NY Times Article & National Geographic Special

Back in January 1993, National Geographic produced an episode on greyhound racing. It was titled, Running for their Lives. That documentary, so many years ago, is what motivated me to "rescue" an "abused" greyhound. Yep... make no mistake... I was VERY much anti-racing and believed that such a horrible & cruel "sport" needed to be shut down and made illegal. How could people abuse dogs... dogs which give so much to so many...  I was horrified!  In time, however, I came to find out that all was not as it was presented and that things were constantly changing.

To this date, nearly 20 years later, people still cite this program when they want to ban greyhound racing.  Do they believe that greyhound racing and the people involved in greyhound racing haven't changed in 20 YEARS????

Here's a for instance, on March 8, 2012, the New York Times published an article called, Greyhound Races Face Extinction At The Hands of Casinos They Fostered.  The article discusses how greyhound track owners, which also happen to own the casinos, want to end racing. That way, they can expand the casino operations and make more profit on the backs of people addicted to the proverbial "easy money".  To wager on either horse or dog races, you have to have some skills in handicapping, some math skills.  It involves some work other than putting coins into a "one-armed bandit" aka slot machine. Gamblers have voiced the opinion that it is "too much work" to handicap and bet on either horses or dogs. They want to "get rich quick".

A comment from "Edward J" of Ocala, FL, dated March 9, states:
"After watching a National Geographic TV special on Greyhounds, I looked into the grey rescue program & wound up adopting my first in 1993--her name was Butter & she was the best dog I have ever had. Since 1993, I adopted six more, once having 3 greys at once---I had 5 acres, 1 fenced in. I have loved each one---5 were females, none of which lived past 8 yrs of age, as they all died from some form of cancer. I was told that the females were injected with a medication to prevent them from going into heat while they were racing--this medication evidently results in disrupting their metabliism, which then can result in cancer.


I won't get into the wounds evident on each of my adopted dogs, as others have already done so for their greys. They are wonderful animals, gentle, sweet and affectionate, once they gain your trust.


I am pleased to read that the tracks arfe closing--it cannot happen fast enough for me.


The pro-racing folks should watch the National Geographic special on greys, then let me hear your spin on how great the `sport' is." (sic)

There are inaccuracies in his statement, the most glaring examples are that the drug(s) used for estrous suppression cause cancer and the implication that scars are from wounds inflicted by abuse. Estrous suppression using testosterone and its derivatives is an accepted animal husbandry practice for a wide variety of animals. There have been many, many studies on this accepted practice.

Estrous Suppression
According to the 1st edition of the 2007 publication, Care of the Racing & Retired Greyhound by Drs Linda L Blythe, DVM, PhD; James R Gannon AM, BVSc, FACVSc; A. Morrie Craig, PhD; and Desmond P Fean, MVB, MRCVS, the most common estrous suppressors in use in the USA are testosterone derivatives. In addition to suppressing the estrous cycle, they also increase muscular strength and endurance, allowing the normally smaller females (bitches) to compete with the larger males (dogs). Greyhound racing, unlike horse racing, does not have separate races for females (bitches). In the USA, there are limited types of testosterone available and ALL need to be obtained  through a prescription by a vet. The derivatives most commonly used in the USA are Halotestin, methyl testosterone (Vita Max Rx) and/or testosterone cypionate (Anicare).  Estrus can also be prevented by using a human estrogen contraceptive pill.

Yep...  greyhounds have "the Pill".  According to the American Cancer Society, testosterone derivatives are used to TREAT several types of cancers, including breast cancer. They are not implicated in causing cancers.

Wounds = Abuse
Wounds (scars) - Greyhounds as a breed have notoriously thin skin that tears fairly easily. It is a breed trait regardless of registry. Skin tears happen in both show & racing bred greyhounds. When the skin tears, an owner has to decide if the wound will be either left alone to heal on its own, stapled or sutured. Much depends upon the size of the injury, the type of injury and the amount of bleeding, if any. Regardless of treatment, there will be a scar. A quick snap of the jaws, and a dog is missing a piece of skin, leading to a scar. A swat of a sharp toenail from a littermate, the greyhound has a scar. A scrape to the skin just resulting in missing hair (no cut) and a greyhound has a scar.

The worst skin wound I've personally seen was a dog who all but degloved his leg in his crate in a foster home. To this day, no one knows how he did it. The vet drew up and sutured back together as much of the skin as possible, but there was still a very large area where there was no skin to suture! Use of a product called, Granulex, multiple times a day on the denuded area allowed good healing and skin regrowth with surprisingly little scarring.  It's the nature of the breed and does not indicate any kind of abuse.

Other comments from the same article...

