Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Greyhound Friends of Hopkington.... Killing Greyhounds - Part 3

I started writing this piece back in 2013. It's a difficult piece as each time I visit it, I think of the two greyhounds that Louise Coleman destroyed. At that time, my anger was too fresh and I set this aside.  It seems like a good time to finish this.


HISTORY
Several years back, Greyhound Friends of Hopkington and Louise Coleman were held up as a "partner" by Grey2K, when they were refusing to take responsibility for the dogs in MA, dogs that were displaced by their efforts at lobbying the Legislature to ban & shut down greyhound racing. One has to wonder how Dorchak & Theil feel, what they think, about their pal, Louise destroying healthy dogs. After all, that's one of their claims that they have used and currently use to convince people that greyhound racing people and greyhound racing are cruel. It is their major claim that those in greyhound racing are uncaring; that the dogs are only a source of money to be used, spent, and then callously discarded.

UMR High Roller
The IRS 990 forms for Greyhound Friends of Hopkington show that the dogs do make a lot of money for some of those who take them FREE from owners, calling them rescues, presenting them as helpless & abused creatures, and then SELLING them for several hundred dollars.  The 2010 IRS 990 Form, shows that Greyhound Friends raked in more than $475,000 in grants & donations and their total assets are over $1,000,000!!!!  That's right folks - ONE MILLION PLUS!  That is a lucrative business!

It's even better than what Grey2K rakes in!

People have known that Louise has been AR (anti-racing) forever.  And as previously mentioned, she was one of the driving forces that campaigned & lobbied against greyhound racing in New England. She's been around for a very long time, doing this same thing, over & over, again & again.  When the greyhounds in Massachusetts found themselves displaced and with no place to go, her group, Greyhound Friends of Hopkinton, was one of the groups that refused to take responsibility for the dogs they caused to be displaced.  That's when Grey2K claimed them as a "partner".

In a blog post, Carey Theil of Grey2K writes,
"On Monday, we hosted a small party at the GREY2K USA office to celebrate the birthday of my adopted greyhound Zoe. Although this was a joyful occasion, it does remind me now of all the family birthday parties Bubbles Sidekick will never have."
What about the birthdays that neither 7 yr old Primco Yogi and 5 yr old UMR High Roller will never have?  Their destruction was not at the hands of a cruel & evil greyhound racing owner or trainer.  Their destruction was at the hands of a greyhound RESCUE group associated with Grey2K.  A group that destroyed them for no apparent reason other than they had been taking up space for several years.

I am happy to say that something good came about because of their deaths...  Louise Coleman & Greyhound Friends of Hopkington has a difficult time getting greyhounds for adoption anymore. Still...

By scouring public forums, I discovered that George Scheide tried to volunteer there once, only to be told, "we don't need any help." Excuse me? According to George, at that time, there was ONE person there. The number of dogs they had was twice their capacity and they would not even let George LOOK AT the dog they'd traveled over an hour to see. George was told, "he (the dog) is too shy." If the dog is that shy, then why is he on the web site as available for adoption?
UMR High Roller

Other comments from public forums show long time greyhound owners, including former adopters of greyhound friends, "blacklisted" and "persona non grata".  And, perhaps not so surprisingly, a comment surfaced that this was not the first time that Louise disposed a dog that she didn't like or thought was unadoptable.

So, OK, Roller & Yogi had some issues.  Let's look at Roller...

Roller was a black dog and black dogs are harder to find homes for because they are black. He also had issues as he would pee in his crate. He couldn't help his color and the other may have been either behavioral or medical. It is a known fact that neutered dogs can suffer from incontinence.  I had one.  Hormone injections fixed that problem.  However, Roller was never given the chance to be adopted. According to sources in the know, when adopters would come by to look at dogs, Roller was banished to the back kennel.

And Yogi?  What's his story?

Yogi was born without a tail. He was not the prettiest boy around so he too was deemed hard to adopt. Yogi, at least, had been placed in one home that wasn't a good fit for him. It is said that he was returned as he reportedly bit one of the family members.  From there on out, he too was banished to the back kennel.

Primco Yogi
If this is indeed how Roller & Yogi were handled, in my opinion, they were destroyed as a matter of convenience. They were used to solicit funds as poor, abused greyhounds, and then they were callously discarded when their usefulness was done.  Seems to me that Grey2K's friend of greyhounds, Louise Coleman, did exactly what she and the Grey2K organization falsely accuse the racing folks of doing - using, abusing, and discarding greyhounds.

What I cannot comprehend is why people think that people like Louise Coleman, Ingrid Newkirk, et al, are angels?  How and why do so many people praise and defend them and their actions? Yet these same defenders will condemn and call for the destruction of an animal owner who uses a horse to pull a buggy or a greyhound for racing. What logic exists that supports their defense of those who use animals for political purposes, killing them when they become inconvenient vs their condemnation of those who have animals that work for a living?

Yogi's former owner & handler wrote,
"I can't even read all these posts! I am ANGRY and HURT! That ***** woman PROMISED me! That ****** woman has my phone number! I would have taken MY dog if I had been alerted of the plan! Yogi did NOT have a roman nose but his tail looked like that of a bunny! Oh my dog, do I have stories about this guy! I loved him! When my tears clear, I will read all comments in this thread. He won races! He had personality! He traveled the country! He was abused, I mended him and he won me more races! He had an invite to palm beach to run.. Till the kennel owner wanted to get a look at him and got snarled at! When I got him back from Arizona 8 lbs underweight and 12 bedsores on each pressure point I PROMISED HIM he would have a couch someday! OMG I m angry! I could have brought him home if I would have known! He would NEVER had bitten me! It was only a year ago I spoke to Louise and got some phony reassurance! What are my options now? I'm going to dig out all my pics and have a vigil! RIP Yogi! I m so sorry! This just isn't fair and I think Louise Coleman should pay for this and WE need to prevent this from EVER happening again! I m at a big loss in my heart!
Yogi had an option that was not exercised! I'm not sure the vet he saw had any biz giving advice. I handled Yogi for nearly 3 yrs! I knew him. How much time did the Vet spend with him!??? And if he bit Pats hubby... Obvious he was afraid of men! Thank you to the man in Tucson that was handling him!"
So, we know that Yogi had at least one option that was not explored.  If the former owner cared  enough to follow up on the dog, to leave their phone number with instructions to call, why wouldn't they be called?  Is it because they are a racing person?  Is that the only reason and is it a good enough reason?

