The terrible truth!
Did you know that part of the sighthound family is worthless?
That dogs such as greyhound, lurcher, podenco, galgo and galgo español have no value in many countries. There, they are not seen as pets and are subject to laws other than domestic animals. As one thing that is not even worth the price of a bullet to get their lives ended. These dogs are tortured, hung in trees and from bridges. Some are found truncated and barely alive.
The dogs are used for races, hunting and also by travelers who bring home a hare (thief hunt) for the dinner by their dog (the lurcher). But these dogs are not worth five cents. They often get far too little food, they receive no veterinary care and no love. Their lives may be to be tied up or at best live in a small cold kennel where space is severely limited.
If a greyhound does not run fast and win money for its owner, it is left to a municipal "dogpound" where it may be for a week with the hope that someone will get there and save it. Most often it is killed by the trainer / owner himself or left for cheaper "removal" so that they do not have to do it by their self. Unfortunately, many are found who may have suffered from poor killing attempts. It may have had the throat almost cut off, stab holes in both body and head and many times the greyhound has had the ears or parts of the ears cut off or they had got acid on the ears so you cannot identify it. The Greyhound has a tattoo in the ear which is required to compete in racing or if it is to be used in breeding. The dogs in Spain are used for hunting of rabbits and hare. If the dog is not good enough, they can be dragged after cars until the legs do not carry them anymore, they are hanged and tortured. There they have a belief that the longer the dog is tortured before it dies the more luck the owner get next season. So then you can probably understand what awful visions you get to meet there.
Luckily, there are rescues / shelters everywhere in the world who are engaging in these sighthounds. This is done voluntarily, which means that you work for free and get help from wonderful people and sponsors donating money, food, quilts, blankets, etc. So that is why it is so important that we spread this and if you can donate some money, every penny is a blessing.
In the summer of 2018, Canidrome was closed down. This was the last legal dog race in China. Over 600 greyhounds were left on site by their owners. Some went to the meat market, but volunteers and animal rights activists took care of the dogs that remained. You can read more about this "here"
Not infrequently, several dogs are found trapped in an abandoned barn in the woods where they were starved to death in a protracted fight. To survive as long as possible, they must eat at their half-dead or dead friends. Does this sound uncomfortable and completely incomprehensible? Yes it is quite sick that this may occur and that it occurs in countries such as Ireland, England, Spain and others.
How can this be aloud to go on? Yes, that's a good question. Not even the countries' own governments do anything about it. But if as many people as possible react and help by spreading this as much as possible, then there is hope that the countries will eventually wake up and change their laws. Abuse and torturing animals should be punished and that harshly. Laws on the registration of dogs (yes all animals) must be introduced everywhere. A stop to these "sports" that make the owner rich while the dog is suffering.
At the end of June 2019, a program was shown on Ireland dealing with this awfull sport and the lives and fate of dogs. This program (which you can see under "videos" or below) has started to open the eyes of some companies that usually sponsor the race. Now some have quit their sponsorship and I hope more people do the same.
You may have heard of China. Not as a country but about the situation of the greyhounds there. Many greyhounds are sent to China when they are incapable to race. There they have slightly different horrible fates to meet. Previously, they were allowed to take part in a big race at the Canidrome in Macao where the winner passed the life-handle while the poorer were picked out behind the track and killed on the spot. They did not always die immediately.
Some dogs go to the meat market where they are often peeled and boiled alive before being sold. But even in China there are rescues that work hard for these dogs.
The countries where greyhound racing is at its greatest today are the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Spain and Mexico.
Facts: Macao's dog racing
Macao, located across the bay from Hong Kong, is the world's largest gaming center.
Greyhounds kept for racing in Macao are mainly imported from Australia. In 2013, Australia's dog breeding organization banned exports to China, out of concern that the dogs would be treated badly. But the authorities continued to issue export licenses to Macao.
In a review, The Guardian magazine revealed that Australia approved the export of 590 greyhounds to Macao since the industry blacklisted China.
Source: The Guardian
Link to the report in "The Irish Times" click "HERE"