Author Archives: stevepryor

Dog Nail Trimming Made Simple

Posted on May 11, 2013 by stevepryor

As anyone with a dog knows,  their nails need to be trimmed regularly, just as ours do. Some groomers and veterinarians recommend trimming at least once a month to avoid getting long nails that can cause your dog to have problems walking or lead to toe injuries during play in the yard. Long nails can get caught in carpet and injure a dog when he pulls to free himself. The dog’s nails should just clear the floor when standing on a solid surface floor such as tile or linoleum. A good test is that you can slide a piece of paper under the nails when the dog is standing on a hard floor. If the nails block the paper slipping under them, they should probably be shortened.

There are special clippers designed to cut our dog’s nails. Please do not try to do this with human clippers. Many stores carry guillotine clippers, claw or scissor action clippers, and Dremel style rotating nail files (sanders or grinders). Which you choose depends on personal preference. I like the Dremel because I can work down slowly, and it is much harder to trim too short, as can easily be done with cutting type appliances…but the sound can be disturbing to some dogs, so it may be best to just let it run so the dog can hear it and get adjusted to the sound before actually trying to do any trimming with it.

Hopefully you have been handling your dogs feet from the “get go”. This will help remove concern about you holding her paws. Stoke the toes and feel between the pads gently. Clean between the pads to remove mud or other debris that may have accumulated; this makes the foot more comfortable. As you and your dog become more comfortable with you handling his feet, and as I said above, try “pretend clipping” the nails so that the dog becomes accustomed to the clippers or dremel and to the sound made.

Have someone instruct you in the process if you have not done nails before. Your veterinarian, a groomer, another dog owner who cares for her own dogs’ nails are all good resources for help in learning the procedure. Once you are comfortable with the process, you are ready to try it on your dog. Stay calm. Your dog will pick up on your anxieties if you do not remain tranquil.

Like our nails, dog nails will soften with soaking. Some groomers recommend that dogs have a bath first so nails are soaked and softened before trimming. This may also cause the clippers to snip more quietly.

Start by removing excess hair from the toe and pad areas of the foot so that the hair does not become entangled in the dremel or clippers. Trim the hair from between the pads on the bottoms of the feet. Besides making nail trimming easier, this will help keep the dogs feet clean and more healthy. In the winter, trimming this hair out will also help prevent ice balls from building up in your dogs’ feet. In the rainy spring or fall, trimming this assists in mud control besides comfort for the dog.

If you have someone who can help you by talking quietly to the dog and rubbing his ears while you work, it is an excellent distraction that keeps you and the dog calm. Rubbing the ears gently seems to sooth dogs and distract them from their feet. Feeding small bits of treats also helps make this a positive event for the dog.

Work from the underside of the nail. Work slowly and do not jerk. Sand or clip the nail down until you see a slight color change or small circle on dark nails. You should stop now. On white or light nails, you should be able to see where the pink area starts; stop before you get there. This is the quick or live section of the nail which contains blood vessels. If you should accidentally go too far and the nail bleeds, apply a styptic pencil or a bit of flour or baking soda to the wound. Hold it firmly in place for a minute or two. The bleeding should stop. If the bleeding continues for more than three or four minutes, we suggest you call your veterinarian.

You may follow up with a nice paw rub much like we use lotion on our hands. It helps moisturize the pads and keep them from cracking. Many different types of paw conditioner rubs are available, but be sure to remember dogs lick their paws so it must be safe if “consumed” by your friend.

Just as a side note, some dogs wear their nails down naturally and do not require much trimming, if any. Dogs who walk on concrete or gravel may not need nails trimmed as often as dogs that are kept mostly in the house on carpeted floors.

Does your dog scratch at the door to get in? Consider putting up small strips of light sand paper in the areas where the dog scratches. The dog’s front nails then become self filed and remain short.

Nail trimming is very important in greyhounds as with their sudden bursts of extreme acceleration and lightning changes in direction, having nails too long can present serious issues if they are caught in something.

It’s easy…just do it!

Categories: Bringing home a new dog, Greyhound Health, Greyhounds Health, Pet Health | Tags: , , , , ,

A Darker Shade of Grey…..hound Racing

Posted on April 26, 2013 by stevepryor

Every dog has its day. This may be true for some, however, for far too many greyhounds, this is anything but something to look forward to. While dogs have remained man’s best friend, the greyhound seems to be a breed whose faithfulness, speed and competitiveness has caused it to be severely exploited by humans. The reason is the infamously popular, but thankfully declining  ”activity” known as greyhound racing.

Greyhound racing may sound like a harmless event that can be enjoyed by man and dog alike. Unfortunately, this is not true. Like horse racing, greyhound racing is also, a gamble. The only difference is that the life and welfare of these hounds are not considered as important and valuable as that of horses.
There are still a couple dozen racing tracks operating in the US alone, most of those in Florida. The worst part of the story is, hundreds of greyhounds lose their lives or get severely injured during these races every year while several thousand are deliberately killed after they retire or are deemed unfit.

