Written in 1999. Almost 20 years ago.
A week does not go by when I do not get an email or a call to help find room for greyhounds whose lives are forfeit if sanctuary is not found. This plea happens to all volunteer greyhound adoption groups. There are never enough homes.
I just do not understand why this cannot change. Breeders and owners of racing greyhounds say they love their dogs; the adopters and adoption groups spend their own time and money volunteering to find homes for greyhounds because they love the dogs, but thousands of greyhounds are still dying.
To my mind – Dying because too many are bred, and not enough responsibility is taken by breeders and owners for the bringing of greyhound lives into this world.
If everyone involved in greyhound breeding would breed less, and would be pro-responsibility towards the lives they bring into this world, than I believe the hundreds of volunteer adoption groups would not feel so overwhelmed, and every greyhound would find a home. Anyone involved in rescue and adoption constantly feels they are not doing enough and only putting their fingers in the dike, because when a home is found for one, there are ten others to take his/her place because of the racing industry breeders.
It seems to me that adoption groups are taking on responsibilities which ultimately belong first with the owners and breeders.
Pro-Greyhound means to me:
If you breed or own a racing greyhound, (or any dog for that matter) then you take responsibility for the LIFE of that dog. It is your responsibility to give that life a chance at life. If you no longer want that dog in your life, then you:
– Pay to have the appropriate medical work done, and take the time and money to find that life a good home.
– Pay for the transport of the hound to an adoption group. Right now groups pay upwards of $125 per dog just to transport them to the safety of their organization.
– Pay an adoption group to get the medical work done, and to find a home. An average cost to rehome a greyhound is $500 (fixed, dental, shots, bath, meds).
Putting a dog down, which you have bred, is not an option from my view of the universe.
If ALL greyhound breeders and owners acted responsibly, and the industry tells us that more and more are, then anti-racing sentiments would be left to those who truly want to stop racing as a sport.
Many greyhound adoption people feel frustrated that greyhounds are not being taken care of after (or even before) they no longer earn their keep as racers, or even when they are deemed as youngsters as not good racing prospects.
Adoption people pay for all the extensive medical bills, the food, the housing, the hauling and the marketing materials to find homes. In addition they spend countless volunteer hours taking in greyhounds, and finding homes for them. If the industry provided money to adoption groups for the care of ALL the greyhounds that are bred, then adoption people and others could embrace those industry people who take a pro-responsibility stance and care for their hounds even when they aren’t racing.
Another definite way to help with the glut of greyhounds needing homes, would be to breed fewer greyhounds. This would mean there might be homes for all. Potentially, people would be clamoring for the FEWER greyhounds who are bred, and need homes when their racing careers are over, or haven’t even started.
Setting up a program which involves less breeding, and more pro-adoption advocacy would be a whole new paradigm about the treatment of animals, and greyhounds in particular. The racing industry could really set a trend with taking a pro-greyhound stance – and get a lot of very positive media coverage for those efforts.
Until the majority of the people who breed greyhounds stop viewing them as a business where the bottom line is money made, and take responsibility for the lives they breed, we have a long way to go to be a gentler, kinder people.