When you adopt a greyhound, you may feel quite satisfied that you've done a good thing, and so you should! That one greyhound is one more that is safe and secure... and will never have to go through the suffering that some of his or her more unfortunate brethren will. However, your work is only just beginning.
A greyhound will have never lived in a home before so whilst he or she is usually house trained and will go outside to the toilet, other manners have to be taught. Molly was terrible at dinnertime when we got her. She had no concept of table manners at all and would try to eat off our plates whilst we were eating. She soon learned that she couldn't do that with a little training and now barely takes any notice when we eat. Everything we take for granted with older dogs does not apply with greyhounds. They are puppies in adult dog bodies!
I wrote an article on this topic a few days ago and it is published here so go take a look to see how to train a greyhound to be a family pet!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
The RSPCA Get Two On Greyhound Cruelty Charges
The RSPCA in the UK is often accused of not doing enough to protect greyhounds but, trust me, they do as much as they possibly can. They take greyhounds in and pass them on to shelters that can nurse them back to health. They also do their utmost to find and prosecute the perpetrators of greyhound abuse as well. However. Their powers are somewhat limited. Take this case in point.
Rebecca Hagger (aged 20) and Rosemary Hagger (aged 51) were prosecuted recently for greyhound abuse at Peterborough Magistrates Court. They had already entered a guilty plea to the charge of causing unnecessary suffering to three greyhounds as well as failing to meet the welfare needs of a further four greyhounds. They were only given a 10 year ban on owning dogs for their horrific greyhound abuse.
In fact, the greyhound abuse was that bad that Rebecca was banned from owning all animals for 10 years and ordered to do 200 hours of community service. Rosemary was given a 12-month conditional discharge. Their greyhund abuse was absolutely sickening, so much so that I am not printing all of the details here but neither was sentenced to jail. Instead they got away with the above and a £250 fine to covercourt costs.
Their abuse goes back to September 2007 which is when the RSPCA were called in. Inspectors found three greyhounds that were emaciated and had numerous infected sores during their visit. This actually goes against section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act, 2006, and yet neither was sent to jail. The remaining four were severely underweight, had flea infestations and were living in disusting conditions. They had no food or water and that broke section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act, 2006. Again, neither of them went to jail.
The vet that was called in to treat the emaciated greyhounds actually said that two of the three dog had been severely neglected for at las two months with the other dog having bee left for at least one month. The defence? The dogs were owned by Rosmary's husband, whoc had died. That is absolutely no excuse for this horrific treatment, especially given the fact that Rebecca was still working in the greyhound racing industry at the time of her trial.
One of the RSPCA inspectors that attended to the dogs said the following:
As you can see, the RSPCA wanted a harsher penalty for the two abusers but could not do much about the penalty they got. It is time we started calling for harsher penalties for those that perpetrate greyhound abuse I think.
On a brighter note, all of the greyhounds are now well cared for, although three still needed a home last time I heard how they were. Boris, Tyler and Wilson are all black and white and are extremely loving. Despite all that has happened to them, they are still very friendly... and lazy! If you think youcould give them a home then please call the RSPCA Peterborough & District Branch on 01733 248116.
Rebecca Hagger (aged 20) and Rosemary Hagger (aged 51) were prosecuted recently for greyhound abuse at Peterborough Magistrates Court. They had already entered a guilty plea to the charge of causing unnecessary suffering to three greyhounds as well as failing to meet the welfare needs of a further four greyhounds. They were only given a 10 year ban on owning dogs for their horrific greyhound abuse.
In fact, the greyhound abuse was that bad that Rebecca was banned from owning all animals for 10 years and ordered to do 200 hours of community service. Rosemary was given a 12-month conditional discharge. Their greyhund abuse was absolutely sickening, so much so that I am not printing all of the details here but neither was sentenced to jail. Instead they got away with the above and a £250 fine to covercourt costs.
Their abuse goes back to September 2007 which is when the RSPCA were called in. Inspectors found three greyhounds that were emaciated and had numerous infected sores during their visit. This actually goes against section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act, 2006, and yet neither was sent to jail. The remaining four were severely underweight, had flea infestations and were living in disusting conditions. They had no food or water and that broke section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act, 2006. Again, neither of them went to jail.
The vet that was called in to treat the emaciated greyhounds actually said that two of the three dog had been severely neglected for at las two months with the other dog having bee left for at least one month. The defence? The dogs were owned by Rosmary's husband, whoc had died. That is absolutely no excuse for this horrific treatment, especially given the fact that Rebecca was still working in the greyhound racing industry at the time of her trial.
One of the RSPCA inspectors that attended to the dogs said the following:
Animals deserve much better than the conditions these dogs were kept in and should have access to veterinary treatment when they need it. The RSPCA believes that the government must introduce effective national standards to ensure the welfare of racing and ex-racing greyhounds. We also feel that those in the industry must be compelled to ensure provision is made for retired dogs.
As you can see, the RSPCA wanted a harsher penalty for the two abusers but could not do much about the penalty they got. It is time we started calling for harsher penalties for those that perpetrate greyhound abuse I think.
On a brighter note, all of the greyhounds are now well cared for, although three still needed a home last time I heard how they were. Boris, Tyler and Wilson are all black and white and are extremely loving. Despite all that has happened to them, they are still very friendly... and lazy! If you think youcould give them a home then please call the RSPCA Peterborough & District Branch on 01733 248116.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Help Save The Greyhounds Of Australia
When we think of cruelty to greyhounds and greyhound slaughter, we tend to think close to home. We think of the USA, UK and Europe. We may even look to the Middle East, but our focus should also be on Asia. No matter how bad we think the greyhound cruelty that goes one here is, I guarantee that it is ten times worse there.