The Life and Death of a Racing Greyhound

Let’s just forget about death for a while. Do you know where these greyhounds are born?
There are actually specific greyhound breeding farms where thousands of pups are born each year. Of course, thousands of new athletes each year is too much for any sport. Racing greyhounds have some specific standards and criteria they must meet. However, out of thousands born every year, only a few hundred live up to those standards. What happens to the rest?
Since they are of no use to the breeders, they are all too often either killed or sold to laboratories to carry out experiments on.

Survivors and Winners

Pups that fulfill all the criteria for becoming racing dogs are raised in conditions exactly opposite to how racing horses are kept. These poor creatures live in congested kennels, in very confined crates and stay in those crates all but a few hours out of each day. Many are muzzled constantly because the boredom can cause such behaviors as chewing/biting at the wire that make up the crates/cages. In order to keep them at a racing weight, they are deprived of proper amount of food and the food they are given is generally considered to be horrendous, mostly ground up meat that is 4D. While many kennels feed their greyhounds a quality meat and vegetable high-protein diet, the standard industry feed for the racing greyhound is raw 4-D meat. The four D’s stand for animals, primarily cattle and horses, that are dead, dying, diseased or down (disabled) at slaughter. Since 4-D meat is served raw to racing greyhounds, the health hazards to the dogs range from gastro-enteritis, an inflammation of the stomach and intestines, to food poisoning and death.
Keeping the dogs clean and free of parasites is another big issue. Since it is not possible to clean up after such a huge number of dogs at the same time, ticks, parasites and fleas are many times the only companions they live with until they are ready for a race.
Unlike celebrity human athletes, race day is anything but a day to shine for the majority of these greyhounds. Every year, a large majority of dogs are pronounced retired due to injuries suffered during a race, or if they don’t show enough progress or simply because they become too old to perform at a high level. Other than broken limbs, these dogs can also suffer cardiac arrest or even paralysis during a race. Regardless of how it happens, the dogs are now expendable and their fate from that point on is a huge question mark..

But there is Still Hope for these Hounds

Not so many years ago, a large majority of retired greyhounds were killed. However, due to rising awareness and voices against this crazy and cruel industry, many retired greyhounds are saved by rescue organizations….but because they are bred in such huge numbers, with only a few of those “making the cut” there are far too many that are “culled” and it is practically impossible to find good homes for that many hounds. The only real solution is too stop the rampant breeding of these majestic creatures by an industry who only has a use for a few of them and could care less what happens to those who show no promise of making money for them.
Thanks to many different organizations and individuals, people are being made aware of and are coming to realize the sweet, gentle disposition of greyhounds and are adopting them as they are naturally loving and faithful pets. Numerous celebrities have also taken initiatives to encourage greyhound adoptions. Trent Reznor  is an owner of retired greyhounds. As one of the more visible celebrities supporting greyhound rescue and adoption, in 2011 Reznor put rare collectibles from his longtime musical project, “Nine Inch Nails”, up for auction on eBay with proceeds benefiting greyhound rescue. In addition to Reznor, other retired greyhound owners include J.K. Rowling and Bo Derek. 
While there certainly is a ray of hope, we need many more people need to come forward to take these wonderful creatures out of their misery.
Categories: Rescued/Retired Greyhounds, greyhound rescue, greyhound exploitation, Benefits of Owning A Greyhound, Sight hounds, anti racing | Tags: , , , ,

Adopting or Rescuing a Dog…Be Careful Out There

Posted on April 16, 2013 by stevepryor

Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada

September 1982 to January 31, 2012

It is not my intention to bash any one particular breed or breeds, but the facts speak for themselves. If you are not fully qualified to take on the task of one of the “dangerous breeds” it is best for everyone involved if you steer clear.

38 U.S. fatal dog attacks occurred in 2012. Despite being regulated in  and over 600 US cities, pit bulls contributed to 61% (23) of these deaths. Pit bulls make up less than 5% of the total U.S. dog population. From 2005 to 2012, pit bulls killed 151 Americans, about one citizen every 19 days.

In 2012, dogs referred to as a “rescues” accounted for at least 13% (5) attacks that resulted in death. Children suffered the brunt of these attacks with 3 deaths. The adults afflicted, 2 adult females, were killed by their own pack of “rescued” dogs.

There is a persistent allegation by pit bull terrier advocates that pit bulls are over represented among reported dog attack deaths and maimings because of misidentifications or
because “pit bull” is, according to them, a generic term covering several similar types of dog.
However, the frequency of pit bull attacks among these worst-in-10,000 cases is so
disproportionate that even if half of the attacks in the pit bull category were misattributed, or
even if the pit bull category was split three ways, attacks by pit bulls and their closest relatives
would still outnumber attacks by any other breed.
There is also a persistent allegation by pit bull terrier advocates that the use of media
accounts as a data source is somehow suspect. Reality is that media coverage incorporates
information from police reports, animal control reports, witness accounts, victim accounts in
many instances, and hospital reports. Media coverage is, in short, multi-sourced, unlike
reports from any single source.