I don't get it.  But, what I do get is that people like Coleman, Newkirk, and the Grey2K crowd need to be stopped.  They need to be stopped from destroying those that are inconvenient to their purposes: man & beast.

Yours in greyhounds...


Following are some random comments scoured from the various forums on this sordid situation. Names have been deleted for privacy reasons.

"She gets so much praise and glory for the things she does for some reason. She was questioned on Greytalk a few weeks back for an adoption situation and people flocked to the thread to defend her. I have personally spoken to about 10 to 20 former adopters from them that hate her now because of issues post adoption also!"

"You always hope and pray once a dog gets into adoption it's cared for and loved as it's been all it's life."

"This is a horrible outcome for these hounds. I am not grouping all ARs together, but clearly AR does not always equal pro-life for the hounds."

"Coleman has done this sort of thing before. It's not something new to her as if she'd just gone off the deep-end. It's part of her SOP."

"Does anyone find it odd that greyhound trainers (at race tracks) handled these dogs and found them safe and sane to place into the greyhound adoption world??? I honestly can't see a trainer willingly placing a known problem dog into the greyhound adoption world. Call me silly but if I had such an aggressive dog in my kennel I can't say I would place it with a group."

"I can't say this surprises me from Louise. I wouldn't have trusted her with a dead fish."

"She (Coleman), her group, and a few others do a lot of things behind backs. I remember the mess with the Galgos... She placed two Galgos a number of years ago...Sari and Talco..only one survived...long story.... She can talk a wonderful game...but don't turn your back on her."

"I personally tried to spring Roller out for a friend, and they did everything in their power to try to talk me into another dog.....When I said I only wanted him they cut all contact...I have a short email chain that refers to this.. Promised they would have the "boarding kennel" where he was located call me to talk about him, I never heard so much as a peep! I sent emails after the phone conversation too with no replies. I was also told that GH Friends reportedly were telling people that I had changed my mind which was B.S!"

"I was contacted by a former volunteer. According to the volunteer this is common practice. In the year and a half that his person volunteered with them they had seven dogs PTS!!!"

"They can delete all the posts they want this is not going away. They didn't reach out for help because they didn't want help. This has happened before. They have a "back kennel" where "outsiders" are not allowed. I spoke with a former volunteer that said there were seven euthanized in a short period of time. They are killing the dogs they think will be or have proven to be difficult to place. This is bigger than Yogi and Roller. Yogi and Roller were not dangerous mentally ill dogs. They were an inconvenience and expense that they no longer wanted to be bothered with."

"Destroyed by an anti-racing "rescue" group, who called him unadoptble. Yet, his trainer says, "He was a sweet dog, full of personality and a kennel favorite." They say he bit. No outreach to his connections. Just death."











Saturday, March 28, 2015

The Compassion and Brilliance of Grey2K

On Saturday, March 28, multiple anti-racing protests were held by Grey2K zealots and minions at multiple locations in Florida.  The weather today is bright & sunny on Florida's east coast.  At the Daytona Beach Kennel Club, temps today are forecasted to reach the upper 60's, depending on the weather source, between 67 & 69 degrees.  Please note in the screen shot below, under "63 deg" it states that the "real feel" is 73 deg, that takes into consideration the humidity and other factors.


Sounds like a pretty pleasant day for people to be out in the Florida sunshine holding their anti-racing protests because, according to them, it is cruel for greyhounds to race and live in a protected kennel compound. To be catered to from nose to tail, for work that consists of running, chasing an artificial lure, around a groomed sand track for about 30 seconds every couple of days.

However, what about the dogs that the protesters bring with them?  How does that "real feel" of 73 degrees feel to them out in the sun with neither shade nor water?  Yes, you heard me right...  no water for their dogs.  No shade for them either.



Meanwhile, back in the Kennel Club, the greyhounds are being well tended. Those waiting to race are in an air conditioned building and after they run they are cooled, given water and walked then into the truck and shortly back to the kennel. Those dogs which may be in "trucks" are under a roof with industrial fans blowing on each of them, a dip tank, misters, and hoses as well as many water buckets. And, those not scheduled to run, those back in the kennels, are in climate controlled kennel buildings or in turnout pens that have plenty of shade & water.  None of the racing dogs are out in the hot Florida sun doing without.

By the way, one of the kennel workers saw the poor dogs out there without water and shade. He said, "I offered to bring them a water bucket, but they walked away."  People like that should not own greyhounds. They are putting their own feelings & politics ahead of the welfare of their own dogs, dogs they supposedly love.  Yeah...  right...  the only thing about their dogs that they love is that they "saved them".  Saved them to abuse them for their own purposes.  I have no decent words to describe people like that...  only vulgarities.

It isn't like this kind of abuse is an isolated case.  It happens with this bunch time & again.  Make no mistake, it IS abuse as most areas have laws about dogs being without shade & water.

Protest on Florida street. Tender dog feet on hot pavement... no shade, no water, flexi-leads...  please note the lolling tongues
The recent Grey2K post about the protest rallies even ASKED them to leave their dogs home. However, the request was made not for the benefit of the dogs but because "media is expected so be sure to look your best!" They don't want the media to see hot & abused dogs, thirsty dogs without a water bucket in sight.  They don't want the media to see the cruelty behind THEIR actions.  What does that tell you?


Meanwhile, in another location, Palm Beach Kennel Club, we have a Grey2K Board Member, Kathy Pelton protesting.  In a conversation with her, she claims affiliation with Hollydogs.

