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Leigh Grady
Executive Director
Animal Shelter Inc. of Sterling
17 Laurelwood Road
Sterling MA 01564
978 422 8585 shelter
978 563 1039 fax
www.sterlingshelter.org

500 Dogs to Die! (posted 5/1/05) NOT A JOKE

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 euphemized. 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
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 and
love and together we will give them a new life.

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
www.sterlingshelter.org

Update!!!

I copied this story verbatum. While these dogs are endanger it's not quite a drastic as the reports lets on. These Greyhounds are in a rather difficult position of being at a track that is closing. Most times its one or two animals that are being retired.

Most times it is a Greyhound Rescue Shelter that gets the animal, but even then they are hard to place. Afterall who wants a adult dog..

Truth is they are gentle, quiet, loving animals that deserve to a good home. They are good with other animals and children. They need execise like any animal, but they are not high strung.

I posted this in hopes that somebody may actually want to adopt one or two.. I am :)