Breed …Attacks…Child… Adult… Deaths

Akita     65     42     19     8    

Boxer    48    14     15     5    

Bull mastiff (Presa Canario)    76     30     28     11    

Cane Corso/Italian mastiff     12     1     7    1    

Chow    54     36     15     7    

Doberman    15     8     7     7    

German shepherd    93    59    26    13   

German shepherd mix    40    26    11    7   

Golden retriever    10    8    2    2    

Great Dane     31     9     7     3      

Greyhound   1     1     0     0     

Husky     66     41     4     22     

Jack Russell terrier    4     2     1     2     

Labrador     45     32      11     3     

Pit bull terrier    1985     832     693     217    

 Pit bull/Rott. mix     48     10    7     2     

Rottweiler     481     272     126     78      

Weimaraner     2     2     0     1   

Wolf hybrid    84    69    5    19    

Totals of dogs attacking humans in fatal & disfiguring cases:
3521 1713 1077 470 2004 .329

Totals of humans attacked by dogs in fatal & disfiguring cases:
3394 1664 1048 456 1945 .329

Pit bulls & close pit mixes:
2113 884 726 215 1181 .050
60% 51% 67% 46% 59%

Pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios, Cane Corsos,
Dogo Argentinos, Fila Brasieros, and their mixes:
2725 1214 901 314 1519
77% 71% 84% 67% 76%

Pit bulls, Rottweilers, their close mixes, & wolf hybrids:
2708 1246 872 317 1521
77% 73% 81% 68% 76%

Analysis

The tallies of attacks, attacks on children, attacks on adults, fatalities on the above data sheet must be evaluated in three different contexts. The first
pertains to breed-specific characteristic behavior, the second to bite frequency as
opposed to the frequency of severe injuries, and the third to degree of relative risk.
Of the breeds most often involved in incidents of sufficient severity to be listed,
pit bull terriers and their close mixes make up only about 3.3% of the total U.S. dog
population, according to my frequent surveys of regionally balanced samples of
classified ads of dogs for sale, but they constitute 29% of the dog population in U.S.
animal shelters at any given time, according to my 2011 single-day shelter inventory
survey, which followed up similar surveys producing similar results done in 2004, 2008,
and 2010.
Pit bulls are noteworthy on the chart above for attacking adults almost as
frequently as children. This is a very rare pattern, also seen in the bull mastiff/Presa
Canario line. Children are normally at greatest risk from dog bite because they play with
dogs more often, have less experience in reading dog behavior, are more likely to
engage in activity that alarms or stimulates a dog, and are less able to defend themselves
when a dog becomes aggressive. Pit bulls and the bull mastiff/Presa Canario dog
category (whose ancestry partially overlaps pit bull ancestry) seem to differ behaviorally
from other dogs in having far less inhibition about attacking people who are larger than
they are. They are also notorious for attacking seemingly without warning, a tendency
exacerbated by the custom of docking pit bulls’ tails so that warning signals are not easily
recognized. Thus the adult victim of a pit bull attack may have had little or no
opportunity to read the warning signals that would avert an attack from any other dog.
Rottweilers by contrast show a fairly normal child/adult attack ratio. They seem
to show up disproportionately often in the mauling, killing, and maiming statistics
simply because they are both quite popular and very powerful, capable of doing a great deal of damage in cases where bites by other breeds might be relatively harmless

German shepherds are herding dogs, bred for generations to guide and protect
sheep. In modern society, they are among the dogs of choice for families with small
children, because of their extremely strong protective instinct. They have three
distinctively different kinds of bite: the guiding nip, which is gentle and does not break
the skin; the grab-and-drag, to pull a puppy or lamb or child away from danger, which
is as gentle as emergency circumstances allow; and the reactive bite, usually in defense
of territory, a child, or someone else the dog is inclined to guard. The reactive bite
usually comes only after many warning barks, growls, and other exhibitions intended to
avert a conflict. When it does come, it is typically accompanied by a frontal leap for the
wrist or throat.
Because German shepherds often use the guiding nip and the grab-and-drag with
children, who sometimes misread the dogs’ intentions and pull away in panic, they are
involved in biting incidents at almost twice the rate that their numbers alone would
predict: approximately 28% of all bite cases, according to a recent five-year compilation
of Minneapolis animal control data. Yet none of the Minneapolis bites by German
shepherds involved a serious injury: hurting someone is almost never the dogs’ intent.
In the German shepherd mauling, killing, and maiming cases,
there have almost always been circumstances of duress: the dog was deranged from
being kept alone on a chain for prolonged periods without human contract, was starving,
was otherwise severely abused, was protecting puppies, or was part of a pack including
other dangerous dogs. None of the German shepherd attacks have involved predatory
behavior on the part of an otherwise healthy dog.

Every one of the wolf hybrid attacks, however, seems to have been predatory.
Only four of the fatality victims were older than age seven, and all three were of small
stature. The first adult fatality was killed in the presence of her two young sons, whom
she was apparently trying to protect. The second was killed while apparently trying to
protect her dog. Most of the victims were killed very quickly. Some never knew the wolf hybrid was present. Some may never have known what hit them. Some were killed
right in front of parents, who had no time to react.
Unlike German shepherds, wolf hybrids are usually kept well apart from
children, and from any people other than their owners. Yet they have still found more
opportunity to kill and maim than members of any other breeds except pit bull terriers
and Rottweilers, each of whom may outnumber wolf hybrids by about 10 to 1.