Jon Rand of Kansas City, MO states on March 9, "The inhumane treatment of greyhounds is much worse than indicated in this very interesting story. Most people know how many greyhounds have been put down over the years when they no longer can race, and the adoption efforts barely make a dent in that population. The real dirty secret is all the pups that have been killed and tossed in dumps near breeding and training centers once it's determined they don't have a future on the track."

Greyhounds are no longer routinely "put down" when their racing careers are over. It is estimated that  90% of adoptable greyhounds are finding a 2nd careers after racing - being pets and companions.  An even smaller percentage are returned to the farm for breeding purposes.  I'd say that an adoption rate of 90% or greater is more than making "a dent" in the post racing population.   Also, puppies are not killed as an individual greyhound's ability to successfully race is not determined until the dogs are about 18 months of age and actually on a track.  Today, when a dog is determined to be unsuccessful, they go into adoption.

Nora Gloria, Newburgh, NY - "For all the proponents of dog racing and the "charmed life" the dog supposedly lives, let me sand your paws and keep you in a cell. No animal so housed lives a good life. All my pets are part of my family "pack", are treated as such, and given LOTS of space. Greyhounds may want to race natrually, but last I heard, no dog VOLUNTEERED to do so for humans, expecially at the cost of spending the majority of its existence in a cage (except, of course, for when there's money to be made). Just like the circus, horse-drawn carriages, racing AND industrial farming, anything that exploits animals for the almighty buck - and abuses animals - needs to be ended."

Sanding paws?  What???  I've been involved with greyhounds for about 20 years and I thought I'd heard all of the abuse myths but this is a new one even for me!  Please tell me what would be accomplished by sanding a dogs feet? The dog won't win and, in fact, it won't even be on the track as the supervising veterinarian would scratch the dog from the race due to its being sore footed! A licensed trainer would lose his license and how he makes a living.  The state's gambling commission would be all over the kennel and its employees.  What is to be gained?  This is, by far, the most ludicrous statement I've ever heard!

Despite my love for animals I recognize one very real truth: animals are not people. Animals, i.e., Greyhounds, neither "volunteer" nor live in "cells".  The only thing that Greyhounds "volunteer" for is eating and being loved on.  As for "cells", Greyhounds are kept confined for reasons of safety and health in large, spacious wire crates. They are turned out for exercise and to void many times a day. They have numerous interactions with people on a daily basis. Those interactions include, but are not limited to: massages, exercise, walks, feeding, vetting, and just talking to and petting the dog.

A previous post to this blog, James Campbell - One Year Later, highlighted the benefits of keeping greyhounds kenneled in an orderly fashion. Kenneling his dogs in crates allowed him to evacuate all the greyhounds (60 of them) from a burning kennel building with no loss of life! Can you imagine trying to do this with dogs running loose in a building?  Also, what about the possibility of their escaping from the building while carrying in supplies like multiple 50# bags of dog food to mix in with their meat?  What about keeping them safe from dog fights?

Other comments cite the Greyhound Protection League (GPL). The most recent comment on the GPL website is dated 2004 - 8 years ago.  They classify kennel cough, a common virus in dogs (bordatella), as "abuse".

From the GPL "abuse" page - "KENNEL COUGH STRIKES AGAIN - The virus, once again, started in South Florida and spread throughout the state. It then made its way to Alabama, Arkansas, Texas and to tracks in New England in spite of quarantines. Reporting of race dog deaths is not mandatory. The acknowledged death toll of 22 is contradicted by insider reports which put the number closer to 50. Researchers are attempting to determine why this highly contagious, but relatively benign virus turns deadly in racing dogs. The effects from the stress of racing are being explored. Source: Multiple media sources June - July 2004; University of Florida Veterinary School"What GPL did not report is that the virus, which swept across the nation affecting all dogs from all walks of life is a new canine influenza virus, not bordatella. It is H3N8, which is a Type A influenza virus believed to have mutated from an influenza strain that affects horses. It has killed racing greyhounds in seven states and has been found in shelters and pet shops in many places, including the New York suburbs. The extent of its spread can be seen in the chart.

Dr. Cynda Crawford, an immunologist at the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine who is studying the virus, said that it spread most easily where dogs were housed together but that it could also be passed on the street, in dog runs or even by a human transferring it from one dog to another. Kennel workers have carried the virus home with them.

Boarding kennels nationwide had to shut down to be disinfected. Dogs at boarding kennels also died as did show dogs. This is not abuse.  It's a viral, infectious disease that is spread by direct contact and/or by contact with aerosolized body fluids, i.e., coughing, sneezing, etc.

