Friday Hound Blogging

Occasionally we here in he marbled halls of IM Central have been taken to task by the overlords due to the fact that we refer to them with the rather pejorative term, um, overlords. "Just get to know us," they say. "We're just like everybody else." Well, if by everybody else you mean purveyors of cruelty, spreaders of suffering and connoisseurs of the comodification of innocent living creatures for profit, but let's not quibble over definitions because this week we are going to accept their challenge and meet an overlord.

Kennel operator Brad Boeckenstedt, of Bellevue, said eliminating the requirement for greyhound racing would have wide-reaching consequences, noting that Iowa is home to more than 60 greyhound farms. The industry has created more than 1,000 jobs in the state, he said.

Well, Brad, normally we would take issue with your use of the term greyhound farm as if greyhounds were a crop, like corn that you planted and harvested for profit, which now that we think of it is sort of what you do, only with conscious, living breathing animals. Animals capable of feeling pain, hunger, cold, you know stuff corn doesn't do. But like we said, this is meet an overlord week, so instead let's focus on the 1000 jobs your industry created in the entire state of over 30 million people. What's that, like about two Walmart's worth. Pay's about the same too, huh?

“Our family is greatly invested in our community and in the greyhound business,” Boeckenstedt said.

Again, not to put too fine a point on it Brad, but wouldn't it be more accurate to say your community is invested in you, to the tune of about $4.5 million since 2009? Now, you might say that's not so much over those years, because the Racing Association spent that much just last year to subsidize your kennel and the other overlords who race in Dubuque, but when you think that $55 million has come the way of the overlords in the time since you quit actually turning a profit instead of going to, oh we don't know, soup kitchens, rent and heat subsidies for poor folks, you know, charity? You can see how we might come to the  conclusion that not only are you not invested in your community, you're actually a drain on it.

“This is something when this was brought about, they couldn’t get slot machines without greyhound racing. It’s kind of sad that they want to get rid of us now that they have slots.”

Oh Brad, that's just not true. They don't want to get rid of you because they have slots now, they want to get rid of you because you're a money losing leech on the community that makes a business of killing and injuring innocent animals as you exploit them for profit, which really doesn't exist anyway so you expect the people to take money away from worthy causes and give it to you. That about sum it up,  Willie?

Willie was born pleaser! While he might initially appear shy and a little timid... Give him a minute to get to know you. Best to brace yourself , this boy is big into leaning... add a couple 'good boy's and rub his ears and he will be in Heaven! He is willing to sit next to you while watching the TV, keep you company while slaving over a hot stove, offer moral support while doing the dishes... Whatever you need! He is even willing to commit to your New Years resolution to walk more- unless it's cold... not if it's cold! Then he's committed to keeping a spot on the couch warm for your return. He�s picked up really quickly on house rules. People pleasers R Us! 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 and here.