What all this may mean relative to legislation is problematic. Historically, breedspecific legislation has proved very difficult to enforce because of the problems inherent
in defining animals for whom there may be no breed standards, or conflicting standards.
Both pit bull terriers and wolf hybrids tend to elude easy legal definition; neither can
they be recognized by genetic testing.
The traditional approach to dangerous dog legislation is to allow “one free bite,”
at which point the owner is warned. On second bite, the dog is killed. The traditional
approach, however, patently does not apply in addressing the threats from pit bull
terriers, Rottweilers, and wolf hybrids. In more than two-thirds of the cases I have
logged, the life-threatening or fatal attack was apparently the first known dangerous
behavior by the animal in question. Children and elderly people were almost always the
victims.
Any law strong enough and directed enough to prevent the majority of life threatening dog attacks must discriminate heavily against pit bulls, Rottweilers, wolf
hybrids, and perhaps Akitas and chows, who are not common breeds but do seem to be
involved in disproportionate numbers of life-threatening attacks. Such discrimination
will never be popular with the owners of these breeds, especially those who believe their
dogs are neither dangerous nor likely to turn dangerous without strong provocation.
Neither will breed discrimination ever be acceptable to those who hold out for an interpretation of animal rights philosophy which holds that all breeds are created equal.
One might hope that educating the public against the acquisition of dangerous dogs
would help; but the very traits that make certain breeds dangerous also appeal to a
certain class of dog owner. Thus publicizing their potentially hazardous nature has
tended to increase these breeds’ popularity.

Meanwhile, because the humane community has demonstrated a profound
unwillingness to recognize, accept, and respond to the need for some sort of strong
breed-specific regulation to deal with pit bulls and Rottweilers, the insurance industry is
doing the regulating instead, by means which include refusing to insure new shelters
which accept and place pit bulls. That means a mandatory death sentence for most pit
bulls, regardless of why they come to shelters.

Individual dog owners are also getting clobbered, either with liability premiums
so high that no one can afford to keep pit bulls or Rottweilers, or by inability to find an
insurer willing to cover anyone who has such a dog–or any other dog breed with a bad
reputation, whether or not the reputation is deserved. (Compare attacks by pit bulls with
attacks by Dobermans on the chart above.) This in turn means more pit bulls,
Rottweilers, et al being surrendered to shelters, when their people cannot find rental
accommodations or even buy a house because of their inability to obtain liability
insurance.
The humane community does not try to encourage the adoption of pumas in the
same manner that we encourage the adoption of  a good ol’ house cat because even though a puma
can also be box-trained and otherwise exhibits much the same indoor behavior, it is
clearly understood that accidents with a puma are frequently fatal.

I see many people posting pictures of pit bulls, etc on Facebook in cute poses with other dogs or children and that seems to be the “in thing” to do nowadays, but the numbers do not lie, and encouraging someone to go to a shelter or anywhere else and take on the task of adopting one of these type dogs is treading on thin ice and could possibly put some unsuspecting, but well meaning person or their children in harms way.

For the same reason, it is sheer foolishness to encourage people to regard pit bull 
terriers and Rottweilers as just dogs like any other, no matter how much they may 
behave like other dogs under ordinary circumstances.
Temperament is not the issue, nor is it even relevant. What is relevant is 
actuarial risk. If almost any other dog has a bad moment, someone may get bitten, but 
will not be maimed for life or killed, and the actuarial risk is accordingly reasonable. If a 
pit bull terrier or a Rottweiler has a bad moment, often someone is maimed or killed–
and that has now created off-the-chart actuarial risk, for which the dogs as well as their 
victims are paying the price.
Pit bulls and Rottweilers are accordingly dogs who not only must be handled with 
special precautions, but also must be regulated with special requirements appropriate to 
the risk they may pose to the public and other animals, if they are to be kept at all.

When in doubt…Go Greyhound

Planet Greyhound...VitaliPlanet Greyhound...Vladimir2012-04-18 18.30.072012-04-06 11.53.03 (2)2012-03-18 21.18.23

Categories: Dog Adoptions, Dog Rescues, special dogs | Tags: , ,

No Such Thing As a “Free” Pet

Posted on April 4, 2013 by stevepryor

Practically every Saturday a  parking lot somewhere offers the same scene.  A misguided, though sometimes well meaning pet owner sits in the back of a pick-up truck. Inside the bed of the truck is a cardboard box with a sign “Free Puppies” or “Free Kittens”.  Little furry heads peer out of the box not knowing what their future holds.  Though the pet owner was negligent in not sterilizing the pet that produced the litter, giving away the litter only serves to compound the problem of pet overpopulation in this county. The owner’s intent to find the offspring a good home often ends in a horrible tragedy for the puppy or kitten that someone takes home for “free”.  The following explains why progressive cities have ordinances banning “free give a ways”.

Paying a fee for a pet shows good faith on the part of the new owner and demonstrates their willingness to properly care for the animal.  There is no such thing as a “free” pet.  By the time a cat or dog is checked out by a vet, including shots, worming, health testing, and spay/neuter, a “free” pet will easily cost in excess of $100.  If a person cannot afford to pay an adoption fee for a pet, how will they be able to afford the normal expenses of proper care? How will they ever afford vet bills when the pet gets sick?  The policy will be to have all adopted pets sterilized before adoption.  This will require a minimum adoption fee to cover the cost of sterilization.

