Friday Hound Blogging

People tell us we're too hard on the overlords. Ironicus, they say, just because they are reanimated bags of stillborn worm effluvia who were dropped on their heads as infants and lack the gene for compassion giving them all the empathy of a wounded scorpion is no reason to cal them names.

Well, OK. In the interests of Fair and Balanced we'll entertain that thought. What would be a good reason to call them names? The fact that they're trying to keep a dead industry alive so they don't have to go out and get real jobs? The fact that everybody is getting tired of propping up their dead industry? The fact that even other aspects of the gambling industry don't want to have anything to do with their dead industry? The fact that even people who aren't involved in decisions about their dead industry are getting involved just long enough to say, "Dump these losers. It's a dead industry." 

Wait, you don't have to choose. Even better, why don't we let one of the overlords speak for himself. We mean, why should we expend all that energy pointing out the obvious when every time an overlord opens his or her mouth they do a much better job than we ever could explaining to people that the heartless exploitation of innocent living creatures for (no) profit is a career choice just below Satan's chauffeur. Take it away Dick (no pun intended) Adler:

This article had one of the most sensationalist and misleading headlines I've ever seen in "Florida's Best Newspaper." I mean, an article about greyhounds dying at the tracks that used the word "Died" in the headline? What kind of irresponsible journalism is that? What's next? Articles on the sports page that have headlines telling us which team won? That way lies madness I tell you.

Derby Lane runs eight programs per week, with 15 races per program, for a total of 120 per week, or almost exactly 500 per month and still the track loses money like a drunken sailor with holes in his pockets. With eight dogs in each race, the total comes to 4,000 entries per month, or 28,000 in the seven months covered in the story which proves the point we've made all along that greyhounds love to run when we make them. Add in schooling races and the total rises to at least 30,000. Of that number, there were 12 deaths, and I'm not sure all of those were race-related because it doesn't count if the dog dies off the track. Even if they were, that amounts to a death rate of 0.04 percent (four one-hundredths of 1 percent), which is an incredibly good safety record. Yet it didn't even rate one sentence in the massively slanted article. It's like your reporter was more concerned with the well being of the dogs than our ability to manipulate statistics and I ask you, is that what journalism has come to today?

It should also be noted that the gaming camels would not even have gotten their noses under the tent if greyhound racing didn't provide a ready-made venue. Just look at other states that don't have greyhound racing. Do you see any gambling casinos in those states? I didn't think so. And now they want to bite off the hand that enables them to feed. Well, to be fair, bite off the hand that's dragging down their profits by requiring continual subsidies to stay afloat, but let's not quibble over semantics.

Finally, the vast majority of retired greyhounds are either adopted or return to the farms and it doesn't matter  that by now you know that isn't true because we're going to keep saying it anyway. One hundred percent of mine that aren't killed get adopted through the excellent adoption programs that exist, both locally and nationally. This is possible because retirement is an ongoing process of avoiding responsibility by dumping perfectly healthy, but money losing greyhounds on the public, with a limited number being retired at any one time as I rotate my inventory. What do you think will happen if every racing greyhound is suddenly "retired" at the same time? Unfortunately, I think the answer is obvious. Obvious because it's a stupid argument. First of all all greyhounds would not be retired at the same time, even if they were the public outcry would force the authorities to step in and protect the dogs like they did when Dairyland closed. So the whole argument is idiotic, but hey, I'm an idiot so you've got to give me some points for consistency.

The article may have done enormous — and needless — damage to both the greyhound racing industry and the greyhounds themselves. Well, actually publicizing this sort of thing helps the greyhounds because it raises public awareness about an inherently cruel and barbaric industry, but since no one gives a rat fart for the industry I'm just hoping some of that compassion will rub off on us.

Yeah, well nice try there Mr. Adler, but we're thinking it's gonna be a no go on the compassion thing, right Gryffindor?

Gryff's tail never stops wagging. He is always cheerful and smiling. He loves a good scratch on his hindquarters and a  friend to play and snuggle with. He is an outgoing and friendly guy who is always ready to go anywhere and do anything with you! 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.