Remembering greyhounds who have senselessly lost their lives from racing

Sent to Tucson Tails from greyhound advocates across the pond:

Events are being held across the UK in memory of the greyhounds that have suffered and been put to death in the 86 years since commercial greyhound racing began in this country on July 24, 1926.

One cannot believe that in a so-called civilised society, dogs are still being killed. I believe this is a poor and sad reflection on our society  but we can as a nation change this by choosing to adopt a more ethical approach by not supporting any animal abuse or exploitation.

According to greyhound protection organisation Action for Greyhounds, as many as 10,000 greyhounds are still being “put down” every year, after failing to make the grade as racers or when their careers on the tracks come to an end.

An RSPCA report stated that “at least 20 greyhounds a day, either puppies which do not make the track, or ‘retired’ dogs aged three or four, simply ‘disappear’, presumed killed”. In addition, hundreds of greyhounds sustain serious, sometimes fatal, injuries while racing.

Greyhounds make the most wonderful companions and we urge readers to rescue a greyhound from their local greyhound rescue.

The public can help put an end to this horrific situation by not attending dog tracks or betting on greyhound racing.

For more information on the plight of the racing greyhound in the UK, visit the Action for Greyhounds websiteat and/or Greyt Exploitations.

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The Killing Fields: Here’s an article in the Daily Mail about a man named David Smith who shot 10,000 greyhounds in the head with a bolt gun before dropping the dogs into a pit and covering them with dirt. The perp says, that he had been doing society a favour by disposing of them.

“It was claimed he killed for 40 greyhound trainers and would regularly execute up to 40 dogs a day.”

Was there any punishment for his crime? Not really. Smith was prosecuted for owning a landfill site without a proper permit.

Beau the pit bull loves car rides

Good news & bad news for animals from Arizona to the United Kingdom

Karma or kiss of death: Death by cock
From the LA Times: Here’s an interesting story about a guy who already had a misdemeanor charge for cockfighting which is illegal in Calif. This time the rooster with a blade attached to its mouth jammed it into the man’s shin and he (the man) was dead within two hours. (Blogger’s note: That seems like karma to me. I can’t help but wonder how the family is going to eulogize this?)

Cockfighting is in the same depraved class as dog fighting or greyhound racing. The end result is animal suffering, grievous injuries, or death all in the name of a gambling and entertainment.

Bad news: Thousands of pit bulls die in Maricopa County
From the AZ Republic:  14,523 pit bulls filled Maricopa County shelters last year, about 68 percent of those pit bulls were euthanized. According to the article, pit bulls are harder to adopt out than other breeds because they have a reputation for being vicious plus insurance companies, apartment complexes and homeowners associations may place restrictions on pit bulls.

How can pit bulls overcome their negative image? Please leave a comment.

Good news: Twiggy rocks!
British model Twiggy (who looks damn good for 61 years young) backs a campaign in the UK to encourage greyhound adoption. Unfortunately, dog racing is legal in UK but interest in the “sport” is dwindling when people learn about all the injuries and deaths.  According to the Daily Mail, Twiggy is waxing positively poetic about the virtues of these wonderful dogs where one thousand hounds wait for their forever homes.

Bad news: Greyhound killer wants to plea bargain
This may not be so bad if the guy has to rot in jail. According to this article in the Walton Sun (Florida), Ronnie Williams who has been charged with 42 counts of felony animal cruelty in connection with the deaths of 37 greyhounds at Ebro Greyhound Park kennel and the neglect of five survivors, told a judge he wanted a plea bargain so he could go home to his toddler and help his ailing parents. This is the guy who allegedly starved these greyhounds and put duct tape around their throats so nobody could hear them die.

(Blogger’s note: Greyhound racing has so many black eyes but this could be among the worst.)

‘Take sides.  Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.’
~ Elie Wiesel

(Photo is courtesy of Jen Duffy. This is Beau, her loving pit bull, who enjoys car rides and hiking on Mount Lemmon.)

Please contact Karyn Zoldan at tucson.tails@yahoo.com - Send pet photos (jpegs), feedback, announcements, story ideas. Thanks