Grey2K: Has Motive Overcome Ethics?

By Dick Ciampa

Grey2K has always been entirely one-sided in its campaign against greyhound racing. However, in the last couple of years, the organization has shown a disturbing tendency to move beyond its usual self-serving “advocacy”.

In 2011, an owner of racing (and retired) greyhounds wanted to help Ronald McDonald House. The plan was to donate all earnings from several of their racing hounds. In addition, once retired, the hounds would join another in the household in becoming therapy dogs for children with cancer, thereby helping very sick children and, in a low key manner, promoting adoption.

Ronald McDonald House provides accommodation for families near the hospital where their child is being treated for cancer. It is a compassionate, humane charity, and it is hard to imagine anyone not wanting to support it. Except, apparently, Grey2K.

When Grey2K found out about the plan, they persuaded (some might say bullied) Ronald McDonald House to decline the offer.  Nice job Grey2K, why help the parents of children with cancer?

That same year, in Australia, “Go the Pink Dog” raised over $120,000 for the McGrath Foundation, which funds specialized breast care nurses for women fighting breast cancer, as well as programs to raise prevention awareness among young women.

Go the Pink Dog to Benefit The McGrath Foundation

“Go the Pink Dog” is a racing industry program that was started in 2010, and runs for one month each year. During that month, one greyhound in each race wears a pink vest. If that hound wins their race, $500 is donated to the McGrath Foundation.

In 2011 representatives from the McGrath Foundation declined to appear to accept their very generous check after receiving untold numbers of letters and e-mails, mainly from supporters of “a well-known US-based anti-racing lobby group”, whose name is familiar to many, and even death threats from similar local opponents.  Who would imagine standing tall and proud in opposition to helping women fighting breast cancer?

More recently, on April 30, 2013, Grey2K leaders posted a request on their Facebook page, asking a UK hospital not to accept money from greyhound racing.  This was in response to an event planned for Saturday, May 11, to raise money for The Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital Charity. In addition, 10% of the money raised would go to The Retired Greyhound Trust. Grey2K is not only attempting to subvert a fundraiser for the children’s hospital, but also to deprive greyhound adoption of 10% of the money.

Looking at the big picture, Grey2K has lobbied against raising money for the Ronald McDonald House, The McGrath Foundation, and now, The Great Ormond Children’s Hospital Charity and The Retired Greyhound Trust.

Every Grey2K supporter should take a step back and ask themselves whether, in good conscience, they support these tactics, and by extension, the organization behind them.  How does depriving charities of needed funding contribute to the greater good?  Observers can be forgiven if the term “mean-spirited” comes to mind.

Grey2K it seems, is willing, regardless of whom may be hurt, to suppress any positive aspect of greyhound racing.  

What is Grey2K afraid of?

Apparently, the truth: which is that, like everything else, greyhound racing is a spectrum, much of it good, some of it bad. But that doesn’t play as well, or bring in donations as successfully, as the “all bad” image Grey2K chooses to present, no matter who is innocently hurt in the process