500 Greyhounds to die in CT

Permission to Forward Granted

500 Greyhounds to die in CT

Could we take in some greyhounds?
Just a thought....
R

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.

How can you help?
=A0=A0a.. 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.
=A0=A0b.. 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
www.greyhoundgang.com. If you can help, or are interested in more
information, contact us at 413-548-9898.
=A0=A0c.. 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".
=A0=A0d.. Donate a large dog crate. We need these to send with the dogs
going into foster care.
=A0=A0e.. 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.
=A0=A0=A0=A0a.. Greys are not hyper - they're actually couch potatoes!
b.. They love to run - for about 5 minutes - in a safe, fenced
area.
=A0=A0c.. Greys spend most of their day snoozing and adore soft sleeping
places and all the comforts in life.
=A0=A0d.. They are actually very good dogs for apartments or small homes
because of their low activity level.
=A0=A0e.. They are very clean dogs, and in some ways are very catlike in
their cleanliness and love of comfort.
=A0=A0f.. 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.
=A0=A0=A0=A0g.. They rarely bark and shed little.
=A0=A0h.. 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.
=A0=A0i.. They've never seen simple things such as: slippery floors
(wood, tile); stairs; television; windows; cats; dogs who are not
greyhounds!
=A0=A0j.. 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!).
=A0=A0k.. They walk very, very politely on leash - they learn that at
the track.
=A0=A0l.. 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.

Leigh Grady
Executive Director
Animal Shelter Inc. of Sterling
17 Laurelwood Road
Sterling MA 01564
978 422 8585 shelter
978 563 1039 fax
http://www.sterlingshelter.org
Every Nose Needs a Home

On Tue, 3 May 2005 14:51:47 -0400, wrote:

This information in not accurate. The Plainfield has committed to
feeding and caring for the dogs until they move to other tracks, are
returned to their owners, or are placed with adoption groups. 500
dogs are not going to die.

Hopefully, people will stop inundating Greyhound rescue/adoption
groups with these hysterical messages and let them work on finding
room for the dogs.

Sally Hennessey
Lake Erie Greyhound Rescue, Inc.


Permission to Forward Granted

500 Greyhounds to die in CT

Could we take in some greyhounds?
Just a thought....
R

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.

How can you help?
**a.. 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.
**b.. 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
www.greyhoundgang.com. If you can help, or are interested in more
information, contact us at 413-548-9898.
**c.. 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".
**d.. Donate a large dog crate. We need these to send with the dogs
going into foster care.
**e.. 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.
****a.. Greys are not hyper - they're actually couch potatoes!
b.. They love to run - for about 5 minutes - in a safe, fenced
area.
**c.. Greys spend most of their day snoozing and adore soft sleeping
places and all the comforts in life.
**d.. They are actually very good dogs for apartments or small homes
because of their low activity level.
**e.. They are very clean dogs, and in some ways are very catlike in
their cleanliness and love of comfort.
**f.. 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.
****g.. They rarely bark and shed little.
**h.. 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.
**i.. They've never seen simple things such as: slippery floors
(wood, tile); stairs; television; windows; cats; dogs who are not
greyhounds!
**j.. 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!).
**k.. They walk very, very politely on leash - they learn that at
the track.
**l.. 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.

Leigh Grady
Executive Director
Animal Shelter Inc. of Sterling
17 Laurelwood Road
Sterling MA 01564
978 422 8585 shelter
978 563 1039 fax
http://www.sterlingshelter.org
Every Nose Needs a Home