Very Sad Day At The Vet Today

[Cheyd]

I can think of plenty of things to be more appalled at in the animal world than a dog humanely put down at the vet!

THIS

[fifi]

Question: if greyhounds are not bred for racing, will there be any greyhounds? Few seem to be shown and I query if a rare breed is what greyhound people want? Can't there be a middle ground?

yes there will always be greyhounds even if they are a rare breed in the showring.

Absolutley, and look at the quality in Europe :)

fifi

hey we have excellent quality here too :D

yes, I didn't mean that we didn't, I was thinking more of the depth of numbers as well as quality there.

fifi

[fifi]

I can think of plenty of things to be more appalled at in the animal world than a dog humanely put down at the vet!

I don't think the emotion is just over this one dog, but what is represented by a disposable industry & mindset.

fifi

[Blackdogs]

I think it would be beneficial to take the money out of the industry. Sure you can race a greyhound, but you cannot bet on it. It's no longer a commercial sport.

This way we can preserve the athleticism of the breed without involving people who are motivated by things other than the dogs themselves.

Would there be an initial loss of life? Potentially, however, there is currently an ongoing loss of life that will be eternal and a propagation of a disposable mentality.

More lives wil be lost with the ongoing existence of the GH racing industry than without it.

[Salukifan]

I think it would be beneficial to take the money out of the industry. Sure you can race a greyhound, but you cannot bet on it. It's no longer a commercial sport.

This way we can preserve the athleticism of the breed without involving people who are motivated by things other than the dogs themselves.

Would there be an initial loss of life? Potentially, however, there is currently an ongoing loss of life that will be eternal and a propagation of a disposable mentality.

More lives wil be lost with the ongoing existence of the GH racing industry than without it.

This is how Whippets were raced back in the day. Although I think there was a bit of 'on track' betting between owners.

My view is that there should be no off track betting, no professional trainers and owner/trainers only. Let it be a hobby and once the dogs aren't seen simply as a walking source of money things would change.

[dog_fan]

:D sure. I have owned and fostered over 40 dogs, alot of puppies included, none of the puppies came to me with these issues, alot of dogs did.

I have bred, owned, fostered, bought or otherwise been closely involved with considerably more than 40 dogs and I can assure you that there are some pups out there with behavioural issues. SOME dogs are just born "wrong" - no different to the way some people are.

If the government banned Greyhound racing tomorrow, what do people here think is going to happen to the thousands of Greyhounds already alive?

Same as if horse racing was banned tomorrow.

Without having been there and actually having a long conversation with this woman, how can any of us judge her for having this dog PTS? How do we know what is happening in her life that would make it impossible for her to do anything but what she did?

I totally agree and I have seen the same

[Dame Aussie]

I find the entire greyhound and horse racing industries abhorrent.

Nothing but disposable animals with the odd success story.

Sorry, have witnessed both industries first hand and would dearly love to see these revovling doors of death, injury, and discarded lives stopped.

I can't dress it up, its tragic & preventable

fifi

Totally agree. Disgusting.

[Rebanne]

I think it would be beneficial to take the money out of the industry. Sure you can race a greyhound, but you cannot bet on it. It's no longer a commercial sport.

This way we can preserve the athleticism of the breed without involving people who are motivated by things other than the dogs themselves.

Um people who breed show bred greyhounds are already doing that. Racing greyhounds around a fenced in track after an artifical lure is a modern day event. Been happening less than a 100 years and the breed is many, many hundreds of years older then that. Sure my dogs wouldn't win a race but they haven't been bred to do that. They are hunting dogs, not race dogs.

[Polecatty]

So disgusting. The woman does not get a thumbs up of any description from me. She only gets the thumbs-down for treating a dog as a disposable tool- something to be thrown out once it is no longer useful.

Sure, there are people doing worse things in the big wide world of canines. However there are also a plethora of people doing a heck of a lot better- no kudos to her for doing better than starving a dog to death. It isn't exactly hard to do better than that.

[Blackdogs]

I think it would be beneficial to take the money out of the industry. Sure you can race a greyhound, but you cannot bet on it. It's no longer a commercial sport.

This way we can preserve the athleticism of the breed without involving people who are motivated by things other than the dogs themselves.

Um people who breed show bred greyhounds are already doing that. Racing greyhounds around a fenced in track after an artifical lure is a modern day event. Been happening less than a 100 years and the breed is many, many hundreds of years older then that. Sure my dogs wouldn't win a race but they haven't been bred to do that. They are hunting dogs, not race dogs.

