When the Tail Wags the Greyhound

A few days ago I wrote about a dog racing supporter named Leslie Wootten who posed as an independent journalist, and is now publishing a series of "articles" on greyhound adoption and dog racing in other countries. Wootten is not an independent journalist at all, but is in fact a greyhound racing supporter and the daughter of a former dog track executive.

With this biased background, it should surprise no one that her "articles" are nothing more than a thinly-veiled assault on greyhound protection advocates. Specifically, her "articles" claim that efforts to end greyhound racing are somehow causing greyhounds to be harmed elsewhere. On this point, Wootten writes:

Make no mistake, some individuals from other countries have purchased Greyhounds with owner consent, but other Greyhounds have slipped through the cracks, unwitting products of Grey2K’s doctrinaire cause to stop what they call “the cruelty of Greyhound racing.”

This kind of logic is like the tail wagging the greyhound. The fact is, American greyhound breeders have been selling dogs to other countries for decades, long before GREY2K USA existed. For example:

• According to a newly published book titled Satan's Playground, Mobsters and Movie Stars at America's Greatest Gaming Resort, a Mexican gambling resort named Agua Caliente was built between 1927 and 1930, using "greyhound racing on a makeshift track" to fund the construction.

• 200 former racing greyhounds were found starving at a greyhound farm in Summerfield, Florida, in 1991. The dogs were awaiting shipment to race in Venezuela.

• In 1992, 28 greyhounds were sold to a businessman in an effort to introduce greyhound racing to Brazil. The dogs, some of which had obvious injuries, were running exhibition races outside shopping malls in several cities.

• In 1993, more than 400 former American racing greyhounds were found abandoned and starving in their cages at a bankrupt dog track on Margarita Island, Venezuela. Officials discovered sixty-one dogs already dead and later euthanized fifteen others.

• In 1996, seven greyhounds were sold by a New Hampshire greyhound trainer to a Canadian who intended to crossbreed them with huskies and create faster sled dogs. The dogs were later rescued from an unheated shed in freezing temperatures.
  

All of these cases occurred years, sometimes decades, before GREY2K USA formed as a non-profit organization. The sad truth is, some greyhound breeders will apparently do just about anything to profit from these beautiful animals, including selling them to countries with even worse standards of care. Of course, the responsibility for this poor decision rests solely with the greyhound breeder who makes the decision, not with anyone else.

This lack of responsibility is yet another reason why greyhound racing must end. Prohibiting greyhound racing in the United States will help fight the international trafficking in greyhounds by making it harder for American breeders to profit from their cruel businesses. In fact, between 2002 and 2010 the breeding of greyhounds for racing in the United States dropped by a staggering 53%.

GREY2K USA opposes the transfer of greyhounds to any country in the world, and will keep working until the cruelty of dog racing ends everywhere. As a country we should demonstrate leadership in this regard, and urge the global community to follow our lead.

Instead, Wootten would have us adopt a policy that amounts to acquiescence to the lowest common denominator. Using her logic, no injustice should ever be abolished in our community if it happens to also take place somewhere else.

This is not leadership. Instead, it is twisted logic used in an effort to perpetuate cruelty.