As for your adoption group you continue to fabricate the facts and mislead those in the middle. The people who really care about the dogs, like me, like adoption people such as Linda Jensen and Teddy Palmer, and the NGA will continue to (in your terms) waste our time explaining the facts.

Keep wasting your time trying to justify a dying, cruel sport.  And, again, if you have an issue with Grey2K talk to them.  

I’m busy with the greyhounds that the kennel operators/owners have discarded.
   

B) I did bring Grey2K in to the conversation. Why? Because their the most known anti-Greyhound Racing PAC out there today and most of the arguments made are similar to them. 

C) You say, “I posted about being in adoption and seeing the condition of the dogs coming off tracks. Broken bones, tick-borne diseases, intestinal parasites, bad teeth, none of which get treated by the owners/kennel operators.” This is extremely misguided. Broken bones, tick-borne diseases, and the other problems you mentioned are taken care of by the kennel owners/operators if such a situation arises. I’ve been to adoption agencies in Canada, Vermont, and various other states – I’ve never seen such rumors. And it isn’t reality as you like to say, the truth is you’re horribly misguided. 

D) Allow me to repeat a previous comment, “And the “NGA rhetoric” is not “old” it is the facts. Just like Grey2k, Anita, you fail to recognize the truth yes, it’s a scary concept I know but if we can look at the facts instead of the rumors we can all see that Greyhound Racing is not a cruel sport.”

* * *

Karyn-
A) You said, “Running around a track is not anything like running around a backyard. After my dog runs around the backyard, he lays down on his big soft bed and sleeps until he feels like getting up.” Are you under the impression a dog in a racetrack doesn’t have adequate sleeping conditions? They have paper or carpet beds in a roomy crate. A greyhound can sleep as long as they want, only woken up to eat, be turned out, school, or race.

B) THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY of greyhounds do not have cocaine in their system. Allow me to make a point with you. There was a case in Florida (Orange Park?) where (less than 10?) greyhounds were found with minimal amounts of cocaine. There have been scattered reports throughout the years, but nothing coming close to a majority of dogs. Now, here’s my point — there are rotten apples in every profession, Karyn, in journalism, medicine, law, education, finance, etc. but we’re not eliminating those professions for their minor misconducts. If you want to eliminate dog racing, I’ll fight to end doctor’s offices because there’s a chance of medical malpractice. I’ll find to end lawyers for every case of prosecution misconduct. See how frivolous that is? That is how I, and a sizable amount of people, view your argument.

A.  Ignore and deflect. 
I posted about being in adoption and seeing the condition of the dogs coming off tracks. Broken bones, tick-borne diseases, intestinal parasites, bad teeth, none of which get treated by the owners/kennel operators.  Their care falls to me and to others in adoption who take these discarded greyhounds.  You can try to ignore it or try to deflect attention away from it, but it’s the reality, not rumor.

B.  Blame Grey2K 
Grey2K wasn’t mentioned in this article or comments, except by you.  It seems a little paranoid.  If you want to argue with them, go argue with them.   

I understand you’re listening to your father.  If you want to repeat what your Dad tells you, fine, do that.  It’s not effective.  

Let’s not forget it was Grey2k that promised (and lied) to Massachusetts  voters that if racing was banned they’d pet out the dogs. It is on record from the MA State Gov’t that Grey2k didn’t help one dog. All they managed to do was cost MA jobs in an already failing economy. (and the greyhound owners are the ones who discard the dogs…) They claim to be for the “welfare of greyhounds”. I politely ask how? Grey2k is nothing more than a Political Action Committee aimed at twisting facts, spreading half-truths, ignoring common sense, and costing the United States economy thousands of jobs. If Grey2k was for Animal Welfare why didn’t they help the Massachusetts dogs? Grey2k won in Massachusetts and deserted the state, just like a typical politician they lived up to none of their promises.

Moving in to Florida, you’re terribly misguided. Born to run? We agree on that, however running around a track is the same as running around a backyard. The dogs don’t run a race everyday, they’re not worked to death, they’re not killed for no reason (or at all, unless for a serious break). 

