hi im new to all this im a greyhound owner i have 5 dogs
abba 13
murph 12
uncle fester 9
owzet 8
point 5
all ex racers
i have in my time been involved in greyhond racing but not for few years i have always kept my dogs their not kept in kennels but in my house and roam about my garden free

im not total anti greyhound racing but i would like big increase in welfare of greyhounds as i think one most disgraceful isue is dogs kenneled for hrs priour to racing .please dont get me wrong
i think rehoming and rescue centers do a great job
but greyhound indestry large bookmakers dont do enough to fund retirement programs for retired centres
or the owners of dogs dont do enough to fund the rehoming of every racing greyhound

Don’t have a problem with dogs racing as such; it’s the way they are treated I can’t support. I am also concerned about the sheer number of dogs up for rehoming at any one time.
Nice to hear from you. I hope you enjoy the Forum.

their a lot diffrent ways dogs kept for racing as you would know like big kennels
they have 100 of dogs the trainer with bags contracts
get run money of £20 when dog appears on the track .
and dogs that have no owners are problem the trainer owns and trains the dog they are usually cheep graders that are over raced
then you get some one like me that runs their dogs very lightly 30 or so times a year
i pay many 1000 pounds for dogs i do it for fun but the main thing is welfare of greyhounds
why i joined the site was to ask if people like your self and owners of dogs could not work together to better the living and welfare in dog racing

can we not get big bookmaking firms to do sponsor meatings to raise awareness of greyhound because they are beautiful creachers and racing can be fun both for the dogs and owners but we need to teach the public that greyhound will live till 15 or so years and we need to take care of the dogs

i hope i dont come over a preacher

Hi Bigman,
      Im Total Anti-racing,every time your greys enter into the Tracks theres a chance they wont make it in one piece with the Dangerous bends etc….to finish the race,but only my opinion   welcome to Gal xxx   Amanda

ananda
im not trying to change anyone’s opinion we are all entitled to have a view
in my opinion a greyhound is safer-running in greyhound track than pet dog running in public park or out roaming the streets .
yes greyhounds get hurt but every dog is in tip top condition to race
dont belive a dog starved or miss treated to race as if was not in perfect condition it would not be able to win a race

yes their is problems with dogs being put down for none life threatening injerys which i think is total wrong
but greyhound racing is safer than you think

know i paid 7k for a dog £7000 do you think i would risk running a dog at track if i thought was unsafe we get max £112 prize money if dog wins £20 if he looses

now their no way inteligent person would run a dog for profit .nobody owners ever makemoney from greyhound racing .
amanda i dont know where you live but i can let you see condition my dogs are in
their 13 .12 9 8 5 ive ownd then from day they were born

Hi Bigman,
I think its great that you’ve joined the forum and are open to discussions.  I think the only way we are going to be able to put an end to the cruelty greyhounds suffer is by working with industry.  They need to agree changes are necessary as they’re the ones who would be enforcing this (aside from the really brutal cases which can be prosecuted under law but punishments are still a slap on the wrist).

As a general rule, I don’t like anything that uses animals for entertainment - including dog racing, horse racing, circus’s etc.
BUT I do believe that some dogs truely enjoy running.  It really depends on the owner’s of the dog (if the dog has an owner as some can be ‘owned’ by their trainers). I also appreciate that you keep your dogs when they’re done running.  I live near Ayr greyhound track and as I have an ex-racer and ongoing greyhound fosters, am constantly being asked to take people’s dogs who aren’t going to be racing anymore.  It’s very dis-heartening as I firmly believe a dog is for life not just until its inconvenient.

I’d be interested to hear your perspectives as someone who has participated in racing.
Best,

Laura, Jingle, Coal & Treacle

first of all all animal cruelty is just slap on the wrist we need to be much harder on them jail terms is what id like to see
i live in musselburgh mid lothian
i done all aspects of greyhound racing
flapping like ayr
gb gb under rules
their good and bad in all forums
of dog racing yes I’m firm believer dog is for life
can i tell you about a story of greyhound we own
her name was lagile spinner she ran all her life at flaps she was not fast greyhound but
i belive in all dogs are life and deserve a full life
she won races
we retired her and let her live with our retired dogs greyhounds she killed one of then
so we separated her and put her on her own she escaped one day and killed another dog.
she is 12 now and lives up in our office i have tile company she is most friendly dog you could ever get fantastic nature but will kill any other dog that goes near her
know if i did not have office space that she cant get out she would attack all the dogs
their is some greyhounds that are agresive on the track that get disqualified for fighting these dogs should never be re homed lucky in all my years ive not seen many
i again had this bitch since it was born i wont put a dog to sleep unless it is very sick .
their is lot good owners in greyhound racing at flaps and under rules that keep their dogs after racing
also their lot that re home thank good for people like your selfs that have done great work in promoting greyhounds as pets