Anyone who knows anything about Hollydogs has to be struck by the conflict of interests.  Grey2K and Hollydogs Silvana Rizzi, President Hollydogs & wife to Sergio Cortella, take a rigid, anti greyhound racing stance. Ms. Rizzi has been quoted as saying in a 2 Dec 2010 article in the Miami Herald that greyhound racing needs to be abolished. The Hollydogs website supports that anti-racing mantra with numerous statements on many pages about the "plight" of the greyhounds and "thousands destroyed" because they are too slow.  One particular comment caught my eye,
"Thousands of greyhounds are euthanized on a regular basis because they are not fast enough. Greyhounds add to the existing pet overpopulation crisis. Too many dogs and not enough responsible homes for life."
Sergio Cortella, Silvana Rizzi's husband, for many years participated in lure coursing events with his greyhounds. Sergio has also arranged the sale of retired American racing dogs to Argentina, his homeland.  He has also arranged for the sale of the stakes placed dog, Ebony River, to Argentina for racing breeding purposes. All of the dogs he arranged to go to Argentina participated in greyhound racing and racing breeding! What's with that???

I have to laugh at the thought of a Grey2K Board Member volunteering for an anti-racing group, Hollydogs, that sells retired racing greyhounds from the USA to Argentina.  Oh what a tangled web we weave, when we first practice to deceive!

And, at Sanford Orlando, the protesters did not pay attention to their backdrop.


The banner behind them has it right.  If you want to learn the truth about greyhounds & greyhound racing, ask those involved in the sport, not the zealots and abusers, who bring their dogs out into the hot Florida sun with neither shade nor water.  Those dingbats who walk their dogs down the middle of a street in the hot Florida sun, burning tender pads.

Yours in greyhounds....






Friday, March 27, 2015

Anti's... Who, What, and How They Are

Just over a year ago, this blog posted the personal story of Amy, who went from anti-racing to being pro-racing. That post can be found HERE.

There were several replies to her post, some of which were not published due to their nastiness and also because the poster would not sign their name or even a pseudonym.  They have so much courage in their convictions that they chose to hide behind the name - ANONYMOUS.  In general, not all the time, most of those ANONYMOUS posts are deleted.  However, one in particular I retained and I'm going to share it with you now.


What kind of person is so nasty that they unload on a person who shares a tragic story, Elaine, and attempts to belittle & demean another person, Amy, with whom they disagree about greyhound racing?  The only people this nasty are animal rights & anti-racing zealots.

In comment sections worldwide, I have seen these terrorists wish for the deaths of others, curse people & their children, and, in some cases as with groups like Stop Huntington Animal Cruelty (SHAC), firebomb houses among other nasty forms of terror.  For instance, The Daily Mail cites as examples of SHAC activism sending letters to the neighbors of a man who did business with Huntington Life Sciences (HLS), warning parents to keep their children away from him, falsely claiming that he had raped the letter writer when she was a child. A woman in her 60s, who worked for a company targeted by SHAC, had every window in her house smashed during the night and found an effigy hanging outside her home, which read "R.I.P. Mary, Animal Abusing Bitch".[1]

The SHAC website, which is no longer in existence, featured Animal Liberation Front (ALF) news.  Robin Webb, spokesman for the ALF in the UK, attended and addressed SHAC conferences in the United States.[2] A posting on the website Bite Back (a Malaysia-registered website and magazine that promotes the cause of the animal liberation movement, and specifically the ALF on 7 Sept 2005 claimed the ALF had carried out an attack on the home of Paul Blackburn, corporate controller of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), in Buckinghamshire, because GSK is a customer of HLS. The detonated device contained two liters of fuel and four pounds of explosives on the doorstep of Blackburn's home. Blackburn's wife & child were home at the time. In 2006 the ALF warned that it was targeting HLS suppliers, and that year firebombed a car belonging to the finance director of Canaccord Capital, a brokerage firm. Members of SHAC said the company had acted as brokers for Phytopharm, which had used HLS for contract testing.[3] Please note that Don Currie was

Now, what does this have to do with Grey2K?  Let's not forget that Christine Dorchak has ties to PeTA & ALF.  Thank goodness I got the screen shot below as it's my understanding that when Ms. Dorchak discovered its existence, she sent a legal letter to them requesting they remove her entry.  I was taught, one is judged by the company they keep. I can see why she would want to deny any connection to Killer Newkirk at PeTA and the domestic terrorists at ALF.



So, who are some of those on the list pictured?

Adam Durand, film maker and president of the group Compassionate Consumers. Also associated with the former group, Animal Rights International.  Mr. Durand entered Wegman's egg farm without permission, taking 11 hens believed to be sick or dying and later released a movie titled “Wegmans Cruelty.”  Convicted and sentenced to jail time and a fine.

Alex Pacheco: Co-founder & Chairman of PeTA, Founder of 600 Million Stray Dogs Need You and on the advisory board of Sea Shepherd.  Also co-founder of Adopt-A-Pet.com and vice president of the New England Anti-Vivisection Society. Subpoenaed in connection with ALF activities.

Bruce Friedrich: PeTA, Farm Sanctuary. Jailed several times for different offenses, the former anti-war protestor believes that hunters should be viewed "with the same revulsion we presently reserve for Nazi doctors and slave traders.” Friedrich has denounced teenage animal-rights activists who dare to question the appropriateness of violent protest and advocates FOR violent protest.
"If we really believe that animals have the same right to be free from pain and suffering at our hands, then, of course we’re going to be, as a movement, blowing things up and smashing windows … I think it’s a great way to bring about animal liberation … I think it would be great if all of the fast-food outlets, slaughterhouses, these laboratories, and the banks that fund them exploded tomorrow. I think it’s perfectly appropriate for people to take bricks and toss them through the windows … Hallelujah to the people who are willing to do it." [click here to listen] [4]
Camille Hankins: one of the directors of the North American Animal Liberation Press Office. She is also a supporter of SHAC and the Animal Liberation Front. Another group that she is a member of is the NY Animal Rights Activists. She is a convicted animal abuser.

