International Greyhound Racing Holocaust
It’s not enough that racing greyhounds in what is considered a civilized nation (the United States) continue to die and suffer senseless injuries.
In Guam, when the racing industry came to an end, dogs were set free in the jungle to fend for themselves and face other atrocities. Fortunately, a combined effort of U.S. greyhound advocacy groups and Guam Animals in Need have helped to save some of these greyhounds and find them adoptable homes both locally in Guam and by flying them to the United States.
Now in Jamaica, they want to launch greyhound racing. Every article mentions how it will help the local economy. That didn’t work in Guam and other parts of the U.S., and it’s not going to work on a subtropical island like Jamaica. Nowhere do the articles mention greyhound welfare. Jamaica is another greyhound holocaust waiting to happen.
South Africa is also considering greyhound racing. Another bad idea.
What can you do?
Start writing: Speak out.
JAMAICA
Prime Minister, The Honorable Bruce Golding
One Devon Road
Kingston 10
Jamaica
Jamaica Observer
40-421/2 Beechwood Avenue
Kingston 5
Jamaica W.I.
editorial@jamaicaobserver.com
SOUTH AFRICA
Professor Elizabeth Snyman-Van Deventer
University of the Free State
Faculty of Law
P..O. Box 339
Bloemfontein
9300 South Africa
snymane.rd@ufs.ac.za - this is a corrected email address
The Citizen Newspaper
P.O. Box 43069
Industria 2042
letters@citizen.co.za
GREY2K USA has submitted official testimony, but your letters are needed at this time as well. Please write to the authorities and media outlets to let them know that greyhound racing is cruel and inhumane, and that economically, it has become a losing proposition in the United States.
You can rely on points from state-by-state racing pages or you can click here to review or download a racing fact sheet (PDF).
How much blood needs to be shed in the name of greyhound racing?
Speak out! Add this blog post to your facebook and myspace pages. Encourage your friends to speak out. Silence is never an option.
In 2008 the Greyhound Protection League was asked to provide information to Elizabeth Snyman regarding the possibility of legalizing greyhound racing in South Africa. We provided her with extensive information and dozens of links to articles regarding the state of greyhound racing in general (more and more closing and closed racetracks for lack of sufficient revenue to keep them going), and the particularly sad circumstances for both the people and the greyhounds in poor and third-world countries where legalized greyhound racing exists.
One of the issues GPL addressed was: if a portion of the population in poor areas does not have adequate food, housing and clothing, it is unlikely, that hundreds, perhaps thousands of greyhounds in South Africa would be adequately cared for, particularly when they are not winners. And most greyhounds are not winners; at least not for long.
GPL also provided information demonstrating that legalized greyhound racing rarely produces the revenue its proponents claim it will bring in, as evidenced by the number of tracks closing in the US.
We also spoke of the costs to the community when gambling addiction occurs, and it often does in the underclass communities where tracks are often housed. We spoke of the costs of treating the addiction itself as well as the cost to the families which are often devastated by the loss of their income, their homes and the support of their loved one(s). And the cost to the community to support the family now in dire financial straits. And we provided articles demonstrating the horrors that many times occur to the thousands of no-longer useful greyhounds.
Our conclusion at The Greyhound Protection League, and our position paper to Elizabeth Snyman and the Department of Trade and Industry of South Africa indicated that: GREYHOUND RACING IS A LOSING PROPOSITION FOR SOUTH AFRICA. We could find no winners, only losers; especially the greyhounds.