A Dogs Tale....

    Today I want to talk about my two girls. They're not your average kids. They're exceptionally bright and most times well mannered. They listen to me when I tell them it's time to come in from outside. When it's time to go to bed, they go to their "rooms" without any back-talk. They stay slim and trim by not eating very much and only need a few minutes of exercise a day, and when I go to the store to buy them food, the checkout girl will sometimes ask me about them. "So how many do you have?" "I have two." I tell her "We use to have three, but Madison our middle child, died a few years ago." I know it's been longer, but it still hurts like it was last week. " So, did you adopt?" she would ask. I would puff up my chest and say proudly "Yes! And I will do it again, because Greyhounds are the best dogs I've ever had ".
   Now, knowing how well behaved they are, it's hard to understand how anyone could be mean to a dog that doesn't know what a stranger is, but the reality is, we live in a sick, sadistic and twisted world.
    I first heard about how sick and remorseless some people can be when watching the news one evening and hearing about a utility worker stumbling upon a mass grave filled with three thousand Greyhounds. This wasn't some Satan Worshipers using Greyhounds for sacrifices. No, we found out later that month, that it was a dog breeder that couldn't afford to feed them.
    How could anyone dispose of three thousand dogs without anyone seeing it happen? This guy had been doing this for years and years. In case you don't know it, all Greyhounds that are bred for racing have to be tattooed in their ears. One ear has their birth day and birth order and the other ear is tattooed with a registration number like a vin number for your car. It tell the Greyhound Racing Association who owns (breeds) the dog and its racing name. Now, with that in mind, all the dogs in the mass grave had an ear cut off so they couldn't be traced back to the breeder.
    The mass grave site isn't the worst story out there. The ones I've heard of are hard to believe but they are true. It seems the easiest way to kill a Greyhound is to hang it by its leash or a rope, or bludgeon it with a hammer or one of those slaughter house "kill bolts" like in the movie "No country for old men", or they would simple dig a big enough hole and bury them alive.
    Most people think they are taken to a vet and euthanized. Far from it. The lucky ones die a quick death,or are "sold" for medical experiments, but 99% don't. Most of the time it's a long and painful death. Sometimes taking days, either succumbing to their wounds or from starvation or lack of water.
    So, where's PETA? I wish I knew. I have NEVER heard one story or read one article in the media about them liberating a Greyhound breeding farm or racetrack kennel. Come on, PETA,  they're animals, too. Just because no one eats them or wears their fur (in this country), doesn't mean you can look the other way.
    Please try to understand WHY these dog are bred in the first place. They're bred to make money. When they start losing races, they die. The owner doesn't want to spend the money it takes to care for them for the rest of their lives. Race horses are put out to stud or breed, Greyhound are put to death. The owners and dog handlers no more care about these beautiful, graceful, unconditionally loving dogs than they do about the cow that was slaughtered to make their Big Mac they had for lunch.
     Rescue groups around the world try desperately to find homes for these animals because the more they take in and find homes for them, the more dogs they save from a horrific death. The estimates are twenty to thirty five thousand greyhounds are killed each year because of over breeding and lack of people adopting them.
     I feel that the reason people don't think about adopting a greyhound is the impressing that they are high-strung and need to run all day. Nothing can be further from the truth. These dogs are different then most dogs, but in a good way.
     Myth: Greyhounds need a big back yard to run for hours so they can keep their weight down.
     Truth: Greyhounds will use the backyard to play in but don't need to run til they drop. In fact a 10 minute walk will suit them fine. They won't have a weight issue if you keep them on a low fat diet. No table scraps or people food.
     Myth: Greyhounds are hyper.
     Truth: Greyhounds can be the laziest dog you'll ever meet. They are not called "Couch Dogs" for nothing.
     Myth: They are hard to train.
     Truth: Greyhounds are smarter then most people that I know. Yes, they will have to get use to their new name (unless you keep their track name) but after that, they listen pretty well.
     Myth: I'll need a big house because they're a big dog.
     Truth: They are tall, not big and they can curl up into a real small ball. Although having a fenced in yard is preferred, an apartment will do just as well as long as they get some exercise daily such as walking or sprinting. They're not long distance runners, they're sprinters.
     I hope that if you or someone you know is looking for a dog, please call or stop by a local Greyhound rescue group, and give a Grey a "test drive". I think you will be pleasantly surprised.