She is nothing but a supporter of Terrorism. What is even more hypocritical is her history with animals.

The list goes on & on with pretty much all of them showing hatred & disdain for people and a tendency towards violence.

If we are truly judged by the company we keep, someone really needs to start judging the Grey2K president, Christine Dorchak by her friends & associates.  We are amazed she continues to fly under the radar.

Yours in greyhounds...


Bibliography

1. The Animals of Hatred, The Daily Mail, 15 Oct 2003.
2. Doward, Jamie and Townsend, Mark. "Beauty and the Beasts", The Observer, 1 August 2004
3.  Laville, Sandra and Campbell, Duncan. "Animal rights extremists in arson spree", The Guardian, 25 June 2006.
4. https://www.activistfacts.com/person/1460-bruce-friedrich/


Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Grey2K Crosses an Ethical Line

"No matter what your views are regarding racing...

No matter what you think of the individuals involved...

USING SOMEONE'S PROPERTY WITHOUT THEIR PERMISSION IS STEALING and it may also be copyright infringement. Unethical antics should not be condoned nor financially supported."

Those words caught my attention this morning, as did the article to which it is connected...

Grey2K Crosses the Ethical Line by Stealing NGA Member Photos

Grey2K does a lot of stealing.

Yours in Greyhounds...


Sunday, March 22, 2015

Leading the GREY2K Charge

An Investigative Report by Leslie A. Wootten 

Officially, Christine Dorchak is co-founder, President, and General Counsel of GREY2K USA, a non-profit, 501 (c) 4 organization that has recently added "world wide" to its title. From the beginning, the group has been unapologetically anti-greyhound racing, with Ms. Dorchak leading the charge to denigrate and basically destroy the lives of honest, hard-working, individuals that don't deserve the disrespect cast upon them. 

As an example of its success, the organization’s website states, “GREY2K USA was the first organization to successfully outlaw dog racing using the ballot initiative process. In November 2008, the citizens of Massachusetts chose compassion over cruelty and voted 56%-44% to close down Raynham and Wonderland Greyhound Parks.” 

This statement is not correct. Dog racing in Massachusetts is still legal, and it is legal in 49 out of 50 states despite GREY2K USA’s widespread efforts to do away with it. According to comments Ms. Dorchak made in a “Pack People” interview, she had a hand in drafting Massachusetts Question 3, a law proposed by initiative petition that was placed on the November 4, 2008 ballot. The question received enough “yes” votes to go into effect, which meant wagering on greyhound races would no longer be allowed in Massachusetts. Greyhound racing itself was not then, or ever, “outlawed” in Massachusetts as the website claims.

Also on its website, the organization describes itself as “an independent, non-profit effort entirely supported by its members. People from all walks of life … have joined with us to help end dog racing.”

Between the “people” statement and a click-here button to “support our work,” an exclusionary declaration states, “GREY2K USA does not accept donations from individuals or corporations with a financial interest in commercial dog racing or the gambling industry.

Except for those specifically excluded, donations are accepted from a wide swath of the general public. The website makes clear that donations are crucial to fulfill the group’s mission, and donation buttons are prevalent throughout.

Being an organization that is entirely dependent on public funds makes honesty and transparency essential requirements at every level. We have seen that the GREY2K USA website has holes when it comes to these two elements. Consequently, a valid question arises, “Are there shortfalls elsewhere?”

As the group’s president, Ms. Dorchak is expected to set examples and provide leadership for fellow officers, colleagues, and volunteers. She is certainly answerable to supporters who make donations in good faith. As its top officer, Ms. Dorchak is also the person most often featured in media profiles. More than anyone else, she represents the heart and soul of the operation, and in that role, she should be accountable for her actions and statements.      
     
Enter her name on any search engine, and article after article pops up. A common component in these articles is a personal story involving Ms. Dorchak’s light rail vehicle/ pedestrian accident that occurred on September 10, 1992, when she was 26-years-old. The story is one Ms. Dorchak willingly, often tearfully, shares. Told in the classic “triumph over adversity” style, the story understandably connects with a vast majority of the population. And, let me be clear, I would not wish such a difficult experience on anybody. For Ms. Dorchak, it was the personal challenge of a life-time, and a tremendous price to pay for what she has referred to as a “second chance” (Dorchak, Deleuse).   
         
One of the most emotional versions of the story is told in Ms. Dorchak’s own words in an “Animal Inventory” interview currently available on Youtube. The questions posed by the interviewer seem gratuitous as the camera focuses on Ms. Dorchak who needs no prompting. She owns the story, and this is apparent from the first frame that dwells on her.      
      
Twenty seconds into the seven-minute video, Ms. Dorchak says, “One morning before work I was walking [my dog] Kelsey and life just totally changed.” The statement is gripping. The audience is captivated, eager to hear the rest of the story, which Ms. Dorchak offers at 1:30, “We were struck by two speeding MBTA trains. A woman who lived a couple of floors up in a building near the accident heard the crash. She rushed down and found me impaled against the rail and Kelsey sitting by me.”           
Dorchak & Kelsey


At this point, Ms. Dorchak is tearful. Her voice wobbles with emotion and her head nods unsteadily as she continues. “[Kelsey] had a broken hip. She could barely move, but she was trying to keep close to me.”          
  
After composing herself, Ms. Dorchak continues in a verbal sprint that condenses days, months, and years. Here, the narrative has the feel of an oft-told tale, but, is, nevertheless, immensely compelling: "I was in the ambulance, and, miraculously, I started breathing again. When I woke up from my first coma weeks later, the first thing I said—could manage to say—was, ‘How’s Kelsey?’ It was my first thought. All the impact injuries are along the side of my body, not the front. She pulled on the leash and pulled me from a direct frontal hit from the train. I know Kelsey saved my life. We spent 2 years together in recuperation."   
         