i just wish gb gb and gobata would produce true figures of injerys and fatalities and
some anti gave real figures of dogs abandoned or killed (i dont like even 1 dog being killed )
but if we could get together as greyhound people to better the life of greyhounds
it would be worth it

their figure of greyhounds born
some get exported to 20 diffrent countries
some go flapping
some go racing gb gb AND THATS FIGURE THAT ARE TAKEN FRON FIGURE THAT ARE BORN
some just get kept by breeders as pets

yes some get put to sleep (i would love to see that happing that all dogs are accounted for ) no exceptions
ive raced greyhounds for 35 years their not a single thing i dont know about then or what happens to then or the truth
the truth is some where in middle can we no all just get the welfare of dogs as most important part  
please excuse my spelling

id love a lot changes to greyhound racing
1 and i think this is most important one is kenneling at the track
all dogs have to be in kenneled inspected by the vet by 6.00 they are then put in secure kennel till they race ,gb gb, dogs only that big tracks and no dogs aloud to leave till after last race at 10.00
so a greyhound running at 9.45 sat is not been aloud out to exercise till its turn to run
and they wonder why dogs get hurt try asking linford Christie sit in chair for 4 hrs then sprint with no worm up . he pull up lame
so its not ok to ask dog to do it
this alone would save many 1000 of dogs

i never let my dogs run at that type track
my dogs are kept on the go all the time i arrive at track 1/2 before a race
my dogs given long walk before its run and cooled down after its run
and back in his bed as soon as possible

bigman - 25 September 2010 02:23 AM

ananda
im not trying to change anyone’s opinion we are all entitled to have a view
in my opinion a greyhound is safer-running in greyhound track than pet dog running in public park or out roaming the streets .
yes greyhounds get hurt but every dog is in tip top condition to race
dont belive a dog starved or miss treated to race as if was not in perfect condition it would not be able to win a race

yes their is problems with dogs being put down for none life threatening injerys which i think is total wrong
but greyhound racing is safer than you think

know i paid 7k for a dog £7000 do you think i would risk running a dog at track if i thought was unsafe we get max £112 prize money if dog wins £20 if he looses

now their no way inteligent person would run a dog for profit .nobody owners ever makemoney from greyhound racing .
amanda i dont know where you live but i can let you see condition my dogs are in
their 13 .12 9 8 5 ive ownd then from day they were born

Hi Bigman,
    Yes,like u say-we r all entitlaed to our opinions but like ive already said   im Anti,and Loathe any part of racing etc.There was in fact 5 dogs killed in one week-end at Belle view,doesnt this tell u alittle about Racing in itself,anyway theres a greyt forum called Greyt Exploitations-you would enjoy this as there are Pros and Antis on it,more Antis let me add(lol) but we all have the exact same argument as regards racing industry-if you thot enough of your greys you wouldnt risk racing them-alot of Pros say “ye they LOVE to race,but again   they do not have an option wen placed in the traps,thats all from me on this one,as i could go on and on and on….unfortunetly DONT have the time .Thanx Amanda xxx

amanda if we are going to move forward with dogs welfare 5 dogs killed at bellvue is blatant lie that has been floating around all forums
it did not happen

but far to many dogs are put to sleep for non life threatening injerys sustained in racing
yes dogs get hurt but not to extent that is told on sites

i joined this site to try and save dogs lives

track vets are putting dogs to sleep when a dog can be saved .

tracks are safe im not trying to be little this dogs get injured but we as owners need to put our hand in our pockets to save greyhounds

this is my out look
ive been involved in greyhound racing for 35 years and trained dogs for one Scotland top greyhound owners we had many of 100 of greyhounds .

all bar none lived full and happy life after racing in all that time we have never had greyhound killed racing .honest yes we have had dogs get a career ending injury .

the man

he is old man know we have stopped breading, buying ,racing ,dogs because dogs live for 15 years or their about. we keep every one of then till they die of old age

we never put a healthy dog down .we stopped about 5 years ago because .if we died who would look after our dogs .when we are gone .so we have just let nature take it course
dogs that are dieing of old age we are not replacing them . with racing dogs

my aim is to try letting public know that greyhounds are nothing like any other dogs
not just in looks
few facts
a greyhound dosent have any known deformities in birth .
it has much higher blood ratio than any other dog
its hole metabolism is different from any other dog
its only dog that has fur not hair it is also not been know to cause allergic reaction to any one

and its bread to run lb for lb it fastest animal on planet
a cheetah can reach speeds of 80 mls hrs in burst and weighs 300 lbs
a greyhound reaches speeds high 45 miles hr is 70 lbs . but can maintain that for up to 600 mtrs

the are 1000 years of pure breeding and nature that so soft and gentle
they are so clever loyal trusting

it would be a sin to cross breed them like we have allowed every other breed has been allowed to

the are super fit animals
and i know greyhounds inside out i would class my self as expert
so please why not work together to educate people about the dogs

would it be right to let people get them fat out shape that kill more dogs than any racing
also the racing would go under ground it brings in to much revenue to governments to stop racing lets make it even safer for the dogs

