Absolut Greyhound Vodka Promotes Animal Cruelty
by Karyn Zoldan on Mar. 20, 2012, under Animal Cruelty, GreyhoundsThe youtube music video for the new Absolut Greyhound vodka promotes animal cruelty in the form of greyhound racing. While slick with a catchy soundtrack by Swedish House Mafia, greyhounds are once again perceived as futuristic exploited racing machines. The video is a deadly cross between Project Runway and Mad Max.
Let the cruelty begin!
Vapid fashionistas pose in an arid wasteland for the thrill of watching three starkly beautiful robotic greyhound creatures race for their lives. Once again they are muzzled and attired a la Mad Max style. It might have worked for Mel Gibson, it is no way justifiable for a dog, even a CGI dog.
And just like at the real dog track, an elegant black beauty falls to the ground at 40 mph. While one model looks appalled, the other laughs. The dog gets up and continues to run. At real race tracks, dogs who usually take bad falls like that break their legs, break their hocks, break their toes, pull their butt muscles, or are paralyzed. Laugh models laugh.
Many are euthanized at the discretion of the track vets and dog owners; some with broken legs are adopted.
Some tracks bill this as “paw pounding action” but I bill it as canine heartbreak.
In case you don’t know why Absolut would name a product Greyhound, there’s a cocktail called Greyhound. It’s a mix of vodka and grapefruit juice and if the bartender adds a rim of salt – the cocktail become a Salty Dog.
This ad is haunting…haunting in the way it promotes greyhound racing as subhuman depravity. Haunting in a way, I feel nauseous and want to vomit.
Portraying greyhounds as graceful pets running across the grass not hardcore racing machines would’ve been more humane. Absolut responsible, it is not.
(Photo by Carolyn Karpin. Painter was my first greyhound. He has since gone to the Rainbow Bridge but lives on in my heart and inspired me to promote greyhound adoption and advocate for the end of greyhound racing.)