Next, Ms. Dorchak discusses the epiphany she experienced, which ultimately led her to seek to banish the regulated, legal activity of greyhound racing because she personally does not  approve of it.  She says, “I came to a realization during that time that I wasn’t here to do what I was doing before. I was here to help animals. Lo and behold, the obvious finally came to me. I should do what I intended to do which was become a lawyer. And, I should help dogs.”       
     
The rest of the video is spent discussing how she actualized her epiphany. Following the accident, though, greyhounds were not in her radar for years. In fact, she states in a “Pack People” interview that she “worked at shelters, attended rallies, distributed pamphlets on vivisection, hunting, rodeo, circuses, and more.” Until she found her niche with greyhound racing, she appeared to be just another disgruntled protester with no particular vision. In “Pack People,” she states, “The greyhounds became my focus when I realized that their fight was one that could be won legislatively.” In the “Animal Inventory” video at 3:12, she underscores this point by stating, “I was so enthused that we could actually change the lives of thousands of animals by putting a question on the ballot and passing it.” She credits David Vaughn with starting her on that path. In a Pet News and Views article, she says, “In 1999, we were approached by David Vaughn, who recently adopted a greyhound. He said, ‘If you want to really end greyhound racing, put down your signs and get on the ballot.’ He invited us to the office of a lawyer friend of his. Our goal was to end greyhound racing in 2000. I collected more than 15,000 signatures. We got enough signatures for a ballot question.”   
         
Along with Ms. Dorchak, Vaughn was one of Grey2K’s founders, as was Dr. Jill Hopfenbeck, and Carey Theil. The quartet worked together on the failed 2000 Massachusetts ballot against greyhound racing (Theil). Undaunted and determined to learn how to write ever better ballot questions and execute better campaigns, Ms. Dorchak started law school, graduating in 2005 from the New England School of Law in Boston.        
    
Meanwhile, in 2001, GREY2K USA was incorporated as a non-profit, setting the donation machinery into high-gear. The donations would support—as they still do—legislative and political activities, plus salary, benefits, and expenses for Ms. Dorchak and her partner, Carey Theil. None of the funds would be earmarked for greyhound pet adoption or welfare.      
      
An interesting aside is that her legislative leanings signaled an embrace of the “above-ground” method Animal Liberation Front (ALF) activists recommended as an effective political action counterpart to its “under-ground” acts of destructive sabotage to liberate animals (Platt, Career). Indeed, Ms. Dorchak has identifiable links with ALF, which has been designated a domestic terrorist group by the F.B.I.  In 2003, she was featured on the ALF Website as a speaker at the Animal Rights National Convention, where ALF guru Rodney Coronado was also speaking. In 2006, she and John P. Goodwin were panelists together at the Animal Rights National Convention. By then, Goodwin had been on the payroll of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) for quite a few years, having left ALF and the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT) for greener pastures (Pratt, An Unmarked).      
      
Through the years, Coronado and Goodwin were convicted of various crimes, such as fur farm and laboratory arson, and they both completed stints in prison or home arrest. (Pratt, Careers). As proud as they were of their civil disobedience, they could see it wasn’t going to get them as far as they wanted.  Coronado dreamed of ALF getting an “above-ground voice, a political lobby.” Goodwin had the same dream. He remarked, “I’m convinced that politics is the way to go, and to that end, I am taking classes in political campaign management. Targeting bad lawmakers and helping good lawmakers is what I feel this [ALF] movement has failed to do, miserably” (Pratt, Careers). When these two talked, Ms. Dorchak listened, took notes, and mentally crafted her own “above-ground” plan.   
            
In the “Animal Inventory” video at 6:08, she circles back to the accident by stating, “When I got hit by the train, my life should have ended. I consider every day after September 10, 1992 extra. My focus on this particular mission is to end dog racing.”            

Throughout the video, Ms. Dorchak’s voice is melodiously soft, her eyes genuine in their sincerity. When she provides details about the accident and its aftermath, the camera dwells on her as she speaks, cutting away to various photographs of her hooked to tubes and machines in a hospital bed and outdoors in a wheelchair with Kelsey standing close.   
         
The video’s composition is effective. It is hard to watch her talk about the accident without feeling intense empathy for Ms. Dorchak. In fact, one feels compelled to reach out—to contribute—in some palpable way as a tribute to her endurance. The last thing a viewer wants is to test the veracity of what Ms. Dorchak shares.            

However, it is imperative to test that veracity because Ms. Dorchak uses this story as a means to an end, which is to solicit public funds and sway citizens and legislators to support her anti-greyhound racing efforts. The story has, in fact, become larger than life, metaphorically parading into a room to announce her entrance. Or so, it would seem from reading many of the articles about her where journalists come across as being under her hypnotic spell. She wears the story like a Purple Heart awarded for bravery in battle, and it becomes her. Still, when public funds and public matters are at stake, the story should be comprehensive. Details that shed pertinent light should be provided as part of the package. In other words, honesty and transparency should be front and center.            

Something Ms. Dorchak leaves out of the “Animal Inventory” video and every other sharing that touches on the accident is the lawsuit she brought against the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA). Filed in Suffolk County Superior Civil Court, docket number 93-1023, the case was tried by jury in 1995. An interesting, and crucial, note is that the jury ruled in favor of defendant MBTA, et al, and against Ms. Dorchak as plaintiff. According to the “Judgment on Jury Verdict for Defendant” signed on December 1, 1995, “The complaint of plaintiff is dismissed and the defendants recover costs.”    
        
