomly produces, on the one hand, the greyhounds, and on the other the overlords, there are still events within that accidental arbitrariness that seem, well, fluky. Things like this.

GREYHOUND Racing NSW believes it has unfairly subsidised thoroughbred racing to the tune of more than $100 million over the past 12 years. Officials believe that greyhounds have been propping up the more glamorous side of racing and they have called on the NSW Government to repeal legislation to ensure greyhounds and the thoroughbred industry survive on commercial terms.

OK, so our first question is if you need any kind of subsidy to "survive on commercial terms" does being in business really mean what you think it does?

Second, saying horse racing is more "glamorous" than greyhound racing is like saying
Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever had more narrative consistency than Alone in the Dark.

But while Greyhound NSW chief executive Brent Hogan believes the dogs would thrive if they received a straight percentage of TAB revenue, Racing NSW chief executive Peter V'landys said they would perish. Hogan said: "If the NRL decided to sponsor a second AFL team in Sydney, people would think it was a bit odd yet that's what's happening in racing."

Um...we don't speak Australian, but we think he's saying the marketplace can't support both horse and greyhound racing. So, in the name of "commercial survival" shouldn't one or the other, how to say this politely, go walkabout?

But V'landys said 72 per cent of all turnover was on thoroughbred racing. He said the greyhound industry had forgotten some of the protectionist elements of the inter-code funding which assists it. These include a blackout of thoroughbred racing on Saturday nights, to allow the greyhounds to prosper as well as a distribution of TAB profits from on-course. "They will be eaten alive if those protective measures were removed," V'landys said. "This suggestion that greyhounds have been hard done by is the biggest load of rubbish I have heard."

"Eaten alive if those protective measures were removed." Apparently in Australia commercial survival doesn't mean what we think it does, huh Chuck?

Chuck is very happy, sweet, calm and very obedient. He’s very cute. He’s much more interested in knowing where his foster mom is vs. where the family dogs are. He is a bit of a Velcro dog. He is often found upside down in the cockroach position (on his back with his feet in the air). He is starting to pick up a ball and take to his bed. He is Bo's brother. He would do well in a working family home, with well-mannered children ages 5 and up. He does well with dogs of all sizes. He tends to be more connected to humans than other dogs and therefore he would be fine as an only dog. 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.