And the “NGA rhetoric” is not “old” it is the facts. Just like Grey2k, Anita, you fail to recognize the truth yes, it’s a scary concept I know but if we can look at the facts instead of the rumors we can all see that Greyhound Racing is not a cruel sport. And what “doesn’t fly anymore” is Grey2k’s blatant disregard for common sense, for the facts, and for animal welfare. The NGA does more for animal welfare in a year than Grey2k will do in it’s entire existence. Plain and simple.

The greyhound racing industry’s dirty secrets are not secrets any more.  The public knows how cruelly the greyhounds are treated.  Most people know someone or  know of  someone who has adopted a greyhound that was discarded by the industry.  Before you jump all over the word discarded, that is exactly what happens to greyhounds who can’t or don’t win $$ any more.  Turned over to adoption groups if they’re lucky, and the groups pay for whatever medical and other rehab the dogs need.  And the really unlucky greyhounds . . turned over to nameless individuals – - – - ask your grandfather to explain “kill trucks” to you, Nick.

For 15 years I’ve seen the condition of greyhounds coming off tracks to come to adoption, and that includes Florida greyhounds.  Won’t stop rescuing them until racing is over.   We’re not the ones that discard them.

An example of the difference  in your thinking and my thinking is:  you actually tried to convince me that your grandfather spending a big $200 on food for puppies is a great thing.  Is that news?  You mean, that’s not a normal occurrence?  Why is that something to even bring up?

Born to race to earn money for humans, no.  Born to run, yes, like they do in my back yard.  There’s the difference that people outside the racing industry understand completely.

You are spouting your NGA rhetoric, old rhetoric I might add, and it doesn’t fly any more.

And now we get to Grey2k’s favorite example: Ursula O’Donnell. As you mentioned yourself the case was dismissed for lack of evidence. How is the National Greyhound Association supposed to bar someone from the industry and remove their rights to touch racing greyhounds when they have no legal grounds. I’m sure most everyone had their personal feelings on that case, but legally what was the NGA to do? What legal grounds did they have? The NGA cannot replace a trial by jury, they only act when there is a judgement/conviction against the person.

Some good people involved in the greyhound industry? Try most. There are bad people in every profession. Do we ban financial management because corporate CFO’s embezzle money? Do we ban doctors’ offices because some doctors abuse their profession? No. And we certainly don’t end law enforcement because some police officers are crooked. Secondly, how can dogs be “exploited” when they were BORN to run! And do the dogs really live in confinement?  Technically speaking, yes. However there are regulation sizes and at every farm and racing kennel I’ve been at (which is a great deal) the crates for brood bitches/racing dogs are large enough for two dogs to stand up, turn around, and lay down comfortably. And the other pens can usually house 6 to 8 dogs comfortably. Also, racing dogs are tested for steroids. And are you trying to tell me a dog can’t break his leg running in a backyard just as easily as on a track? Greyhound racing does not cause any extra chance of a heart attack or paralysis, that I’ve seen, in my hours of reading on the sport — and I read both sides of the arguments. 

And I encourage you to look up the statistics on euthanized dogs in Pinellas County compared to race tracks in Florida. More dogs are put down in that county in a week than racing greyhounds put down in a year.

Also, greyhounds are well-fed and it is Florida regulation to make sure dogs stay in a particular weight (I believe about 70 lbs.) in order for them to race.

According to documents obtained by the Juice, O’Donnell allegedly sent dogs from as far away as Palm Beach and Orlando to Robert Rhodes, a security guard at the Pensacola dog track, who told police he shot the greyhounds for about $10 each. When Rhodes died before trial, the case was dropped.”
I know there are some good people involved in greyhound racing but the sport where dogs are exploited for money, live in confinement, fed 4D meat that even the FDA doesn’t condone, females shot up with endless steroids to prevent estrus, break their legs and hocks, suffer heart attacks and paralysis, disappear, and euthanized without rhyme or reason because of loosely written state statues is not without dog racing cruelty.