The thick file is public information, though it was “disposed in 1996” to use Suffolk County’s legal terminology. Newspaper articles were no help in locating the file because not a word could be found about the accident, let alone the lawsuit. References to other MBTA accidents and lawsuits popped up in Boston Globe and various online searches, but this one eluded discovery. Finding the lawsuit required a common-sense belief that there had to be one somewhere. Librarians and court personnel provided assistance as allowed by law, and, eventually, the docket number was identified. Getting the file in hand was difficult because it was buried with all the other disposed files in the archives of Suffolk County Court. But, finally, it surfaced from the depths, offering up a story of its own.            
Background for the case is included in various court pleadings such as the “Defendants’ Motion to Bifurcate Trial” (1). Here is verbatim background from that document:
"This action concerns an accident which occurred at approximately 6:05 a.m. on September 10, 1992. A green-line MBTA Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) operated by co-Defendant Frank Osgood was traveling in a westerly direction in the area of Commonwealth Avenue and South Street in Brookline. The LRF was headed for Boston College to begin the first run of the day. The vehicle was traveling between 10 m.p.h. and 15 m.p.h. and had just come around a slight-bearing curve. Osgood was in the process of approaching the platform and had started applying the brakes of the LRV at the time of the occurrence of this accident.
Osgood observed Ms. Dorchak walking in the street on Commonwealth Avenue on the date of the accident. She was walking towards the oncoming LRV and against the automobile traffic. When Osgood was approximately one foot or less away from Ms. Dorchak, she crossed immediately into the path of the oncoming LRF. Osgood had initiated braking but could not avoid striking Ms. Dorchak. Ms. Dorchak was found lying on the side of the train away from street, between the LRV and a wrought-iron fence which separates the eastbound and westbound rails. A dog believed to belong to Ms. Dorchak was sitting next to her immediately after the accident (1-2).
It is revealing to compare Ms. Dorchak’s “Animal Inventory” story with that conveyed in court documents. The lawsuit file contains varied information ranging from pleadings and exhibits to depositions and interrogatories where respondents are under oath to tell the truth. Side-by-side, the facts conveyed in the lawsuit simply do not match up with the details shared by Ms. Dorchak in the “Animal Inventory” video. Comparative examples are provided below.            
Twenty seconds into the video, Ms. Dorchak says, “One morning before work, I was walking [my dog] Kelsey and life just totally changed.”            

This statement contradicts those she made under oath. For example, in her written interrogatories, Ms. Dorchak states, “At the time of the accident I did own a black Hungarian sheep dog. I do not know if the dog was with me at the time of the accident” (4). This is corroborated by her deposition in June of 1994, in which she denies having any knowledge of how the accident happened (61) and no memory whatsoever of the accident itself (65).      
      
An interesting and puzzling point in her deposition is that she adamantly insists she has no memory of the accident except for one thing: she is sure she did not jump into the path of the train in a possible suicide attempt. When pressured by the deposing attorney as to how she could know this if she remembers nothing, she states, “I certainly – my statement is based on the knowledge of myself, and I know that I had no disposition to throw myself in front of a train” (63). The exchange continues in a kind of circular manner that frustrates the attorney, who says,  “So the wild, speculative guess that the MBTA had, and you heard that in court as you said, is based upon your fact with your predisposition to know that you did not throw yourself in front of the train?” Ms. Dorchak replies, “I’m in a unique position to know myself.” Losing patience, the attorney says, “Please, we’re going to get – know thyself, that’s right. That’s a good one. You say that you did not – you know yourself and you would not throw yourself in front of a train. That’s what you just said to me.” Ms. Dorchak replies, “That is correct” (63). The circular discussion continues. After a few more futile back and forths, the attorney says, “You say, it did not happen by me throwing myself in front of the train. Is there anything else that you can exclude that did not happen?” Ms. Dorchak replies, “No.” The attorney says, “And the reason for that is because you have no memory?” Ms. Dorchak says, “That’s correct” (65).         
   
At 1:30 in the video, Ms. Dorchak says, “We were struck by two speeding MBTA trains.”            
Facts in court documents simply do not support this statement. Various pleadings such as the “Defendants’ Motion to Bifurcate Trial” reflect the “vehicle was traveling between 10 and 15 m.p.h” (2). The lead operator’s deposition also affirms the speed was between 10 and 15 m.p.h. (16). In the video, Ms. Dorchak says, “two trains.” In other interviews, she says, “trolley.” In her deposition, she says, “train.” In reality, it was a light rail vehicle (LRV) comprised of two LRVs with a lead operator (in the first vehicle) and a trailer operator (in the second vehicle). Regardless of the terminology, to use the term “speeding” is incorrect.          
  
At 1:34 in the video, Ms. Dorchak says, “[A woman who heard the crash] rushed down and found me impaled against the rail and Kelsey sitting by me.” In some accounts, she says she was thrown under the wheels.            

No court testimony included in the file mentions any sort of impalement or that she was thrown under the wheels. It would seem impossible to have both at the same time. Nor is any mention made of a woman who heard the crash and rushed to the scene. Court documents, such as the “Defendants’ Motion to Bifurcate Trial” reflect that Ms. Dorchak “was found lying on the side of the train away from the street, between the LRV [light rail vehicle] and a wrought-iron fence which separates the eastbound and westbound rails” (2).     
       
At 1:54 in the video, Ms. Dorchak states, “[Kelsey] had a broken hip. She could barely move, but she was trying to keep close to me.”            
Kelsey standing on hind legs to greet Dorchak
less than 2 wks post accident

Nothing in court testimony indicates anything about a dog being injured, treated, or transported for medical care. The only mention of a dog being present is a brief note that appears in court pleadings: “A dog believed to belong to Ms. Dorchak was sitting next to her immediately after the accident.”  In court documents, Ms. Dorchak denies knowledge of having a dog with her, at all. The only clue to Kelsey’s medical condition is offered in a photo in the “Animal Inventory” video at 2:34, where Kelsey stands on her hind legs in front of Ms. Dorchak’s wheelchair. This photo actually contradicts Ms. Dorchak’s point that Kelsey suffered a broken hip (requiring hip replacement surgery per a GREY2K USA web page) because it is doubtful a dog with such a serious injury could stand on its hind legs so soon after the accident, if ever again.           

