Greyhound Racing

[Terrier]

You are joking, right?

Dogs with painful corns (probably related to low body fat percentage).

Dog with hearts so large and such oversized blood supply to their muscles that they can only run for a few minutes, and can be reduced to the point of collapse on a warm day.

Dogs that are not taught to run properly, because they cannot run for long, so they are quite capable of breaking their own legs while just frolicking in a field,

Dogs that run into posts and fences so fast that they die.

Dogs with built in self-destruct mechanisms that go off once they are too old to run commercially (bone cancer).

Dogs which tend to be bald, making them even more vulnerable to cuts and bruises.

Dogs with skin so thin that vets sigh at the idea of having to put stitches into the stuff.

Dogs where a significant number have to be kept onlead for their own safety.

Dogs that are routinely given appalling socialisation as pups, so they grow up not even knowing what, say, a terrier or a poodle is, and might well try to eat one rather than work with it.

 

And that's if they were kept in tiptop condition, and they just aren't. They are treated as a disposable resource: break one, dump one, get a new one. I'm not saying that the inbred problems are as bad as some of the poor show dogs, but I really don't think it's correct to say that racing has produced a healthy type of dog. Greyhounds are supposed to be hunting dogs; can you imagine trying to hunt anything with a pack of racing greyhounds?

 

I've got an ex-racer and a whippety lurcher thing, both roughly the same size. The greyhound is the product of generations of pedigree racers, the lurcher is a random stray whose breeding is anyone's guess, yet the lurcher is just so much less stupidly designed than the greyhound for basic things like not collapsing from heat exhaustion. The greyhound makes me go 'who thought this was a good idea???' on a regular basis.

Treated like a disposable resource? Routinely given appalling socialisation? I don't dispute that. Racing needs reform. I'm not suggesting that it carries on as it is!!!

 

You say that greyhounds are supposed to be hunting dogs. Maybe once upon a time, but not now. Whatever your opinion is wrt hunting/coursing, they can't do that any more because hunting with dogs is illegal.

 

Who thought this was a good idea? I don't see it as a bad idea. A dog with extraordinary grace and speed. A dog whose movement is beautifully balanced.

 

Compared with dogs bred for the pet market that are blind, deaf, have agonising joint pain etc etc, I'd say the greyhound is a pretty good bet for a healthy dog. The problems you point to within racing can be mitigated by an owner that is prepared for their reactions to hot weather.

 

My biggest question though, is - where should the next generation of dogs come from? If not from breeders that are striving for a dog that is fit for a particular purpose, then where?

[elricc]

I would be very happy if there were not a next generation I'm afraid, my joy in greyhounds lost would be a very small price to pay to end the misery to thousands and thousands.

Greyhounds are not fit and healthy, rotten teeth added to your list.

 

All the spanish and italian dogs were bought from the UK and Ireland, auctions mainly. Peterborough greyhound auction breaks your heart and the Irish ones are worse.

The spanish bitches were bought as they were small and old 5+. I saw them being kicked nd punched into tiny travelling kennels, three four muzzled and put in. Then driven to Spain via UK, all drugged with a percentage dieing on the way

[ClazUK]

I would be very happy if there were not a next generation I'm afraid, my joy in greyhounds lost would be a very small price to pay to end the misery to thousands and thousands.

My feelings exactly. Much as I love greyhounds, I'd happily forsake the breed rather than create thousands more lives facing cruely and neglect.

[Helly]

I would be very happy if there were not a next generation I'm afraid, my joy in greyhounds lost would be a very small price to pay to end the misery to thousands and thousands.

 

pretty much sums it up for me too. As much as i love my hounds, i would give them up to save the thousands dying every year in the name of sport. I would like to see the same eventually happen with horse racing too

[Terrier]

I think I understand your point elricc, and although I personally disagree - I also respect the opinion that dogs should be extinct. I suppose the crux of my argument comes from the assumption that people wanted dog ownership to continue. I've had that discussion before, and the moral argument could frankly have gone either way.

 

I don't know much about the laws governing the transportation of live animals but that's certainly another area that needs reform.

 

Rotten teeth - although undoubtedly susceptible to rotten teeth, rotten teeth are not a requirement for racing. Off the top of my head, another reform that could be implemented could be regular veterinary checkup to include teeth - dogs not allowed to race unless they've passed the check within a certain timeframe? Where a dog that has not passed a(n openly auditable) medical within the last x months cannot race?

 

My feelings exactly. Much as I love greyhounds, I'd happily forsake the breed rather than create thousands more lives facing cruely and neglect.

Fair enough - but my concern is for the whole species, not just one breed.

 

As for cruelty and neglect, I'm not sure that any arena can claim it has a perfect record there.

[Nettie]

As for stopping them from breeding other lines - I'm not sure. Perhaps increased levies (money raised to rgt) for each dog bred. Perhaps some form of quota system. I'm not sure.

 

However, if there were some way of limiting (either through financial penalty or legislation) the numbers bred, the breeder is forced (or at least more inclined) to take more care that the dogs produced are fit for purpose.

 

Legislation in the UK would be possible but not in Ireland nor would we be able to financially penalise Irish breeders, again out of our jurisdiction, and you can see how many pups are bred in Ireland from the figures Claz quoted. You couldn't ban importation because we're all part of the EC which is a 'free trade' zone. So UK breeders would either move their operations to Ireland, or stop breeding and Irish breeders would increase the number of pups bred, supply and demand.