What can happen to a pet that is given free to a casual and uncommitted owner?

1) Abandoned to the streets.  This is the most likely scenario that occurs when an uncommitted owner tires of a pet.  Street animals suffer every day of their short lives.  The end always comes painfully, either from violent trauma or from lingering disease.
2) Handed over to Animal Control and euthanized.  People who do not take their responsibilities seriously always take the easy way out!
3) Marginally Owned.  The pet will not be cared for properly and is often allowed to roam the streets to breed at will.
4) Abused.  The owner will not make the effort to properly train the animal.  Often this leads to inappropriate responses from the owner and abuse of the pet when it “misbehaves”
There are people who routinely obtain animals for profit by fraudulently obtaining dogs given away for free.  They are usually very persuasive and friendly.  They know all the “right” answers to your questions because they do this on a regular basis

What can happen to an animal if you let a con artist have it?

1) Used to “live train” fighting dogs.  The animal you expected to be a pet is used to bait a fighting dog and is literally torn to pieces.
2) Sold at Flea Markets or Auctions to anybody who happens along.  Most of the time these animals are neglected, kept in cramped, unsanitary conditions and often become sick and diseased.
3) Sold to a Class-B Dealer who then resells the animal to a research facility.  People who practice the despicable act of rounding up strays to sell them are referred to as “Bunchers”.  At the research facility, the animal may suffer abuse and most likely will be euthanized after they are finished with it.
4) Used for breeding stock in a “Puppy Mill”.  The living conditions in most of these establishments are deplorable.  Bitches have continuous litters, one after the other.
5) Used as live food or bait for exotics (snakes or alligators).
6) Sacrificed in cult rituals.  Some people find this hard to believe, but the FBI has many files documenting this kind of activity in our country.

Spay or neutering your pet is the key to pet overpopulation control.  Don’t put yourself in a situation where you have a litter of puppies or kittens to “get rid of”.

These procedures are already in place for anyone wanting to adopt a retired racing greyhound as well as other safety checks, such as home visits, etc…some of which people may believe are invasive.  However, it is in the best interest of all involved for this to take place, most certainly the greyhound as we will do everything in our power to insure the rescued dog is not taken from one bad situation and placed in another. Those potential adopters who truly have the dogs best interest at heart understand these safeguards and are more than happy to comply.

planetgreyhound0179

Categories: Bringing home a new dog, Dog Adoptions, Dog Rescues, Pet Health | Tags: , , , ,

The Never Ending Story of Racing Greyhounds Abuse/Neglect…

Posted on March 21, 2013 by stevepryor

Galveston County Daily News, March 21, 2013

Guest column
By Christine A. Dorchak and Deborah L. Foote


New information reveals that dog racing in Texas needs to end. During the last several months, we have conducted a thorough review of hundreds of state documents, news reports, industry statements and financial records. The result is the new report “Greyhound Racing in Texas,” available at www.grey2kusa.org. A picture has now emerged of an industry that is cruel, inhumane and on the verge of economic collapse

Today, Gulf Greyhound Park in La Marque is the only full-time, operational dog track in the state. Of the two other greyhound licensees, one track is closed entirely and the other operates as an off-track betting parlor. Between 2007 and 2012, the amount gambled on live dog races declined by a staggering 61 percent and attendance dropped by 52 percent. Even dog track executives and industry leaders now acknowledge that greyhound racing is dying in Texas.
For dogs, the racing industry offers little more than a life of confinement. Hundreds of greyhounds are kept at Gulf Greyhound Park, inside long, narrow buildings with rows of stacked cages that are barely large enough for them to stand up or turn around in. Greyhounds spend long hours in these cages. A few daily “turnouts” and several races during the month provide their only relief.

Yet when greyhounds are let out of their cages to race, they face the risk of serious injury. Records obtained from the Texas Racing Commission document 1,507 greyhound injuries at Gulf between 2008 and 2011. This includes 56 dogs that died and nearly 300 greyhounds that suffered broken legs.
More than just statistics, public records tell the stories of individual greyhounds who have suffered and died while racing.
In February 2010, a 1-year-old greyhound named Rags Carla suffered a broken leg and was euthanized. Two months later, her sister, Rags Patches, also died at Gulf. She fell and broke her neck during her last race.

State records also documented cruel live- lure training in Texas. A greyhound trainer recently surrendered his state license after a videotape revealed abuse of rabbits on his farm. According to official transcripts, screaming hares were tied to ropes and whirled around a track as bait for young greyhounds. Neither the Texas Racing Commission nor the greyhound industry approves of this kind of animal cruelty, and yet it happens.

Dogs are part of the fabric of our community. For millions of Americans, they serve as loving companions and family members. Sadly, the facts prove that racing greyhounds in Texas face a very different existence than the dogs who share our homes.

It’s time for citizens, lawmakers and community leaders to acknowledge the serious problems that exist in the greyhound racing industry. We urge lawmakers to oppose any efforts to prop up the dog-racing industry and engage with us in passing reforms to improve the lives of racing dogs now.
Gentle greyhounds deserve better than a life of confinement and injury, and we are hopeful that our report will lead to a new day for greyhounds in Texas.