At 2:14 in the video, Ms. Dorchak states, “When I woke up from my first coma weeks later, the first thing I said—could manage to say—was, ‘How’s Kelsey? It was my first thought.”            
Various documents, such as medical evaluations by physicians at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, reflect that Ms. Dorchak was not in a several week coma. In fact, a Spaulding physician’s report dated July 17, 1995, indicates she experienced a “coma approximately 12 hours in duration (27a). Ms. Dorchak’s own written interrogatories indicate that in the emergency room, she “registered 8 on the Glasgow coma scale, which ranges from a low of 3 (completely nonresponsive) to 15 (normal orientation)” (6). Her interrogatories note that “by September 28, 1992, I was able to ambulate with a narrow based support” (8). This was just 18 days after the accident. Not quite a month after the accident, Ms. Dorchak was released to inpatient therapy at the Greenery Rehabilitation Facility for 2-1/2 weeks. Two months after the accident, she was released to home and referred for outpatient OT and PT at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. Outpatient notes indicate that on November 20, 1992, Ms. Dorchak “came to PT in good spirits wearing a dress, pantyhose and dress shoes (1/2” heel). Motivation was high and patient did well with balance/coordination activities” (41). A Spaulding physician’s evaluation on January 7, 1993, reflects that Ms. Dorchak was functioning well in an independent manner. The report states, “She does the grocery shopping without a list … she is able to negotiate her way around town dealing with crowds, traffic, and uneven surfaces” (22). In this report, the physician recommends that Ms. Dorchak “start jogging on a jogging track” and that she “attempt one or two days back at work to look at both her endurance and her capacity to function cognitively” (23).            

At 2:25 in the video, Ms. Dorchak states, “[Kelsey] pulled on the leash and pulled me from a direct frontal hit from the train. I know Kelsey saved my life.”            

Ms. Dorchak would have no way of knowing this because she confirms in written interrogatories that she does not recall having a dog with her on the day of the accident (4). In her deposition, she affirms she has no memory whatsoever of the accident (65). Kelsey may have pulled her from a direct hit and saved her life, but based on her own court testimony, Ms. Dorchak has no idea whether this is true or not.            

At 2:35 in the video, Ms. Dorchak states, “We spent two years together in recuperation.”            
As previously indicated, the dog’s recovery cannot be corroborated except for a photograph that shows her standing on two hind legs in front of Ms. Dorchak’s wheelchair. Such an action is not indicative of a dog with a recently broken hip that required hip replacement surgery.            
With regard to Ms. Dorchak’s recuperation, she may have had residual issues for up to two years, but her recuperation was well underway much earlier. For example, a Spaulding physician’s report on March 16, 1993, documents that she was “finishing up” outpatient occupational and physical therapy (26). Therefore, according to medical records in the file, her inpatient and outpatient therapy lasted for approximately six months after the accident. In that report, the doctor notes that “vocational therapy is recommended” and a “return to work will need to be mediated by a trained vocational counselor” (26). Ms. Dorchak’s written interrogatories indicate she had not returned to full-time work as of July 17, 1993 (20). A Spaulding physician’s report dated July 17, 1995 describes limitations in life and work duties that were not yet resolved, but included the statement, “she is working full time and has resumed jogging or fast walking for about 30 minutes/day” (27B).      
      
The point of this comparative analysis is not to diminish Ms. Dorchak’s injuries suffered as a consequence of a light rail vehicle/pedestrian accident. She deserves applause for her perseverance and triumph over adversity to experience a second chance in life. Nevertheless, many of the details in the “Animal Inventory” video (and a wide variety of other media platforms) with regard to the accident and its aftermath are either exaggerations or fabrications.    The biggest red-flag on this is Ms. Dorchak’s own sworn testimony in depositions and interrogatories where she consistently claims to have no memory of the accident.  Additionally, other court testimony contradicts information she now offers as fact. She can’t have it both ways. Either she lied under oath or she is lying in the video and other media venues. Before the lawsuit was discovered, she could make up details to fit the fundraising occasion and no one would know the difference. Having the lawsuit available to fact-check means this fast-and-loose tactic is not an option.            

The jury involved in the lawsuit was comprised of average citizens just like the average citizens who donate hundreds-of-thousands of dollars annually to Ms. Dorchak’s non-profit organization, GREY2K USA. Back in 1995, the jury ruled against Ms. Dorchak and in favor of those she sued. Actually, the jury found her guilty of trespassing on the defendants’ property and determined the defendants’ actions involved no willful, wanton or reckless conduct.  Nowadays, there is no reason to believe the story Ms. Dorchak so conveniently weaves, especially since it has been decorated with all kinds of emotional embellishments to tug at our heart and purse strings.             

I am the first to believe we are all allowed our fantasies. If we want to make up stories about our lives, we are free to do so, but not when we earn our living, as Ms. Dorchak does, by soliciting donations from an unsuspecting public, particularly when the story told is riddled with false statements.     
          
It is clear that Ms. Dorchak has taken unfair advantage of many innocent individuals in her quest to feather her own nest while building a worldwide empire. At the very least, she owes an apology to those who donated time and money to GREY2K USA based on lies she has spread. An apology is certainly due to folks in greyhound racing—and greyhounds, themselves—for her self-serving manipulations and misleading campaigns. Now is the time to make amends, if amends can be made after wreaking so much havoc. Meanwhile, let the public judge Ms. Dorchak and GREY2K USA based on facts rather than fabrications.

Bibliography

Anderson, Cynthia. “One Woman’s Crusade to Ban Greyhound Racing.” Christian Science Monitor. 10 Oct. 2007. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1010/p20s01-ussc.html

“Animal Inventory TV, Episode 2: Christine and Kelsey and Zoe.” Uploaded by Animal Inventory. 28 Oct 2008. Youtube. 17 Nov. 2013. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xF1tk7TYzM

Animal Rights Conference. n.d., n.p. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.  http://web.archive.org/web/20030623105807/http://www.animalrights2003.org/speakerassignments.html

Buccini, Cynthia. “A Dogged Fight.” Boston University Alumni. Bostonia. Summer 2008. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.  http://www.bu.edu/bostonia/summer09/greyhounds/

Christine Dorchak Bio. Speaker Bios. Animal Liberation Front. n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.  http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk301/digdog9/ALF_dorchak.jpg “Christine Dorchak of GREY2K USA Champions Greyhounds.” 

