Lillynix

Absolutely, showdog, chances are we'd crate train the pup until we felt comfortable letting them roam the house, just like we did our current dog. I was just unsure how it would all unfold with toilet training really, if we're out all day, but I suppose it all just works out in the end...right?

Thank you, will have a read! :)

Hey everyone, just a question! We are thinking about introducing a new (whippet) puppy to our family, we also have a roughly 8yo grey x whippet (pound puppy), she adores other dogs and is still playful and full of energy, so she's not an issue. However, my question is, I'm just about to transition into (part-time) work after being at home raising our human children, is it irresponsible to introduce a new puppy when there isn't always going to be someone home during the day? Naturally we'd still go for walks like we do with our current dog, and training is a must. But my Husband is unsure about getting a puppy when there will be days where no one is home during working hours. What is the general consensus on this issue?

** Edit - just saw this article than mentions ammunition shells being found at the site: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-02/spent-ammunition-at-site-where-55-greyhound-carcasses-dumped/6367150 ** This is my surprised face...oh wait...I'm not surprised at all. One can only hope that these greys were humanely euthanised, but even then, humanely euthanised or not, it's still disgusting, and I'm still judging. I just really hope that this hitting the mainstream media and therefore, the wider general public, that people will begin to realise that this DOES happen. That the mass destruction of dogs within the racing industry is real, it does happen, it is disgusting and that greyhound advocates were not simply making this up. At the moment, any and all media attention surrounding this is a good thing.

I love seeing old dogs out and about, it doesn't matter if they go slow, so long as they are obviously enjoying themselves! I've seen a few old dogs at my local fenced off-leash area romping around, it's really lovely to see :) I remember as a young teen walking our old blind (had no eyes at all - they were removed) basset hound. She was quite adept and walking and navigating steps and bumps in the pavement as she used her long hanging ears as a guide. However some people still felt the need to comment negatively, though I mostly encountered positive people which was nice.

Okay, so 28 greyhounds in NSW are now barred from racing, and the suspensions make it so they can't be transferred and raced under other trainers. Okay great. But what is going to happen to those dogs? Where are they now? Are they still with the people they were with before? How long will they stay with those people? Is the welfare of those dogs being monitored? Whilst GRNSW said this: are they actually going to ensure the welfare of these dogs now that they're not racing, if so, how are they going to do that?It's good that some action has been taken and that people have had action taken against them, and I agree that these dogs should not be allowed to race under the circumstances...but what comes next for them? Has anyone actually put any thought into what happens to the dogs after they're barred from racing and are therefore effectively useless within the industry?

Yep Greyhound lover here, too! I am a lover of all sighthounds, always have been, they're just gorgeous dogs! Have really loved seeing all the gorgeous Grey photos and videos, and well, muzzle ball was hilarious :laugh: This is our Grey x Whippet having a run the other week when we had the dog park all to ourselves. We also went to a local sighthound group monthly gathering for the first time today, Lotta had a blast! Though I'm not sure if it was all of the other sighthounds she loved the most, or all of the other adults who she kept sneaking up to and nuzzling their hands until they gave her a pat! Or in some cases, just leaning on them until they gave her attention. She went back to a few people 3 or 4 times, the attention seeker she is :laugh: This is her 'camera face' as soon as she sees me trying to take a photo of her, she stops dead in her tracks and does this!

That is really lovely to hear that you've continued to have positive interactions in the aftermath! I have been anticipating the worst as well, even though our our rescue is a Grey x Whippet, so obviously never raced, but the general public see her and think she is an ex-racer based on size/looks. I've been confronted over her lack of muzzle (when obviously she's not required to have one - nor does she need it) in the past and when taking her to the off-lead area this morning was hoping that the other lady who was there with her dogs (GSD and Foxy) wouldn't confront me on anything given how people have apparently been reacting on the issue. She didn't, rather came to me, asking about her, commented on how lovely she was and told me about the local dog walking group that she's on the council of and invited me to come along whenever I wanted. That's wonderful news, gapvic! :D

