Friday Hound Blogging

You know, there are almost seven billion people in the world. It stands to reason that some of them are going to be dumber than algae with a learning disability. Take the Cessnock, Australia City Council for instance.

Cessnock City Council has put its support behind a move to have greyhound racing returned to Cessnock Showground. Councillors voted 9-3 to support a motion by Cr. Cordelia Burcham to contact Member for Cessnock Clayton Barr and ask him to make representations to Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Hospitality and Racing, George Souris, with a view to having greyhound racing reinstated at Cessnock.

When asked how nine members of the Council could be convinced to bring greyhound racing back Ms. Burcham said she wasn't sure but "there are high levels of lead in our drinking water."

An amendment moved by Cr. Rachel Main and seconded by Cr. Chris Parker that council defer making a decision and that a briefing to be held with a representative of the greyhound racing association and a representative from an animal welfare group was lost. "The last thing we need is someone to remind us what happens to the dogs," Burcham told reporters after the vote.

Cr. Burcham said she has been told that Cessnock and the wider greyhound racing community wants racing to available again at Cessnock. “I have had numerous requests as to the possibility of re-instating greyhound racing in Cessnock.” When asked to name those making the requests, Burcham said most of the voices in her head, plus she had told her daughter to ask as well.

Cr. Dale Troy said the return of racing would also help pay the bills at the showground and with a new racing minister it is a good time to place the matter back on the agenda. "I heard the new guy suffered traumatic brain injury as a kid," Troy said. "Just the kind of official we're looking for."

Cr. Chris Parker said he could not support anything that increases the cruelty to animals. He said that when he lived at Buchanan (near the twin bridges) people used to trap rabbits in the creek and he gained the impression they were used to train the greyhounds. "I can't tell you how many times rescue had to be called to pull those greyhound people out of the creek and explain to them that rabbits lived on land," he said. "I just don't think the fire department wants to get into that again."

Mrs. Groizard, from Kearsley, and someone who has a long association with the sport has been pushing to have racing returned. She has been taking up a petition that will be presented at the appropriate time. "We're having a little trouble finding people who support greyhound racing and can also sign their own names, but we're working on it," she said.

Finding someone who thinks greyhound racing is a suitable activity for a supposedly sentient being and can read and write? Yeah. Good luck with that, huh Inky?

We don't know a whole lot abut Inky. He raced in West Virginia and Florida. Won a few times and fell in May of 2011. He was off for two weeks so that probably means he was hurt, but the overlords seldom want to discuss things like that so we're not sure how badly. In another race in July he had "Trouble in the first turn" and finished last. "Trouble" is an overlord euphemism and can mean almost anything, but the first turn is the most dangerous place on the track for racing greyhounds. 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.