Beth M, Atlanta on Mar 8. "Sugar spent most of her time at Dubuque, IA... Sugar refused to go into her kennel. Try putting a 75lb dog in a crated when they don't want to go in is impossible. Since adopting Suger, I have seen the crates that dogs are kept in at a track. These are little slices of hell for these dogs. They are filthy, dark little holes that they spend apx. 20hrs a day in. Greyhounds only race apx. 1 out of every 3 days for 1/4 mi. The rest of the time is spent in the crates"

Here's a picture of a typical kennel situation.

Typical Racing Kennel, courtesy of  Rachel Hogue Photography

Melanie, NY on Mar 8 - "I've been involved in Greyhound rescue and advocacy for over 20 years, I've personally funded more rescues and broken dogs than Gary Guccione ever has or ever will. I know plenty of people involved longer than myself, including dogmen who will attest that--"

She neglects to mention that Grey2K USA (Grey2K) does not fund dogs at all.  Period.  None of the hundreds of thousands of dollars that Grey2K takes in as "donations for the dogs" provides any direct services to "the dogs" nor to the adoption groups which find them homes.  Nothing... Nada... Zilch.

However, she's quick to assume that the NGA, specifically Gary Guccione, has not paid for the care of any greyhounds. Yet, the NGA formed the American Greyhound Council (AGC), which provides grant monies to adoption groups. From the AGC website

"The American Greyhound Council (AGC) was established in 1987 to fund and manage greyhound welfare, research and adoption programs for the racing community. It is a joint effort of the National Greyhound Association, the official greyhound registry and breeding organization; and the American Greyhound Track Operators Association."

Melanie's assumptions are grossly wrong.

By now, I think you get the picture.  If not, this one really spells it out...

"The Eagle" - "Ban dog shows! Those dogs are treated worse than racing dogs. They are in kennels their whole lives and never get to run. Or is that treading on the rich and famous and liberal elitist territory?

While we're at it, ban dog ownership in cities. Those dogs never get to run unless they go to a dog park - once a week.

Dogs are meant to run. What distinguishes them from any other animal in the world is their ability to run full speed for extended lengths of time and distance. How does cooping one up in the house or an apartment all day and then taking them for a walk on a leash seem humane?

What's good for the goose is good for the yuppie, for the metro sexual and for the liberal elite - who are always telling everyone else how to do things."


The statement above is ignorant and so very, very disturbing. It espouses the view of Wayne Pacelle, President of the Humane Society of the US (HSUS), who has stated that he has no problem with the extinction of domesticated animals.

Here are some of the most revealing quotes:

When asked if he envisioned a future without pets, “If I had my personal view, perhaps that might take hold. In fact, I don’t want to see another dog or cat born.” ----Wayne Pacelle quoted in Bloodties: Nature, Culture and the Hunt by Ted Kerasote, 1993, p. 266.

“One generation and out. We have no problem with the extinction of domestic animals.” ---Wayne Pacelle, quoted in Animal People, May, 1993

“The entire animal rights movement in the United States reacted with unfettered glee at the Ban in England ...We view this act of parliament as one of the most important actions in the history of the animal rights movement. This will energise our efforts to stop hunting with hounds.” ---Wayne Pacelle, London Times, December 26, 2004

"We are going to use the ballot box and the democratic process to stop all hunting in the United States ... We will take it species by species until all hunting is stopped in California. Then we will take it state by state." ---Wayne Pacelle, Full Cry Magazine, October 1, 1990.

Grey2K USA and its efforts are sponsored and fiscally supported by the Humane Society of the US (HSUS) - an animal rights organization that does not run any animal shelters and, in fact, donates less than 1% of its revenue to providing services for animals in need and/or those that attend to them. On the website, Follow the Money, one can see who donates to whom and how much.

There, you will find that in 2008 that HSUS made large donations to the political action committee known as "Committee to Protect Dogs", an offshoot of Grey2K USA.

Committee to Protect Dogs Screen Shot on Follow the Money

Additional proof that the Committee to Protect Dogs is Grey2K USA under a different name includes:

1) The presence of Christine Dorchak, President of Grey2K. To quote the Somerville News on Oct 10, 2008, "Christine Dorchak, of the Davis Square-based Committee to Protect Dogs, would..."
2) Each and every link that has been found on said Committee goes back to the Grey2K USA website.
3) The online version of the Boston Globe on Nov 4, 2008 commented that "the Committee (Committee To Protect Dogs) -- formed by Grey2K USA, the Humane Society of the United States, and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals-Angell Medical Center (MSPCA-Angell)..."

For more info on HSUS, please visit Humane Watch!  For the truth about greyhounds and greyhound racing, please visit All About Greyhounds. To see which legislators vote for Animal Rights bills in your state and nationwide, please visit Follow The Money.