Christine A. Dorchak is president and general counsel, GREY2K USA

Deborah L. Foote is state legislative director, Southwest Region, ASPCA Government Relations.

Categories: Greyhound abuse, greyhound racing facts, greyhound exploitation, GREY2K, Christine Dorchak, anti racing | Tags: , , , , ,

Greyhound Racing – Stop The Insanity!

Posted on February 16, 2013 by stevepryor

 When it comes to ending greyhound racing, if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. There’s all kinds of info out there detailing the poor treatment and subsequent “dispatching” of these amazing creatures if they don’t meet the standards put forth by the profiteers who are using them to pad their wallets. You don’t have to witness something firsthand to know it exists. Do some due diligence on the subject and stop using ignorance of the subject as an excuse to not get involved. The dogs desperately need everyone they can get to speak out for them.

Oh…you say you have adopted and fostered, but are neutral otherwise on the actual racing. My question is, how is that helping dogs who are running for their lives  right now, all the dogs that will be injured in the coming year, all that will be put down because they are too costly to maintain any longer. The only way to do that is to be active and get this stopped. 

I’m so tired of hearing people try to justify racing greyhounds by saying they were born to do this…BULLSHIT…Greyhounds were here thousands of years before dog racing and they’ll be here thousands of years after. 

Also, the ever popular, “but they love to run” …Of course they do, almost all dogs love to run. It just happens to be unfortunate for greyhounds in that in being so fast, they have been taken advantage of  by those individuals looking to capitalize on their speed and just use them as a disposable commodity, something that if they do not contribute to the bottom line, they are cast aside and easily replaced by those who breed them in excess hoping to get 5 or 6 profitable racers out of every 100 or so pups born. What happens to the rest?  Well…if they are not made available to rescue groups, thousands of them turn up “unaccounted for”.

Would you put one of your children (the two legged variety) in an activity where there was a distinct possibility they might be cut in half, decapitated, electrocuted or otherwise cause injuries that could result in them being “put to sleep” because of them falling into or being knocked into the mechanical machinery where they are performing…the way I see it, if you don’t think of your dogs (pets in general) as your children, you should not have them.

So…as for the question of what would you do, if your answer is “no, of course not”…then please join us in this fight.

If your answer is yes…well, I feel sorry for you and those around you :-(

*This post is made up primarily of comments I’ve made in my FB groups*

Categories: Greyhound abuse, greyhound racing facts, greyhound exploitation, anti racing | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

The Further Adventures of Vladimir and Vitali

Posted on February 7, 2013 by stevepryor

Sorry it’s been so long since the last post, but with my mom being sick and my travels back and forth to Louisiana, I’ve had other things on my mind.

Today was a beautiful day so I took the opportunity to take Vladimir and Vitali, our two rescued greyhound brothers, up the road a few miles to the Murphysboro dog park. We were the only ones there for about an hour, then a couple showed up with their 2 dogs and a short time later more people started to take advantage of the nice weather and get their dogs out for some exercise and socialization. We stayed approximately four hours and the boys were totally exhausted when we arrived home. Four hours of running and playing for a sprinter like a greyhound is a lot!!

The boys met a few old friends and made some new ones, of the 2 and 4 leg variety. As usual, I took some photos and video of the days activities, which I have posted a few below this post and the others will be posted in a day or so to the photo or video links in the menu above.

I will part with these words…please remember greyhounds are unique among dogs, they are bred in huge numbers for only one purpose, to be the fastest greyhound and when that does not happen they are as expendable to their owners as yesterdays newspaper. A racing greyhound is NOT a pet and is not treated like a pet, it is a commodity that if it does not turn a profit, it will be done away with in one way or another. Some of the lucky ones, like Vladimir and Vitali, make it to a rescue group and become available for adoption, others…numbering in the 10′s of thousands meet fates that can range anywhere from “humane” euthanization to hanging and practically anything in between that could be done to cause death and I mean anything, there are documented cases of drownings, electrocutions, being shot (pistols, rifles, bolt guns), beaten…you name it, it’s been done to these gentle creatures.

Greyhound exploitation is still prevalent in a few states and it’s time to pull the plug on those few remaining states that allow this travesty to continue.

You’ve probably heard me say this time and time again if you’re a regular to this blog, but, the next time you are in a position to help out a dog or are ready to add a new member to your household…PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE consider a greyhound, you will be amazed at the wonderful pet you get and you will almost certainly be saving one from a fate much less kind.

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Categories: greyhound exploitation, greyhound rescue, greyhound videos, Murphysboro Dog Park, Rescued/Retired Greyhounds, Vladimir and Vitali | Tags: , , , , | 3 Comments

Greyhound Musings…

Posted on December 4, 2012 by stevepryor

Hi

If you want to meet people when you’re out on a walk with a dog, there is no other dog I know of that gets the amount of attention a greyhound does. Everywhere you go people point and stare and hope you pass by them so they can ask questions or find out more about this gorgeous creature. As the fastest dog on the planet and the 2nd fastest accelerating land animal on the planet, people are always curious about this regal breed that can attain a speed of 45 mph from a standing start its first 3 strides. What allows the greyhound to reach that type of acceleration, is its lean but extremely muscular build, biggest heart, and greatest area of fast-twitch muscle associated with any breed as well as the double suspension gallop and also the extreme versatility of the spine.

