Friday, November 9, 2012

Greyhound Racing Australia


For the record, I do NOT always target the US Greyhound Racing Industry in my posts.  When there is so much fodder available, why limit myself?

Dateline NSW, Australia

A damning news segment showed up in my Google Alerts this morning.  From ABC (AU).  Enough to destroy a day, but, oh, so telling of the underbelly of the racing industry.  There are some damn ugly doings going on.

In this segment, a senior vet discloses a plethora of information.  Ted Humphries (sp?) worked in the greyhound racing industry for many years.

News of doping in the industry using APO (Blood doping is the practice of boosting the number of red blood cells in the bloodstream in order to enhance athletic performance.). 
 
The senior vet stated it is detected through blood samples.  In my opinion, swabs and urine samples from “officials” at the track won’t turn that up.  In fact, a trainer confirmed it is widely used.

Then, it degenerates into the places that enrage most sensible humans. 

In the vet’s back area he shows the hounds marked for euthanasia.  They are marked with an “E” on the top of the head with liquid paper.  Or an 'E' on their cage.  For running too slow.

Brent Hogan, CEO Greyhound Racing NSW, recognizes the 3,000 euthanized is too high (low estimate) and they are putting in place of number of actions to bring that number down to a more acceptable level…

What the bloody hell is an "acceptable level" of putting a greyhound down because it wasn’t fast enough???  Seriously, what would justify that?  One put down because it was not fast enough is one too many.

The vet said at his clinic, which puts down about 500 a year, at least they have a humane end there.  He said many owners resort to other methods.  He said they shoot them, hammer, some thrown off bridges and some hanged.

Hammer?  “Bash ‘em in the head”.  Bastards.

Good ol’ Brent Hogan says they work with an adoption group (ahem, sponsored by the industry and therefore happy to get dogs to rehome and never speak up against racing - sound familiar US?) to place the “discarded” dogs.

“Discarded” dogs…  Something in that term repulses me.  Discarded.  I discard trash.  I discard torn, unusable clothing and furniture.  Things that can go to a home I donate.  A dog???  A dog is not a discarded being, people...
 

This sweet little guy (happy pup in the video) with the big white ‘E’ on his head was 2 years old.  2.  He was euthanized.  Why?  “..because it didn’t run fast enough.  He was just too slow” said the vet…

R.I.P. baby.
 
A little p.s. to a Facebook group.  I don't drink kool-aid and am not hate-filled.  I hate animal abusers.

No comments: