Why do we disagree so much on greyhound racing? Because I think it's horrifically wrong, and a couple of years ago, my husband invested in a greyhound for racing purposes. He doesn't seem to see what is so terrible about greyhound racing and why I'm against it. But the thing is, I'm fairly certain there are a lot of other people who don't understand why greyhound racing is so bad, like my husband.
Greyhounds are bred in puppy mills, as are most mass-bred animals. The ones that aren't fit to be trained for racing are simply destroyed. For this to be done, they're often shot in the head, and their lifeless bodies are simply thrown away like garbage. The ones who do pass inspection and are deemed fit for racing are sent to facilities across the country when they are very young to begin the difficult, strenuous process of training.
When housed at both their training facilities and the dog tracks, they're often confined to cages barely big enough for them to stand in. You have to realize these are quite large dogs, often weighing anywhere between 50 and 85 pounds, depending on gender. Greyhounds are vigorously trained, often ending up badly injured and in great amounts of pain. If they've become injured, they're generally not considered racing material and are either killed or sent back to the breeding mills to be used for that purpose, especially if they were very competitive racers. Greyhounds who have full careers usually race less than three years, after which even the successful ones are also meet the same fates as the ones who were injured.
You are probably wondering how you can change what happens to these beautiful animals. First off, don't go bet on the dogs at the tracks. That's just putting money back into their racing programs. Don't get me wrong, I have gone to see the greyhound Durb purchased (his racing name is Boom Outta Here) just so I could meet him and see that he's clean, healthy, and in good shape. When he first initially started racing, I even placed bets on him. But now that I know how disgusting the greyhound racing industry is, I don't. So if you go to the dog tracks, don't bet. Go play the nickel machines instead; you'll waste less money doing that, anyway.
Eleven states have actually banned dog racing, and due to the decline in interest in the sport, many facilities have closed. There are only about twenty tracks in the US that actually still have dog racing, one of which is in Cross Lanes, WV (Tri-State Race Track and Gaming Center). If the state you live in still allows dog racing and there are active racing facilities, you can start by writing to both those facilities and your state's political leaders urging them to change these practices. Tell your friends and family members to do the same, and the more people you get involved, the more people will get in touch with their government to make a change.
Another selfless, good-hearted way you can change the fate of these greyhounds is to adopt one. All across the country, there are programs that work to get retired greyhounds adopted out into good homes. Organizations like The Greyhound Project, Inc. fight to get these regal animals adopted, and you can go to their website to look into adopting one. Greyhounds make amazing pets; they're not aggressive and have very loving, mild temperaments. Surprisingly enough, they're relatively lazy dog and generally only run when they have short bursts of energy. Greyhounds are gentle with children and do quite well with other pets, though you should certainly be cautious if you have any small pets that might possibly run from them; they're naturally hunting dogs and it's in their blood to chase other animals. If you aren't able to adopt a greyhound, you can certainly donate to The Greyhound Project, Inc., or any other organization you may come across that helps retired greyhounds.
While my husband and I greatly disagree about greyhound racing, we do agree on one thing: we'll be keeping Boomer when he's done racing. I can't take him out of racing right this very moment like I wish I could because my name isn't listed as one of the dog's owners at the race track, and I can't convince my husband to do it, so for the next few months, he'll still be racing. But when he finally comes home to us, I plan to spoil him rotten and give him more love and affection than he's ever gotten from his trainers. I want to fight to make up for the dismal first couple of years of his life and make the rest of it the best I possibly can. Don't forget that you can do the same thing for a retired racing greyhound.