Does everyone who shows their dogs hunt with their dogs as well?

There's a reason why many breeds have split into show and working categories. For most ANKC show dogs, there is no test of working ability.

[Blackdogs]

I think it would be beneficial to take the money out of the industry. Sure you can race a greyhound, but you cannot bet on it. It's no longer a commercial sport.

This way we can preserve the athleticism of the breed without involving people who are motivated by things other than the dogs themselves.

Would there be an initial loss of life? Potentially, however, there is currently an ongoing loss of life that will be eternal and a propagation of a disposable mentality.

More lives wil be lost with the ongoing existence of the GH racing industry than without it.

This is how Whippets were raced back in the day. Although I think there was a bit of 'on track' betting between owners.

My view is that there should be no off track betting, no professional trainers and owner/trainers only. Let it be a hobby and once the dogs aren't seen simply as a walking source of money things would change.

I agree.

[Polecatty]

I think it would be beneficial to take the money out of the industry. Sure you can race a greyhound, but you cannot bet on it. It's no longer a commercial sport.

This way we can preserve the athleticism of the breed without involving people who are motivated by things other than the dogs themselves.

Would there be an initial loss of life? Potentially, however, there is currently an ongoing loss of life that will be eternal and a propagation of a disposable mentality.

More lives wil be lost with the ongoing existence of the GH racing industry than without it.

Really like this idea. And there are plenty of sighthound breeds that are existing quite successfully without a racing industry to prop them up. Perhaps greyhounds would be better off as a breed if they were associated less with racing and more with being pets and showdogs- after all, greyhound rescue groups rather aggressively tackle the public perception that greyhounds are just 'vicious race dogs'. I don't think the racing industry has done the breed itself many favours.

As for preserving athleticism...lure coursing!

Edit: Also a very good point Telida!

Edited February 23, 2012 by Polecatty

[mr.mister]

I think it would be beneficial to take the money out of the industry. Sure you can race a greyhound, but you cannot bet on it. It's no longer a commercial sport.

This way we can preserve the athleticism of the breed without involving people who are motivated by things other than the dogs themselves.

Would there be an initial loss of life? Potentially, however, there is currently an ongoing loss of life that will be eternal and a propagation of a disposable mentality.

More lives wil be lost with the ongoing existence of the GH racing industry than without it.

This is how Whippets were raced back in the day. Although I think there was a bit of 'on track' betting between owners.

My view is that there should be no off track betting, no professional trainers and owner/trainers only. Let it be a hobby and once the dogs aren't seen simply as a walking source of money things would change.

I agree.

I like this idea very much. Don't know if I'll ever see it happen though.

Sorry everyone, I didn't intentionally start a post about a sensitive topic - was merely lamenting about the sadness I felt for Lucy.

[LizT]

It is terribly sad but this is part of the harsh reality of the Greyhound racing industry. There are always far more dogs than placements available and not all will pass GAP testing as suitable for pets either, so it's not even just a question of a placement at GAP saving the poor dog.

Before organisations like GAP the situation was even more dismal for Greys. People did not know what lovely natured animals they are and no one wanted a breed that needed a muzzle to be walked in public as a pet.

My OH's Grandfather raced Greyhounds in the 1930 -1950's and the land where he once lived is a vertible grehound cemetary of both unwanted puppies and adult dogs. Culling was the accepted practise of the time.

The horse racing industry too has contributed much to the horse pet meat industry. I guess the big cats at Melbourne Zoo need to eat too. Not too long ago here in the Yarra Valley if a horse was put down by bullet it was used to fed the Hunt Clubs Hounds. Made sense to me at the time. The animals spirit had well and truly left it and it was being put to a useful purpose.

[~Anne~]

It can be sugar coated in many ways but the fact remains that Greys are put to death every day because they are not wanted.

I worked for a couple of greyhound Vets although this was some years ago. My very first day included euthanasing Greys that were no longer wanted.

I lost count of the number of Greys I killed during this time. The vets didn't do it because it was such a common and simple procedure. It was left to the nurses.

I have hated the Greyhound racing industry ever since. Thank dog for orgs like GAP.

Edited February 23, 2012 by ~Anne~

[Rebanne]

I think it would be beneficial to take the money out of the industry. Sure you can race a greyhound, but you cannot bet on it. It's no longer a commercial sport.

This way we can preserve the athleticism of the breed without involving people who are motivated by things other than the dogs themselves.

