You know, I find that most people who are against racing have never been to a track, kennel, training facility or farm. Greyhounds are NOT mistreated - instead they get top of the line food, nutritional supplements, vet care, etc. and a ton of love and attention from their humans. Greyhounds are kept in crates - large enough for them to stand comfortably, walk around and lay full out. Greyhounds are sprinters - they have short bursts of energy after which they REQUIRE long periods of sleep. The four retirees I have in my home need only the amount of space of a regular sized dog bed. They spend roughly 18-20 hours on theirs by choice, often only getting up to change positions. They are turned out in sand pens 4 times a day and are also taken out for training times, racing, grooming and vet care. I have no idea where you get your statistics on the number euthanized but they are flat wrong. A closer estimate is 700-1000 dogs, and that number is decreasing every year. Adoption groups estimate that by the year 2008 100% of racing greyhounds will go from the track into either an adoptive home or to a farm to be used as breeding stock. Perhaps instead of initiating unnecessary threads against greyhounds you might be more inclined to rant against puppy mills, backyard breeders and all the people in the world who don't spay/neuter. When 10 million pets a year are pts in animal shelters (roughly 45% of which are dogs) it seems to me that an industry that treats its dogs well and is working very hard (and very successfully) to do right by its retirees is the wrong group to go after.
2006-06-20 14:59:04
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answer #1
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answered by Greyt-mom 5
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GREYHOUNDS ENJOY RUNNING, BUT THEY ARE FORCED TO RUN TOO MANY TIMES A DAY AND TOO OFTEN! Do you have any idea the kind of pain their arthritis causes them when they're older due to this treatment? If you have ever seen a greyhound, they are complete couch-potatoes. A dog should never be mistreated the way they are for mere entertainment! How cruel! And how can it depend on the owner when they dont have owners? They are owned by the industry! And the industry doesnt care about their health, it cares about money. Greyhounds are very naturally thin, yes, but not in the way IGLOVER meant. They are not well-nourished. And yes, they love to run. But its the way they are treated that is cruel. No animal should be forced to lie down on a hard cold floor with nothing but few bits of shredded paper underneath them in a kennel not even big enough to stretch their long legs out in. Many retired racing greyhounds develop arthritis because they are forced to lie down on hard floors for days, never coming out except to go to the bathroom every 4 hrs and not at all at night. And then are suddenly forced to run over and over again even though they have hardly moved in days and are not taken care of properly.
2006-06-20 12:56:02
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answer #2
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answered by AdoptAGreyhound 1
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A thin dog left in a kennel all day would never win. They are lean because they are an athletic breed, ever see a chubby human sprinter or long distance runner. My dogs may look thin to someone who thinks they should look like a roly poly labs, but they are extremely fit and hard as a rock. Most running Hounds are fed a high protein, high fat diet of 30/20 as they work hard and have a high metabolism. They HAVE to be excersized alot or they wouldn't be fit enough to run, or win, and would get hurt. 4 miles at 4 mph 5 days a week is what my dogs (should!) be doing.
They have very thin skin and it is easily torn. Sometimes they can get a tear in the backyard, remember they run 35mph.
They absolutely LOVE to run. My Hounds love me and going to shows, dog school , and for walks. But they LIVE to run and running, without a doubt, would be the prefered activity for almost all sighthounds. I hear people say they are 'made' to run which is ridiculous, they will run as long and as much as you will let them.
Those of you with Hounds, take them to a lure coursing event to watch and just see their face light up. If you don't think he would like it you are not aware of your dogs true nature. Almost all of them love it, no matter how lazy and gentle they are.
I am aware there are some owners who don't care much about their dogs, just as there are all over the country. But many do genuinely care about their dogs. It is unfair to catagorize them all as uncaring when that is just not true.
2006-06-20 12:53:45
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answer #3
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answered by whpptwmn 5
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They should be outlawed, banned, put a stop to. I don't care what you call it. Animal abuse is wrong.
2006-06-20 12:23:34
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answer #4
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answered by Stick to Pet Rocks 7
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barbaric
2006-06-20 12:22:27
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answer #5
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answered by Black Fedora 6
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