Help save greyhounds

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 longer 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.


more ...


http://www.dakinshelter.org/news.html

passing the info along to the woman that runs the Rainbow's End Greyhound Rescue

It's a small operation and currently all available foster family are fostering (including us) - but hopefully a few adoptions will make some room

The Plainfield Greyhounds are safe. Go to greytalk.com and read the pinned subject on Plainfield.

This has been debunked.

It is still not totally debunked. They are not going to be euthanized, but they still need fosters.

http://greyhoundtails.com/index.php/weblog/plainfield_track_updates/

to helping the dogs find a place to go, you must be kidding. They've stated that they'll send dogs back to their breeders or farms...where they'll die most likely, thank you very much. The track, the majority of breeders/farms could give one shit less about these dogs, unless they can make them future money.

Considering the treatment these animals get AT the track, I find it almost laughable to even consider that the track is actually going lift more than the first finger to help them. Hell, TWICE in the past, Plainfield raced dogs while a kennel cough epidemic was rampant.

that are going to help. A bunch have already commited to take some dogs.

I'll believe the animals are safe when I see more than lip service from the track, the NGA and Greyhound Pets of America.

Fact is, there's still a dire need to place a good number of dogs. While it may be untrue that 500 dogs will be put down in two weeks, this is still a fairly urgent situation.

at greytalk.com. I'm NOT defending the track..only saying that this posted info is wrong. You can't have an opinion until you know the facts. I don't expect that Plainfield will do much, but 500 dogs aren't going to be PTS.

I'm stating that a number of dogs are still in a dire situation (you DID read my post, right?). I'm also stating that a large number of dogs are becoming a deluge on an already overburdened rescue community. So, Plainfield dogs will take the places of other unfortunate greys that have reached the end of their running career. If a rescue has 30 slots, and an onslaught of dogs from a shitfarm track come in, close those slots, then what of the 30 dogs that ARE going to die tomorrow that COULD have gone to them? In the grand scheme of things, 500 dogs are going to die. Maybe not this particular 500, but 500 others. Open your eyes.

I know underlying facts of the industry, including the aforementioned organizations (my previous post you are responding to). Dogs sent back to farms/breeders will die. Plainfield is an end-of-the-road track, and that's a fact. While we can all huzzah and send backpats all around that the Plainfield dogs are safe, somewhere an incinerator is firing up (or maybe they'll just bury them in Alabama again).

Knowing that Susan Netboy/GPL is watching the situation makes me feel better about it.

I'm certainly not crapping on any of the rescues and individuals that are doing great things, opening homes and wallets to these dogs. It's more than altogether too many would do, and they're still heroic.

I have two greyhounds, I know what's up with the industry, please don't tell me to open my eyes..they're wide open. My only point was that the original article was debunked.

The intensity/immediate nature of the article was debunked (your word), yes. The situation itself remains.

they were contacted by Plainfield about taking some of the Greyhounds

at the moment there are no foster placements open, they are hoping a couple of adoptions go through this week to open up a foster home or two or three

I received this via one of my Yahoo animal rescue groups.

Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2005 7:58 PM
UPDATE about the 500 Greyhounds in CT


Recent News about the 500 Greyhounds in CT
It seems they have time for rescue now..... if you can help...see groups
helping below...

PLAINFIELD EXEC PROMISES PLACEMENT OF ALL GREYHOUNDS AFFECTED BY TEMPORARY
CLOSURE, SETS UP SPECIAL ADOPTION HOTLINE 5-3-5 s to remain open until all
greyhounds are adopted.
Special adoption hot line at:
1-888-267-1099
This is coming from the Greyhound Rescue Groups

If you could direct people to the following shelters that would be great.
There are many more Greyhoundadoption groups who will be helping.) What we dont
want to happen is for people with no Geyhound knowledge to e placing them. It's
best to go thru one of the many Greyhound shelters.

Unfortunatley they are a different breed, and have a few specific equirements,
such as:
*NEVER ever tying outside on a run or stake chain (will break their necks)
*NEVER EVER letting off a leash unless in a completely enclosed area.
(will run loose and be hit by a car or lost)
* They need careful screening for prey drive

Groups who will need foster homes:

Greyhound Rescue of New England (Mendon, MA) contact Diane Henning
508-478-1617
Email: adopt@greyhoundrescuene.org (@greyhoundrescuene.org)



Greyhound Options (Ware, MA) contact Claire Sygiel 413-967-9088
ckerr1@aol.com

W.A.G. (CT) contact Agnes Porell 860-569-4187 porell@sbcglobal.net (she is way
until May 11, but will need help when she returns)

Buffalo Greyhound Adoption (NY) Contact Laura Pike at izofawoman@alo.com

Sharon Woods at ghound97@aol.com

From: Augusta Moore <savedogsanimals@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: UPDATE IN PLAINFIELD, CT - 500 GREYHOUNDS WILL DIE MAY 14TH


If anyone of you are on additional email lists regarding pets and
dogs, specifically, please be aware of incorrect information that is
being posted.

Last week, the Plainfield Greyhound Racetrack announced that they
were closing their doors. Approximately 800 greyhounds will be
retiring and ALL greyhounds will be adopted! Rumors are flying that
500, 1000 or even 2,000 greyhounds will be euthanized. THIS IS NOT
TRUE. Greyhound Pets of America, the American Greyhound Track Owners
Association, the American Greyhound Council, and the National
Greyhound Association have a plan in place to contact reputable
adoption groups and get retired greyhounds transported to those
adoption groups around the U.S. In fact, Connecticut has a state law
that no racing greyhound can be euthanized.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact
me. Additionally, I would appreciate receiving those emails that you
may recieve so that I can report the correct information to those
that are misinformed.

Thank you,
Liz Ardell
Executive Secretary
Greyhound Pets of America