Sorry, it was me who brought up the US, I was just pondering out loud as to how it all panned out over there when racing was banned in various states. I thought perhaps if it was a slightly positive outcome for the dogs, it could be something we could strive for here. I knew that adoption in the US was bigger than here, but I didn't realise it how much bigger it was, therefore probably not a realistic approach here. However I still think it's worth taking notes from other countries, we could learn from their positives and their negatives. I'm pretty sure that GAPTas is organising/endorsing a small gathering for a walk here on the weekend, though I'm not sure if it was spurred on because of the media attention or whether it was something happening anyway. I do hope that it goes ahead though and that it is a positive experience for those going along. There was also an article on ABC news site about Greyhound Racing Tas getting on the bandwagon to examine practices down here and cracking down on anything going on that shouldn't be. I sincerely hope that they do and they're not just doing things for appearances sake. They spoke with Emma from Brightside who claims to have anecdotal evidence of live baiting, hoping if it's the case that it's more isolated incidents here than systematically wide spread - I can only hope! You're going to be very disappointed, trust me. Oh don't get me wrong, whilst I do hope that it happens, I am not under any illusion that it actually will. I hope, but remain cynical *sigh*

Sorry, it was me who brought up the US, I was just pondering out loud as to how it all panned out over there when racing was banned in various states. I thought perhaps if it was a slightly positive outcome for the dogs, it could be something we could strive for here. I knew that adoption in the US was bigger than here, but I didn't realise it how much bigger it was, therefore probably not a realistic approach here. However I still think it's worth taking notes from other countries, we could learn from their positives and their negatives. I'm pretty sure that GAPTas is organising/endorsing a small gathering for a walk here on the weekend, though I'm not sure if it was spurred on because of the media attention or whether it was something happening anyway. I do hope that it goes ahead though and that it is a positive experience for those going along. There was also an article on ABC news site about Greyhound Racing Tas getting on the bandwagon to examine practices down here and cracking down on anything going on that shouldn't be. I sincerely hope that they do and they're not just doing things for appearances sake. They spoke with Emma from Brightside who claims to have anecdotal evidence of live baiting, hoping if it's the case that it's more isolated incidents here than systematically wide spread - I can only hope!

This has been my point all day yet only one person actually had the guts to say "I don't know" It's all well and good to throw your hands in the air screaming BAN IT NOW yet those hands would be straight under their arses if someone turned up on their doorstep tomorrow with a couple of homeless greys. Exactly. I have wondered how that side of things was handled (if at all) in the US when racing was banned in the various states. Was there an influx into rescues/pounds and therefore dogs not getting the attention they need before being responsibly rehomed? Were dogs killed by the hundreds, either humanely or otherwise? Was there an increase in neglect cases? I can only imagine that it was the latter options that happened, though obviously I have no idea. If after banning greyhound racing, how long did it take for the issue of "excess" greyhounds to rectify, or is it still an ongoing issue. As much as I wish that all animals weren't used for human entertainment for gambling purposes, I completely understand that a ban isn't the best option straight out. There would be too much of a fall out for the dogs, there just needs to be some serious overhauling of the industry and some independent regulatory bodies governing over it. Perhaps one day the "sport" could be phased out somehow, but getting up and just going 'right, it's banned', is never going to be a viable option.

In answer to point 3 - I have been receiving, on average, between 4 and 10 applications to adopt per day. Today? NONE. This is the affect the story has had on the public's willingness to adopt a greyhound. I feared this would happen as well, which is why in the face of all the people screaming 'TRAVESTY! BAN IT NOW!', I've been using social media to remind people that Greys are amazing pets and have been linking to all the Grey adoption pages I could think of in each state. It's sad that in the face of such horrors coming to the public eye of the masses, the dogs desperately needing loving homes are going to cop the fall out. I can only hope that it is short lived and that the rescues experiencing a drop off in interest are not dealing with the fall out for too long

Lotta got her name because as soon as my 4yo daughter met her at the pound, she just started calling her that, it seemed perfect and stuck I think it's a name from the children's cartoon 'Charlie and Lola'?

I hope the buy recovers well and isn't too traumatised by the event I must say, a big hate of mine is seeing people walking their dog on a long slack lead. For reasons like this. As a dog lover/owner, while Lotta walks wonderfully on lead and is no way aggressive/reactive I still keep her lead short with very little slack. She walks beside me with enough slack to be comfortable, but she can't get any further than 2 steps ahead of me. I do it for her safety and for the comfort (and safety) of others. As a mother, while my children know not to go near strange dogs without asking the owner first, I wish more dog owners in my area would show the same respect as I do when walking their dogs.

Bahaha that's great. I love it :D