Crating is Cruel???? The Hypocrisy Continues...

The Carey Nation (Grey2K and its acolytes) and their hypocrisy concerning racing kennel crates...

Just to remind you, the Carey Nation excels at half-truths, fabrication, and emotional appeals. They use inflammatory words, such as describing dog crates as "cages", living in "warehouses", .  For instance, Grey2K writes, " ... the cruel housing system...", etc.  The sole purpose for these inflammatory descriptors is to raise money with which to line their pockets...  Yes, the founders of the Carey Nation are paid salaries.  To quote a person involved in greyhound adoption,

"Grey2K goes for blasting and sensationalism so they can blow things out of proportion, financially gain through pity parties and exploit Greyhounds to suit their own distorted, twisted minds."

Speaking of crates & kenneling....  One of Grey2K's biggest complaints surrounds the crating of the greyhounds at the race tracks. We truly do not understand why "crating" is such a hot issue with these folks. Veterinarians routinely use crates to keep the dogs in their care, safe & sound.  Why then is crating them in large & airy crates in a kennel situation considered a cruelty committed by racing people but not for veterinarians?  Why doesn't Grey2K speak to all the veterinarians that recommend the use of a crate for dogs for various reasons?  Why? Maybe it's because the AR's just need to have something to gripe about to keep their negativity going and directed against greyhound racing. I'd rather be a happy person than to wake up every morning angry like they are. 

The Greyhound Protection League (GPL), an ally of Grey2K, recommends that adopters use crates.  Here's a quote from the GPL website,

Photo courtesy of Darlene Izzo

"At the track, the dogs are accustomed to being let out of their crates several times a day to relieve themselves. Because of this, a similar routine in a new home makes housetraining relatively easy. When the adopter employs patience and common sense, the dog's natural cleanliness will assist in the process. The use of an airline crate can be of great assistance in helping the dog adjust to a new routine and environment."  


GPL is NOT the only anti-racing group which promotes the use of crates.  David Wolfe, President of an anti-racing group, NGAP, in Philly, uses these same crates to house retired greyhounds in his program's kennel. These same crates which Grey2K admonishes tracks for using are the same ones that NGAP use...  the same ones that David Wolfe SELLS.  Talk about a double standard... 


 it's okay to use them but ONLY IF someone is on the side of Grey2K.

OK...  If using a crate to house a greyhound is so cruel, why do they recommend their use?  It's not only contradictory, it is HYPOCRISY!

The Carey Nation (and its founders, Theil and his wife, Christine Dorchak) vociferously complain about the size of the crates. They say that there's no room for the dogs to stretch out, that they're cramped & tiny. Here's a quote from the Grey2K website, "While at the racetrack, dogs are confined in small cages barely large enough for them to stand up or turn around for long hours each day."  Yet, their ally, GPL  recommends using an airline crate.  

For those who do not know, the largest airline crates, those designed for Great Danes and Irish Wolfhounds, are smaller than the crates used in a greyhound kennel. Those giant breed crates measure 48"L x 32"W x 35"H, whereas the racing kennel crates measure 48"L x 36"W x 36"H.  As the measurements prove, the racing kennel crates are NOT small. They are larger than the largest airline crate available for Great Danes and Irish Wolfhounds.  The SkyKennel Crate shown is the largest airline crate made and it is the one recommended for Giant breeds like Great Danes. The largest racing greyhound is considerably smaller than a Great Dane.

Photo courtesy of Greg Morse

FACT - The average size of a greyhound crate in use in a kennel situation at a racetrack measures 48"L x 36"W x 36" while the largest airline crates measure 48"L x 32"W x 35"H.


Greyhounds love to lie on their back, exposing their tender belly to the world. This is a position that is only taken by dogs that are very comfortable and confident in their surroundings.  Dogs that feel very, very secure; that don't have a care in the world...  no worries.  If greyhounds didn't have the room or if they were sorely abused, another Grey2K false claim, we'd not have dogs like the black dog shown at left, thoroughly enjoying his crate, stretched out on his back.  


Grey2K likes to compare the kennels to dank and dark warehouses... no windows... no air circulation... dreary and dirty. The kennel shown is very typical - bright & spotless! The floor shines.  And, if you look to the right behind the kennels, you will see a blue, curtained window.  In this particular kennel, they use shredded paper as bedding.  The greyhounds love to burrow in it.

Kennel photos courtesy of C. Griebs

Note the ceiling fans & the HVAC vents on the left. Kennels are climate controlled for the comfort of the dogs.

Kennel photos courtesy of Christopher Grieb

It's a shame people don't do their homework, or they do but choose to ignore the truth so they can continue to raise their self worth by thinking they are doing something good, when, in reality, they're doing it backwards. Shame on them. 


Grey2K and the Carey Nation are the worst HYPOCRITES!  They talk about how cruel it is to kennel a dog in a crate. They call the crates cramped and small, "barely big enough for the dog to stand and turn around in", yet, they tell people to crate the dogs and they sell the same exact crates.  What HIPOCRISY!


Yours in greyhounds.....