Um people who breed show bred greyhounds are already doing that. Racing greyhounds around a fenced in track after an artifical lure is a modern day event. Been happening less than a 100 years and the breed is many, many hundreds of years older then that. Sure my dogs wouldn't win a race but they haven't been bred to do that. They are hunting dogs, not race dogs.

Does everyone who shows their dogs hunt with their dogs as well?

There's a reason why many breeds have split into show and working categories. For most ANKC show dogs, there is no test of working ability.

Same for greyhounds, very few dogs are actually allowed to hunt legally.

eta some of the race track failures could have been very good hunters. Racedogs need to be fast enough to win a race, doesn't mean they would make a good hunter.

Edited February 23, 2012 by Rebanne

[rubiton]

I get so sick of the simplistic 'lets just ban it' attitude.

Without horse racing would all the luxury such as feed, vet care, etc etc exist - would someone really have tried magnetic therapy, pellet food, stem cell research, colic surgery advances all wihtout the existnt of horse racing? Th eare photos in magazines from the 50s showing the 'new' way of transporting horses these days its so advanced that horses travelling around the world in special boxes to minimise injury - you cant say racing didnot help any of this along.

Perhaps greyhound racing has done the same in many techniqus - I don't know as I dont follow it but there seems plenty of treatments and theries used on racedogs now also used on pets.

Yes I hate it when the dogs are treated as throwaways (never got an answer years ago when I asked dog racing people if dogs have litters then where are brett Lees litter mates (that was the standout champ at the time). I also think its awful that if a gyhound breaks a leg in a race that its normally put down - cannot see why since dogs unlike horses can live with even three legs if need be. Only answer Ive heard is that its too hard to get them fit again Am I going to rave on about banning well no because this is stuff the industry itself should be working towards and its up to those 'good' participants to get the authorities to crack down on the 'bad' aspects.

As for that woman and the greyhound at the vet My judgement would have been made after one question - will you sell or give the dog away right now here at the vet (either they wanted to rehome it and had run out of options or they wanted it dead and that question answers that).

And yes I have heard of greyhounds taken to the vet where the person takign them has refused a last minute rehome offer and insisted the dog put down - likewise have heard stories of racing owners demanding a horse be sold to the knackery no matter what and trainers/handlers finding a way to rehome the horse 'witness protection' style.

[Rebanne]

As for that woman and the greyhound at the vet My judgement would have been made after one question - will you sell or give the dog away right now here at the vet (either they wanted to rehome it and had run out of options or they wanted it dead and that question answers that).

And yes I have heard of greyhounds taken to the vet where the person takign them has refused a last minute rehome offer and insisted the dog put down - likewise have heard stories of racing owners demanding a horse be sold to the knackery no matter what and trainers/handlers finding a way to rehome the horse 'witness protection' style.

I would put a greyhound down before handing it over to some random to do God knows what.

[rubiton]

As for that woman and the greyhound at the vet My judgement would have been made after one question - will you sell or give the dog away right now here at the vet (either they wanted to rehome it and had run out of options or they wanted it dead and that question answers that).

And yes I have heard of greyhounds taken to the vet where the person takign them has refused a last minute rehome offer and insisted the dog put down - likewise have heard stories of racing owners demanding a horse be sold to the knackery no matter what and trainers/handlers finding a way to rehome the horse 'witness protection' style.

I would put a greyhound down before handing it over to some random to do God knows what.

If you are in a vet with say a dog yourself and you have been there for years you clearly arent some random walking past in the street (little different).

[Rebanne]

As for that woman and the greyhound at the vet My judgement would have been made after one question - will you sell or give the dog away right now here at the vet (either they wanted to rehome it and had run out of options or they wanted it dead and that question answers that).

And yes I have heard of greyhounds taken to the vet where the person takign them has refused a last minute rehome offer and insisted the dog put down - likewise have heard stories of racing owners demanding a horse be sold to the knackery no matter what and trainers/handlers finding a way to rehome the horse 'witness protection' style.

I would put a greyhound down before handing it over to some random to do God knows what.

If you are in a vet with say a dog yourself and you have been there for years you clearly arent some random walking past in the street (little different).

if they have never set eyes on you before you are a random and you don't think greyhound people haven't been caught out before with giving dogs away? It's why some no longer do so and prefer to PTS as then they know the dog is not at risk.

My first encounter was with a greyhound dumped at the pound, original owner had given her to someone who in turn passed her along, who passed her along. Lucky for that girl her original owner was able to be contacted and the bitch was removed from the pound. Wonder how keen he was to rehome one of his dogs after that?