Pet News and Views. 30 Apr. 2010. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.  http://petnewsandviews.com/2010/04/christine-dorchak-champions-greyhounds/

Dorchak v. MBTA. 93-1023. Suffolk County Superior Court. 1995. Print.

Dorchak, Christine. “Christine Dorchak, Dog Lawyer Works to End Greyhound Racing in the 2K … With Help of Deleuse.com jewelry!” Deleuse Design Collective. n.d. n.p. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.  http://deleuse.com/blogs/news/8602641-christine-dorchak-dog-lawyer-works-to-end-greyhound-racing-in-the-2k-with-help-of-deleuse-com-jewelry

Dorchak, Christine. “Hope Rises for English Greyhounds.” GREY2K USA. n.d. n.p. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.  http://www.grey2kusa.org/eNEWS/G2K-91212.html

Dorchak, Christine. “The Fight to End Dog Racing Nationwide.” American Dog Magazine. Winter 2008: 142. Print.


GREY2K USA Worldwide. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. http://www.grey2kusa.org/index.php“Official Massachusetts Information for Voters: the 2008 Ballot Questions.” 

The Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. n.d.: 12-13. Web/PDF File. 17 Nov. 2013.  http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/IFV_2008.pdf


Platt, Teresa. “An Unmarked Anniversary: A Dozen years on HSUS’s Payroll.” Fur Commission USA Commentary. Fur Commission. 23 Nov. 2011. Web. 17 Nov 2013.


Platt, Teresa. “Careers in the Conflict Industry: HSUS and the Making of a Conflict Industrialist.” Fur Commission USA Commentary. Fur Commission. 12 Aug 2001. Web. 17 Nov 2013.  http://www.furcommission.com/careers-in-the-conflict-industry/

“Return of Votes for Massachusetts State Election 4 Nov 2008.” The Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Elections Division. n.d.: 51. Web/PDF File. 17 Nov. 2013.  http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/2008%20Return%20of%20Votes%20Complete.pdf

Theil, Carey. “Grey2K.” Greyhounds 4 Life. Yahoo Group. 6 Dec 2000. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.  http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/greyhounds4life/conversations/topics/1905

U.S. v. Coronado. 1:93-CR-116. United States of America. U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Southern Division. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.  http://web.archive.org/web/20110608061905/http://www.eskimo.com/~rarnold/Coronado%20Sentencing.pdf

"Who We Are." GREY2K USA Worldwide.  Web. 17 Nov, 2013.   http://www.grey2kusa.org/index.php

Yurda. “Protect Greyhounds – End Dog Racing! Interview with Christine Dorchak from GREY2K USA.” Pack People. 31 May 2012. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. http://www.packpeople.com/protect-greyhounds-end-dog-racing-interview-with-christine-from-grey2k/###



Leslie A. Wootten is an investigative researcher and author specializing in greyhounds and greyhound racing in the USA. 

© Leslie A. Wootten, 2013. For PDF reprint requests, contact the author at lawootten@msn.com.

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Grey2K - More Hypocrisy!

Grey2K is an organization founded on hypocrisy.


Grey2K complains when a greyhound is humanely euthanized but the President, Christine Dorchak, is a PeTA supporter and has participated in PeTA protests.  Dorchak counts Ingrid Newkirk, who has stated she has personally destroyed adoptable pets, among her friends.  And, in case y'all don't know, PeTA kills just about all of the pets which come into its hands, voluntarily or by unethical means: theft, lies, etc.  PeTA has killed many tens of thousands of animals.



Interesting that Grey2K is ok with crate sizes of 24"W x 36"L and 32"H. Yet, they have a problem with the larger crates at the tracks. Crates that have a mandated size for the track of  
34"W x 42"D x 32"H.  Go figure...  Could it be that they don't have a problem with the smaller crates because that is the size recommended by them and other animal rights zealots such as those at the ASPCA?  See page 2.  http://www.grey2kusa.org/…/Florida_Rule_61D-2.023_Animal_We…

Excerpt from Page 2, FL Rule 61D-2.023 Animal Weelfar

Please remember, those fanatics are claiming that the dogs cannot stand up or lay down comfortably in the larger crate size. 



Grey2K and its supporters complain about racing dog folks "making money off the backs of the hounds", yet they rake in high dollar salaries on those same dogs with lies, innuendo, and propaganda.

Grey2K's monies distribution, including salaries

This pie chart indicates the percentages of salaries & other compensation that the Grey2K President, Dorchak, and Vice President, Theil (her husband), receive from the organization.  Pie chart is based on the 2013 IRS Form 990, which was filed by Grey2K. 

And another outstanding example of the Grey2K hypocrisy is found in the form of Grey2K Director Emeritus, Jill Hopfenbeck DVM.  Dr. Jill is a vet. She also owns and competes with whippets.  Her whippets compete in conformation (breed ring), lure coursing, obedience, and....  get this.....  amateur RACING! 

If Dr. Hopfenbeck is so against greyhound racing, why does she race her whippets???  She's  obviously very proud  of them, as she should be.  Just as the racing people, those she has been trying to destroy for years, are proud of their dogs & their dogs accomplishments, or lack there of.  Talk about a case of  "don't do as I do; do as I say"!  Oh, if you don't believe she races her dogs, Goggle "Hopfenbeck Whippet Racing".  Look for yourself.


Advertisement found in the 2012 Whippet News Annual



There are many more examples of Grey2K's hypocrisy. These, however, are to me the most glaring.


Here's a quote from a racing man, Craig Randle, "Funny how anti-racing people profess their love and caring nature, but they are some of the meanest natured, foul-mouthed, hypocritical people who ever sat in front of a keyboard!"



Yours in greyhounds...