[Terrier]

Legislation in the UK would be possible but not in Ireland nor would we be able to financially penalise Irish breeders, again out of our jurisdiction, and you can see how many pups are bred in Ireland from the figures Claz quoted. You couldn't ban importation because we're all part of the EC which is a 'free trade' zone. So UK breeders would either move their operations to Ireland, or stop breeding and Irish breeders would increase the number of pups bred, supply and demand.

A valid point, and one I'd not considered - thanks.

 

However, it would probably be in the interests of the Irish racing scene to support reforms within UK racing - or at least it might if those reforms eased some of the pressure on them.

 

I admit I'm not sure of the mechanisms involved here though, so not sure how that (or many of the other possible reforms) could be implemented.

[Happylittlegreensquirrel]

My focus is more whether or not racing SHOULD be banned.

 

 

I would turn that on its head and ask why racing should not be banned ?

 

 

put simply racing is a financial exercise for all ( humans ) involved , breeders , trainers, track owners and punters are all earning or gambling money

 

 

it's not about dogs, it's not about sport, cultural or community its about money , people can dress it up and down as much as they like but its about money and making money on the suffering of another living creature

 

 

In the 21st Century what possible justification is there for continuing with greyhound racing ?

[elricc]

However, it would probably be in the interests of the Irish racing scene to support reforms within UK racing - or at least it might if those reforms eased some of the pressure on them.

 

why would it be in there interests at all?

they couldn't care less.

Can i just ask if you have been to a greyhound auction?

[Mrs Mop]

I would like to see greyhound racing banned - I sit firmly in the I would like greyhound racing to end corner - and I would like it to end with as little suffering as possible for the dogs, however that is best achieved. Whether the government is likely to ban either greyhound racing or puppy farming, I have my doubts

 

That was said about hunting once but it has been banned. Many people didn't want the slave trade stopped, but thankfully it was. People can get what they want if they stick together with the same aims. I remember some time ago when Labour first had banning hunting in their manifesto, Michael food visited Huddersfield which was a labour stronghold. He was told if they didn't take the hunting ban out of the manifesto they would put the Conservative candidate in, they did. Labour has never had a stronghold on Huddersfield since.

 

Everyone has to sing the same song, we all have different views and different ways of doing things but when we want something banned we need to speak the same language.

[ReikiAnge]

Like I said, I am definitely in the corner for wanting greyhound racing to stop - as has been said by others, the industry is motivated by profit, not welfare. It wouldn't be economical or worthwhile for them to run it with the welfare of the dogs as a priority.

 

I am not convinced the hunting ban has improved things for foxes - whereas I do believe a ban on greyhound racing or puppy farming would improve things - although illegal puppy farming would be harder to monitor than illegal greyhound racing presumably.

[Terrier]

why would it be in there interests at all?

they couldn't care less.

Can i just ask if you have been to a greyhound auction?

What I meant by that was, that if the British racing scene made welfare improvements, they could put pressure on the Irish greyhound breeders to make similar improvements or lose sales.

 

And no - I've never been to a greyhound auction. Never felt the need to.

[Terrier]

I would turn that on its head and ask why racing should not be banned ?

 

 

put simply racing is a financial exercise for all ( humans ) involved , breeders , trainers, track owners and punters are all earning or gambling money

 

 

it's not about dogs, it's not about sport, cultural or community its about money , people can dress it up and down as much as they like but its about money and making money on the suffering of another living creature

 

 

In the 21st Century what possible justification is there for continuing with greyhound racing ?

Why not ban?

 

Put simply - I don't see that a killing off racing would help canine welfare. Suppose racing were stopped tomorrow. What then?

 

What exactly has changed? Dogs can no longer chase an artificial hare. That's it. Most of the problems within racing happen away from the track. They are a function of the money in the sport taking precedence over welfare.

 

If racing were lost, what is to stop William Hill et al from turning their attention to another sport, say - flyball. In a few years we have similar calls for a ban on flyball. Then maybe lure coursing. Then field trials. Then agility......... then....etc.

 

All the time, the welfare problems continue. Perhaps with collies or spaniels instead of greyhounds, but I see no reason why that is preferable.

 

I'm concerned that by banning racing, you're not so much throwing out the baby with the bathwater, as just throwing out the baby. It misses (or at least appears to miss) the very problems that have given racing such a bad name.

[Mrs Mop]

If racing were lost, what is to stop William Hill et al from turning their attention to another sport, say - flyball. In a few years we have similar calls for a ban on flyball. Then maybe lure coursing. Then field trials. Then agility......... then....etc.

 

This looks like you are saying it is fine for Greyhounds to race because then the attention won't go to other sports.

 

There is nothing to stop betting on flyball etc now. Many people will bet on anything no matter what it is and if they don't have something to bet on they will find something. Doesn't mean that we have to stand back and let them carry on with Greyhound racing.

[cycas]

I was rather assuming that due to the practical problems of legally identifying a 'greyhound' and a 'race' that legislation would take the form of a ban on betting on dog sports, and a ban on prizes for dog sports with a monetary value of more than, say £10, rather than an actual ban on greyhound racing as such. That's how I'd phrase it anyway, remove the financial incentive and kill the industry that way.