Greyhounds In The Park

We love animals, especially dogs.  Greyhounds are a favorite.  Greyhounds are a docile and easy-going breed of dog that make for great pets.  We should know, we have adopted three retired racing greyhounds into our family over the years.  Jag (racing name Jagged Puzzle) raced in Daytona, Florida before becoming a beloved member of our family.  Mustang (racing name Flortex Mustang) and Lilly (racing name Lilly Go Again) spent a few years on the dirt tracks of Alabama.  Each of these beautiful dogs has filled our lives with laughter and unconditional love for many years.  Jag and Mustang left us too early by losing their battles with cancer.  Have I told you lately that CANCER SUCKS?  Well, it does. It affects all members of our families, even our pets.  These greys will always hold a special place in our heart. They’ve brought much joy to our lives and we are always willing to do what we can to let others know how great owning a greyhound can be.  We are committed to finding forever homes for these great dogs.

All-Star Greyhounds is a non-profit organization that provides adoption services for greyhounds in Central and Northern Indiana. Their goal is to find responsible and loving homes for greyhounds who are no longer wanted for racing purposes, in animal shelters, or in need of a home. This organization is the type of organization that we used to rescue our three babies. All-Star Greyhounds locates dogs in need and transports them to our area. They find foster homes to care for and train the dogs while a forever home is sought. Greyhounds are a big breed of dog and there are many misconceptions an myths that people need to know. All-Star holds meet and greet sessions at local pet stores and festivals to spread the word about greyhounds and give people an opportunity to interact with dogs. This is exactly how we helped out.

We took Lilly to a meet and greet event at Canal Days in New Haven.  We spent a few hours interacting with fair-goers sharing the real facts about greyhounds and the stories of how they have enriched our lives.  We answered questions while Lilly and all of the other dogs who were present enjoyed the love they received from people of all ages.  These meet and greet events are extremely important in informing the public about the mistreatment of greyhounds, the needs for rescue, and putting to bed any misconceptions that others have about the breed.  It is always awesome to see the reactions of those meeting a greyhound for the firts time.  We had a great experience this week and we enjoyed our time with the greyhounds in the park.

Over the last decade, there has been an increase in the number of organizations that work to rescue retired racing greyhounds.  Unfortunately, the task of finding homes for dogs that are too slow, too old, or too broken is not the answer to eliminating the suffering of greyhounds.  According to experts:

• Greyhounds must be bred in large numbers in order to find a few exceptional racers.  Those that do not pan out to be good racers have no where to go.
• At tracks all over the United States, dogs that are too slow or injured are loaded onto “kill trucks” to make room for new, better racers.  Some are euthanized via needle, others are shot or beat to death.
• Greyhounds racing kennels keep dogs in small cages in complete darkness.  They have no bedding and they are constantly muzzled.

I have spent a lot of time watching You Tube videos about the mistreatment of these dogs.  Each time I see one, my hear breaks a little more.  Knowing that our dogs were also treated that way in a past life makes me very sick.  Dog racing is very cruel. Until the day that racing is prohibited, greyhounds will continue to be mistreated.  Something that I just cannot sit back and watch happen.  You can visit Grey2K USA to learn how you can help end dog racing in the United States.

If you are in the market for a dog, check out our friends at All-Star Greyhounds.  Adopting a greyhound will be one of the GREYTEST decisions you’ve ever made.