Walking one of these “lightning bolts on a leash” is like walking with a celebrity, almost everyone you meet wants to know more about them and for most it is the first time they have actually had a chance to see one up close and personal. Common remarks are; they’re so soft or they’re so gentle and placid.

Some people ask about the tattoos in the ex racing greyhound’s ears. There are 2 numbers, one in each ear. One is the track number, the other is the year they were born and the order in the litter. With these, you will find the whole pedigree all the way back to the end of the 1800′s. Some people say the number does not prove birth order as most owners do not mark them in order. I don’t know, maybe some do and some don’t. In any event, to find that dogs pedigree, log on to http://www.greyhound-data.com, type in the number and presto…there it is!

Another question I hear from people is about the size of the greyhound’s heart…a  greyhound’s heart weight ranges from 1.18 to 1.73% of their body weight, which is higher than an elite racehorse at 1.0-1.3% of its body weight.  Other types of dogs have a heart weight equal to 0.77% of their body weight, and compare those to 0.5% for humans. So you can see the greyhound has the highest blood volume of any athlete, relative to its body size. All this means that the Greyhound heart is not only larger and more efficient than any other dog’s, but outperforms that of a thoroughbred racehorse.

One other thing I am asked frequently and something that is very important to some people deals with dog odor. Well, due to incredibly small sebaceous glands, the short hair and very low body fat, Greyhound’s exude little or no characteristic “doggy odor”. You can have three or four greyhounds in your home and not notice them near as much as you will that one Lab or Shepard, Doberman, etc. This also transforms into more domestic tranquility as greyhound’s are very affectionate dogs towards those that they know and trust. For centuries different greyhounds have been allowed to hunt and race together, so aggressiveness towards other dogs and people has been almost totally eliminated from the breed. This also means that owning several Greyhounds can be a calmer experience than having those breeds listed above (and many others) that will engage in continuous  ”pecking”  as puppies.

Look closely and you can see the ear tattoo

Look closely and you can see the ear tattoo

Categories: Benefits of Owning A Greyhound, Greyhound - Important Information, Greyhound General Info, Greyhound Pics, greyhound videos | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment

Greyhound Racing – From Nobility To Slavery

Posted on November 24, 2012 by stevepryor

The Difference Between Greyhound Racing’s
Propaganda and Reality is like:
NIGHT AND DAY


Racing Industry Promotional Claims..


1) Greyhound racing is a humane, fun and harmless sport.

2) Racing greyhounds are prized athletes that receive the best of care. We treat our greyhounds better than most people treat their pets.

3) Cases of abuse and killing of racing greyhounds are rare isolated incidents.

4) Critics of the dog racing industry are wacko animal rights extremists who are opposed to the use of animals for any purpose.

5) Humane Societies euthanize thousands of unwanted dogs.

6) We would not have to euthanize greyhounds if more people would adopt them.

7) Racing greyhounds would not run if they were not well cared for.

8) Greyhound racing is a highly regulated sport with high standards of animal care.
 

The Reality..


1) The business of greyhound racing is responsible for the death of thousands upon thousands of greyhounds every year.

2) Greyhound adoption organizations routinely receive racing dogs riddled with external and internal parasites, open sores and untreated broken bones. Many are also covered with scars.

3) Over the last two decades, hundreds of cases of abuse have been documented including greyhounds that were shot, starved, electrocuted and sold for research. Industry insiders report that this is only the tip of the iceberg.

4) This statement is merely a public relations ploy designed to marginalize industry critics. The killing and abuse of greyhounds is a mainstream issue that has been taken to heart by the American public. Opposition to industry practices has been publicly stated in newspaper editorials, by government officials and mainstream animal welfare organizations.

5) Humane Societies do not breed dogs; make money off of them; kill them. Then repeat the cycle.

6) It is not the responsibility of private charities like adoption organizations or the American public to white wash the image of the dog racing industry.

7) Running is instinctual for greyhounds. In fact, it is not uncommon for a greyhound to finish a race in spite of having suffered a serious injury.

8) In most states, dog racing regulations are essentially concerned with gambling rules; breeding and training farm operations are virtually unregulated.

Where Do All Those Puppies Go..

Many greyhound puppies and youngsters are judged to be of inferior racing quality at birth or during the farm training process. Many owners elect not to continue investing in dogs that demonstrate little potential of making money; the vast majority of those dogs are destroyed on the farm before they ever start a racing career. In recent years the yearly disappearance of thousands of puppies is explained away by the industry spokesperson as death from “natural causes”. However, this same spokesperson admitted in an interview that puppies were, in fact, destroyed on the farms. Industry insiders confirm that large numbers of pups are destroyed. Young greyhounds that do show promise are individually registered and named before going to a track at about 18 months.

In the tenth century, King Howel of Wales declared that the penalty for killing a greyhound was the same as that of killing a person, death. In the days of the Egyptians, greyhounds were valued by the pharaohs for their grace, beauty and mild temperament. But in the 21st century, greyhounds in the racing world are prized for only one thing…speed. Every year thousands of greyhounds are killed in various inhumane ways simply because they are not fast enough. 

