The earliest efforts in dog rescue that I remember, aside from the egregiously inefficient local SPCA, was Grey Hound rescue. I remember seeing images of these dogs wearing blinders and a saddle number as their magnificent bodies rounded a track after a fake rabbit. I remember the episode of Bugs Bunny that made a parody of dog racing. Until a little later, I had never seen an actual Grey Hound up close.
They are stunning.
Their bodies, like the wee Italian Grey Hounds, are delicate machines. They have lithe physiques and they look fast standing still. Their heads are aerodynamic! They tuck those little ears back and it’s like a jet plane.
It’s not hard to imagine that these animals have been at the sides of emperors, kings and nobility. They’re simply amazing and anyone who has ever owned one glows with pride when they’re asked about their four-legged friend.
The efforts of Grey Hound Rescue have been slowly picking away at the sport for all of the decades that I have lived. That’s about a 40 year fight. Just finally, they’ve broken the back of the industry. It’s a good thing too.
Of course, people have the right to waste their money on sporting bets. However, do we have the right to abuse lives that are not our own to do this? Just because you put money down on an animal, does that give you the right to cruelly breed them? Dope them? Run them until they break?
I’m certain that most people feel cruelty toward animals is tantamount to child abuse. Animals, after all, are at our tender mercies for everything–even the wild ones. Yet, so many of us get our jollies by hunting them, force breeding them, over breeding them, fighting them, doping them, keeping them in conditions unsuitable for even a cockroach. The laws are changing because our hearts are being changed by the groups who spend decades to educate us about the truth of animal cognition and the misuse of animals in industries all over the world. Our Facebook pages are littered with please to help.
I thought it would be nice to share a little sunshine with others, to let them know that the effort, though it has been long, is worthwhile. Though the industry of dog racing isn’t completely history, we’re at the last stretch. Check that out below:
America’s dog racing industry is failing. Hooray!
About time: The end of greyhound racing is almost here.
Before you go! Think about your participation in other unnecessary forms of amusement using animals, such as circuses, horse racing and roadside zoos. Before you put your money down on admission, not just a bet at the track, think of what you’re supporting. Think of all the helpless lives you’re paying to keep in cruel conditions, for your amusement. Together, we can turn away from these industries and shut them down.
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