New York Times' write-up on the greyhounds at Plainfield

Here's DawnWatch's write-up on the 5/5/05 New York Times article.

You can write appreciative letters to the New York Times at:
letters@nytimes.com (@nytimes.com)

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Date: Thu, 5 May 2005 19:11:28 -0600
From: DawnWatch news@dawnwatch.com (dawnwatch.com)
Subject: DawnWatch: New York Times on fate of greyhounds when track closes 5/5/05

The Thursday, May 5, New York Times has a story on the front page of the B section, (B1) headed, "As Racing Ends, What About the Dogs?"

Focusing on the closure of one track, it discusses the issue of greyhound racing, but unfortunately, perhaps in an attempt to be balanced, it tends to whitewash the industry.

It opens:
"When the news came last week that live racing would end on May 14 at Plainfield Greyhound Park, Max Friedman did not waste time worrying. He started working the phone.

"Mr. Friedman, who owns 45 dogs that race at the track, said he quickly arranged for 25 of his dogs to race at Shoreline Star Greyhound Park in Bridgeport. He found room for 15 more at Hinsdale Greyhound Park in New Hampshire.

"Yet while Mr. Friedman was personally relieved that he would have only five dogs left to 'pet out,' the phrase used by greyhound owners to offer dogs for adoption as pets, his success addresses just a fraction of the problem: There are about 1,000 dogs that need to be moved to new locations."

On the fate of the dogs:
"The fate of the dogs has become a pressing topic here, with some longtime critics of greyhound racing stirring fears that hundreds of dogs could be put to death.

"In fact, firm answers about the fate of the dogs have been hard to come by.

"Track officials, after initially offering little information, are trying to calm concerns. They do not dispute that many of the dogs at Plainfield cannot race elsewhere, but they say their kennels will stay open until they find places for each animal, either for racing or as pets.

"Karen Keelan, executive vice president of Connecticut Yankee Greyhound Racing, which owns the track, said she could not release a precise account of dogs and where they will go. She said she was still taking inventory and dog owners were still seeking spots at other racing sites."

What the article misses is the fate of the dogs once they stop winning races at the other tracks. Last year, "Real Sports" on HBO did a terrific expose on the industry in which viewers were told that a dog who has lost a race will be described, coming off the track, as "Dead Dog Walking." I transcribed much of the show. You'll find it on my website at:
http://www.DawnWatch.com/12-04_Animal_Media_Alerts#GREYHOUND OR http://tinyurl.com/bgkna

Keenan spoke of the "near-hysterical reaction from animal rights advocates" and said, "We're not going to let unnecessary euthanizations take place," adding, according to the article, that "dogs that suffer from disabling injuries or illnesses are sometimes euthanized."

In other words, dogs, injured racing, who can no longer race, are killed.

Amongst many quotes about how much the industry cares about the dogs, the animal protection side of the argument is briefly presented:

"Some greyhound advocates say the industry's promises to care for the dogs were misleading, that dogs may simply be transferred elsewhere to be killed. They say the closing of the track provided a window into what they call a largely self-regulating industry where uncompetitive dogs die mysteriously.

"If they don't end up dying in Connecticut, they may die in New Hampshire or Massachusetts,' said Melani Nardone, the Connecticut and New York representative of the Greyhound Protection League. 'It's a very, very shady system and it happens all the time."

You can learn more about the Greyhound Protection League, and about dog racing, at
http://www.Greyhounds.org The front page of the group's website on racing greyhounds tells us: "Some are placed as pets, but nearly 20,000 are killed each year. The 'fortunate' ones are killed humanely. Others become documented horror stories. But thousands disappear to fates unknown."

Another good source of information is PETA's fact sheet on the issue, "Death in the fast lane": http://www.peta.org/mc/factsheet_display.asp?ID=68

You'll find the full New York Times article on line at: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/05/nyregion/05dogs.html
It is terrific that the New York Times covered the issue and gave it prominent placement. Letters to the editor should be appreciative, partly because studies have shown that papers, including the New York Times, are far more likely to publish laudatory than critical letters. Our letters can keep alive the discussion of greyhound racing and give New York Times readers more information on the dark side of the industry.

The New York Times takes letters at letters@nytimes.com (nytimes.com)

Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when sending a letter to the editor. Shorter letters are more likely to be published.

Yours and the animals',
Karen Dawn

(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at http://www.DawnWatch.com. To unsubscribe, go to www.DawnWatch.com/unsubscribe.php. If you forward or reprint DawnWatch alerts, please do so unedited -- leave DawnWatch in the title and include this tag line.)