It’s an industry that exists solely for the entertainment of humans at the cost of animal lives. 

Because greyhound racing has little to do with dogs and everything to do with money, scant regard is given to the humane treatment of the greyhounds. This is an industry that places profits above the health and welfare of greyhounds, how else would you explain the culling of unwanted dogs, a general disregard toward animal injury, and the inhumane living conditions that the majority of the dogs endure?

Struggling to Survive….

Greyhounds are at a disadvantage even before they are born. Tens of thousands of greyhounds are bred annually, many more than are needed to race, in an attempt to create the fastest dogs. The greyhounds are then “weeded out “killed” if they are at any time determined unable to become racetrack stars.

“From the time they are born, they are judged for their racing ability,” says Laura Bevan, director of the Southeast Regional Office of The HSUS. “As puppies they may be killed, or culled, if they don’t have potential to be good racers. After that, any injury or slow down of speed can mean death. The dogs are a commercial product, and once it is determined that they don’t have value as a racer at a track, their days are numbered.”

Throughout their racing career, the dogs routinely endure inhumane conditions and have little human contact. Many greyhound farms are barely getting by financially, so the dogs are kept caged most of the time and fed low quality foods. Each dog is a major expense, which is why so many are killed in various, inhumane, ways when they are deemed unfit to race.

 Please consider adopting a greyhound. So many are waiting for someone like you and me to save their lives. And if adoption is not an option for you right now, they are always in need of people who are willing to foster. In fact, there are many ways you can help, so please do. Join the fight to stop  the racing and subsequent killing of these precious greyhounds. 

Categories: Rescued/Retired Greyhounds, Greyhound Pics, Greyhound General Info, Greyhound abuse, greyhound exploitation, anti racing | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment

Lakeside Veterinary Hospital – Carbondale, Il – Neglect of Greyhounds

Posted on October 27, 2012 by stevepryor

As some of you may have heard, we boarded our two greyhound boys Vladimir and Vitali on the 19th and 20th of October while we went out of town to St. Louis Mo. for a NLCS playoff game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants. The game was on Friday night, so we dropped the boys off at their vets to stay Friday and Saturday night. We were told there would be someone there between 07:00 AM and 08:00 AM Sunday so we could pick them up, I later received a voice mail on my cell phone from a lady named Megan saying we had to pick them up between 07:30 AM and 08:00 AM.

We arrived at the vet to pick them up Sunday morning at approx 07:50 AM and the person there let us in the back door, the first thing I noticed when walking into the room was both of their dog beds lying on the floor in a common area. While the person there went to get their leashes, I went into one of the areas where I heard dogs barking and noticed the boys standing in an enclosure that was a bare, wet concrete floor. As the lighting was not all that great I could not make out much more than that or see the condition they were in, even as they were led into the common area it was hard to notice as all they wanted to do was get outside. I took the leashes and took them outside and they both had gotten no more than a few feet out the door when they started to urinate.

Once outside in the sunlight we could see their coats were stained yellow on their bellies, back, sides, legs and their tails looked like they had soaked in urine, there were also traces of feces on their bellies and feet, they also had what appeared to be “urine burns” on their feet and urine stained, raw looking abrasions of the elbows. The pictures here do not convey how terrible this looked in person, but you should be able to get the idea.

We were told later that the person in charge of them those two nights said she had taken them out three times Saturday and they were fine, that they apparently got in the condition they were in when we picked them up from the last time she had them out Saturday until we picked them up at ten minutes till eight Sunday morning. We told them that was not at all believable and they told us, we believe our employee.

My personal opinion is that they were totally neglected those two days, they were not taken out at all.  That they were left to urinate on themselves and lie in it when they were so tired they could not stand up anymore. I believe they were traumatized by this experience to the point where the first few days we had them home, they wanted no part of being around my truck, especially if I opened the door…they would pull away, maybe they thought I might be taking them back?  Before this incident they always got excited when we went toward the truck and if the door opened, they wanted in. Hopefully, they will get back to that soon.

We’ve been using a “Lincocin” topical on their elbows since we’ve had them home along with an antibiotic cream and the elbows are starting to look again like they did before we left them with the people who were supposed to be caring for them.

We provided beds for each of our boys, but as stated earlier in this post, they were never given to them to lie on, the beds were simply taken to the back and tossed on the floor and stayed there until we picked them up. This ordeal has upset my wife and I to no end, to think that someone you trust with your pets health and well being can let someone in their employ treat animals in this way is beyond reprehensible and to make matters worse, they tried to blame us for their condition by saying we should have paid them to have them bathed before we picked them up. To me that is such an asinine statement, I’m not going to even comment any further on it.

I am posting some photos taken shortly before their stay, followed by photos we took immediately after picking them up. This is neglect, pure and simple and I would not want to see this happen to anyone else’s pets…but this was especially harmful to greyhounds who are so clean by nature and have such thin skin.

Some pics before….

Some pics after their stay at the vets….

Categories: Greyhound abuse, Greyhound Pics, Greyhounds Health, Pet Health, pet neglect | Tags: , , , , | 2 Comments

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