SAVE the GREYS
> 500 Dogs to Die! (posted 5/1/05)
> The greyhound track in Plainfield, CT voted on April 26th that they
> would discontinue greyhound racing. Unfortunately - and
> heartbreakingly - they\'ve also decided that rescuers have only two
> weeks to get the dogs out, and any dogs remaining at the track on May
> 14th will be euthanized. This is a monumental task because there are
> at least 500 dogs currently at the track. These are all young, healthy
> dogs, 2-4 years of age, who would make great family pets.
> > Why is the track doing this? Greyhound racing is a business and
> because the track is no lon ger profitable, they\'re getting out. To us,
> dogs are cherished companions. To the greyhound racing industry, dogs
> are expendable commodities to be disposed of in whatever way is least
> expensive and most convenient when they aren\'t making money.
> > We\'ve committed to saving as many dogs as we possibly can in the next
> two weeks. We\'ll be working with an experienced greyhound rescuer who
> has been placing retired greyhounds for many years. She will be going
> to the track and bringing us dogs. As soon as we have more room, we\'ll
> do it again. We will repeat as many times as we can before May 14th.
> After May 14th, there will be no dogs left alive at the track.
> > In order to save as many dogs as we can, we are going to try something
> we\'ve never done before; sending as many as possible out into foster
> care by May 14th. Every time we send a dog into an adoptive home or a
> foster home, we can take another dog off the track. We will take the
> fostered dogs back into the Dakin Animal Shelter for adoption over the
> next few months as spaces open up for them - as long as they\'re off
> the track by May 14th, they\'ll be safe.
> > How can you help?
> > Adopt a greyhound They\'re wonderful dogs - gentle, quiet, sweet, and
> graceful. The ones we\'ll be getting will be good companions with other
> dogs and with cats. Surprisingly, they\'re couch potatoes. They do need
> to be in a fenced area or leash walked; they aren\'t dogs to let run
> loose. For information on what it\'s like to take a greyhound home,
> visit
http://www.greyhoundgang.com. To find out what greys we have available
> for adoption, call us at 413-548-9898 or visit our dog adoption page.
> Foster a greyhound If we can send greys into foster care and out of
> our Shelter, we can pull more from the track before May 14. We\'ll get
> them back into the Shelter over the next few months. We will provide
> all their medical care and a crate to make their transition easier.
> You provide your time & love and together we will give them a new
> life! For information on what it\'s like to take a greyhound home,
> visit
http://www.greyhoundgang.com. If you can help, or are interested in
> more information, contact us at 413-548-9898.
> Donate money. We are going to need extra funds to help these dogs.
> We\'ll be buying crates and other supplies as well as paying all their
> medical bills. You can send a check to: Dakin Animal Shelter, 163
> Montague Road, Leverett MA 01054, or donate online. Please mark your
> donation "Save the Greys".
> Donate a large dog crate. We need these to send with the dogs going
> into foster care.
> Spread the word! The more people who know about this tragedy, the more
> help the dogs will get.
> Many of you have seen greyhounds in the community - they\'re lovely,
> gentle dogs. When we started working with greyhounds, we discovered
> that there are a lot of misconceptions about them.
> > Greys are not hyper - they\'re actually couch potatoes!
> They love to run - for about 5 minutes - in a safe, fenced area.
> Greys spend most of their day snoozing and adore soft sleeping places
> and all the comforts in life.
> They are actually very good dogs for apartments or small homes because
> of their low activity level.
> They are very clean dogs, and in some ways are very catlike in their
> cleanliness and love of comfort.
> Most greyhounds - including all the ones we\'ll be getting - can live
> with other dogs and cats, once they\'ve been introduced, and actually
> love living with other animals.
> They rarely bark and shed little.
> In their life on the track, they live in crates for 22 hours per day,
> so most things in the \'real world\' are a surprise to them.
> They\'ve never seen simple things such as: slippery floors (wood, >
tile); stairs; television; windows; cats; dogs who are not greyhounds!
> They generally housebreak very easily because they\'re completely crate
> trained (they aren\'t housebroken because they\'ve never been in a
> house, so they have to learn what a house is!).
> They walk very, very politely on leash - they learn that at the track.
> Greyhounds are very good companions for homes with gentle children
> because of their own gentle nature.
> This is a tragedy of enormous proportions, and we\'ve decided to throw
> everything we\'ve got into doing as much as we can. It\'s easy to get
> overwhelmed thinking about the scope of the problem - and do nothing.
> If we instead work together as a community, we CAN make a difference.
> The Dakin Animal Shelter has always relied upon our community for our
> support, and we\'re counting on you now. With your help, we WILL make a
> difference.
Contact: The Dakin Animal Shelter Office Phone: 413-548-9898 Home Phone:
413-548-9898
Email:
DanburySkiClub@yahoogroups.com (Posted: 03-May-2005)