Hi Bigman,
Would you mind telling me how you trained your (or other’s) greyhounds? I’d be interested to hear from someone with first hand experience, instead of reading 3rd hand accounts. Also are there different training methods (i.e. ones you haven’t used)? And what do they involve?
If you don’t want to post it to the forum, could you e-mail me about it:
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

My job is to improve animal welfare and to properly do my job I need to know exactly how the animals are treated, even if it involves visiting places/events I don’t necessarily agree with or that I find difficult to watch. It also means working with the people in charge of those animals, again even if we don’t see eye to eye, but for the overall benefit of the animals (hopefully!)

Any info/insights would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Laura

laura dixon your more than welcome to visit me and see dogs ive got most of my training methods on tapes discs
you be made welcome at my house to see for your self
i can let you know all traing methods and i take you to track
im only to glad to help

Welcome to the forum Bigman although I’m a bit sporadic on this forum just now due to being unable to home another dog after my last one died due to personal circumstances. (I find it upsetting when I see all these dogs needing homes and I can’t give them one.

I read your posts with interest and I think you could offer some really useful advice on this forum. I’m not anti greyhound racing (although I don’t like unlicensed tracks) but I am against Animal Cruelty. I used to work at the SSPCA and am well aware of how guilty the general public can be of cruelty to animals. Also, greyhound trainers range from being kind to their dogs to treating them ok and then some should just be shot! (The trainers that is, not the dogs!) So, I don’t believe in “tarring everyone with the same brush”!

I look forward to reading more of your posts.

Regards Hazel.

HAZEL great to hear other peoples take on things .
i didn’t like running my dogs under rules due to kenneling system .dogs would be locked up from 6.00 till they ran and locked up till race meeting finished that 4 or so hrs and they dont get home to kennel till way after midnight

i ran at track called armadale in west lothian
i would travel with my dogs run them never in kennel i would have them walking around away from the track or a sleep in big open van all they needed was 15 minutes at track before race and leave right after they had ran .
i always kept my vet on call in case anything happened to dog
but as i know most things about the dogs .first aid and i would be able to Handel most things . i think my dogs were in safer hands than licensed track

also flapping their no prize money so dogs are not ran for £ 20 run money
like gb gb licenced tracks

so if greyhound was not able to win and be in great condition their no point in racing a dog. as their no reward .

i will say yes their is dog abuse but their lot more people good to their dogs than bad to them

but i love the way people like your self care for greyhounds and greyhound people should support you more financially and morally

i would love to give people the chance to full explain about greyhound racing
what most owners would like for their dogs
we fight week in week out with promoters at a tracks and big bookmakers that own the track them is all about money .savings us dog owners its about dogs safty

please please belive me nobody makes money from greyhound racing
bar bookies and the track promoters
we do it for love of greyhounds. their bred to run heir oldest know dog going back to egyptians pure bred

Hi Bigman, that’s an interesting point about the kennelling situation on licensed tracks, but it still doesn’t change my mind The reason being, unlicensed tracks have no rules to adhere to, no vet on call, the dogs aren’t registered which means accurate figures can’t be kept, ringers could be ran,no duty vet present and I thought they weren’t legal??(as far as I’m aware?) Please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong on any of those points.

That is why I don’t campaign to “ban” greyhound racing at licensed tracks as if that did happen it would all go underground (as you previously stated) and then the dogs would have no chance of running under rules and regulations, which in my opinion would be much, much worse for the majority of racing greyhounds in the UK. Obviously the rules and regulations at the moment at licensed tracks need to be much stricter and more to the point, ENFORCED!

I’m glad to hear some people who race greyhounds feel that things are far from ideal and would like changes made. And ABSOLUTELY YES, the bookmakers etc should be forced into making sure these beneficial changes happen and be made to ensure retired greyhounds are not abandoned and found good homes. EVERY racing greyhound should be accounted for and not allowed to “disappear”. This could never happen at unlicensed tracks. Unfortunately not all greyhound trainers care for their dogs as much as you obviously do once their racing career is over.

Regards.
Hazel.

hazel im not trying to change your mind flapping in england has been brought under stricked rules but not in scotland
we have very stricked rules already

yes all greyhounds are registered just like gb gb licenced dogs the registerd with
g r a just like all other greyhounds they cant race if not ear marked .
the flapping track takes ear markings and all dogs markings it is strickter at flaps
than gb gb

only diffrentice i can call my dog any name to race like abba one my old flappers
he still registerd under his full name of push the plug with greyhound data base
gra band dogs from running flaps so the tracks allow dogs to run under shorter names but they still must be registerd

http://www.greyhound-data.com/d?z=7ormCy&d=push+the+plug&x=31&y=13