Our gorgeous greyhounds are brutally tortured in the most horrific ways before being murdered without a thought. There is no regulation in Asia at all. However, the Asian countries cannot take all of the blame. Australia has to take some of it too.
Did you know Australia exports greyhounds to Asia? They do so knowing what happens to the poor creatures that are sent sailing to their death and yet they do nothing about it. However, there is a petition you can sign to voice your concern and outrage to the Australian government. It can be found here. Please click through and sign it. It will take but a moment.
This is the introduction to the petition, and it should give you a good idea of what goes on:
The Australian greyhound racing industry is shamelessly promoting and encouraging greyhound racing in Asia. At present greyhounds are being exported from Australia to Asia to places such as Korea, Vietnam and China for the purpose of racing/breeding with further plans to create networks of tracks throughout Cambodia and the Philippines. These are countries notorious for the barbaric torture and slaughter of dogs for human consumption. There is no hope or opportunity of rehoming greyhounds that are 'surplus' to requirements in Asia. As exposed by the media they are ending their days being butchered in the dog meat industry or thrown into landfills. At present this is the fate of Australian greyhounds in Asia.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Remembering Rusty...
Today is a special day, but for all of the wrong reasons as far as we and one particular beautiful greyhound is concerned. In fact, Friday 2nd May 2008 is four years to the day that Rusty died in the most horrific and brutal way. He was horribly tortured and left to die on a rubbish tip in the Welsh mountains.
A man out walking discovered his battered body on Fochriw Mountain in the Rhymney Valley. He heard whimpering and went to investigate. The sight that met him was horrific and is a sight that should never have happened. A greyhound was lying half-dead amongst the rubbish having shot in the head with a captive bolt pistol. Also, both of his ears had been hacked off so he could not be identified.
However, despite Rusty's heartbreaking injuries, he still wagged his tail at the man. A loving and sunny natured greyhound, Rusty could have been taken to a shelter and then adopted by the loving family he deserved. Instead, Rusty had to be put to sleep as a result of severe brain injury. He had been lying on the rubbish tip for at least 24 hours before he was discovered.
I am crying as I write this because no greyhound deserves this treatment. There are no words to describe what I feel, and yet some still deny that this goes on. Well it does, and Rusty was proof of that.
Believe it or not, it gets worse.
Andrew Gough, who was known as the ‘Greyhound Executioner’, was found guilty of this atrocious crime and was prosecuted by the RSPCA as a result. He was only given 6 months or the crime and was also banned from keeping animals for life. Disgustingly, 6 months was the maximum term that the cime carried.
During the trial, it came to light that Rusty's owner, John Hurley, and trainer, Mark Emmett, had paid Gough £10 to "dispose" of Rusty. Rusty's crime? He had picked up a toe injury and could no longer race and therefore no longer earn money for the two men, who cannot be human by any tretch of the imagination. Neither were held accountable for signing Rusty's death warrant because it was not illegal for an owner to arrange to have their dog put to death, no matter in what way it was to happen. Remember, he was not to be humanely put to sleep, which would have been bad enough because he was healthy. Instead, he was brutally murdered. He was left to die with horrific injuries that he did not deserve.
Rusty was not alone, nor will he be in the future. He is one of thousands of dogs that die in such a way every year.
Please remember Rusty and all of the other greyhounds that suffer similar fates in your prayers. Remember what beautiful animals they are. Raise your voice and make your disgust heard around the world. Together we can put up a fight for these animals, protect them as they cannot do themselves.
It is time the slaughter stopped once and for all.
A man out walking discovered his battered body on Fochriw Mountain in the Rhymney Valley. He heard whimpering and went to investigate. The sight that met him was horrific and is a sight that should never have happened. A greyhound was lying half-dead amongst the rubbish having shot in the head with a captive bolt pistol. Also, both of his ears had been hacked off so he could not be identified.
However, despite Rusty's heartbreaking injuries, he still wagged his tail at the man. A loving and sunny natured greyhound, Rusty could have been taken to a shelter and then adopted by the loving family he deserved. Instead, Rusty had to be put to sleep as a result of severe brain injury. He had been lying on the rubbish tip for at least 24 hours before he was discovered.
I am crying as I write this because no greyhound deserves this treatment. There are no words to describe what I feel, and yet some still deny that this goes on. Well it does, and Rusty was proof of that.
Believe it or not, it gets worse.
Andrew Gough, who was known as the ‘Greyhound Executioner’, was found guilty of this atrocious crime and was prosecuted by the RSPCA as a result. He was only given 6 months or the crime and was also banned from keeping animals for life. Disgustingly, 6 months was the maximum term that the cime carried.
During the trial, it came to light that Rusty's owner, John Hurley, and trainer, Mark Emmett, had paid Gough £10 to "dispose" of Rusty. Rusty's crime? He had picked up a toe injury and could no longer race and therefore no longer earn money for the two men, who cannot be human by any tretch of the imagination. Neither were held accountable for signing Rusty's death warrant because it was not illegal for an owner to arrange to have their dog put to death, no matter in what way it was to happen. Remember, he was not to be humanely put to sleep, which would have been bad enough because he was healthy. Instead, he was brutally murdered. He was left to die with horrific injuries that he did not deserve.
Rusty was not alone, nor will he be in the future. He is one of thousands of dogs that die in such a way every year.
Please remember Rusty and all of the other greyhounds that suffer similar fates in your prayers. Remember what beautiful animals they are. Raise your voice and make your disgust heard around the world. Together we can put up a fight for these animals, protect them as they cannot do themselves.
It is time the slaughter stopped once and for all.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Beautiful Greyhound Images On YouTube!
Greyhounds have undoubtedly become more popular as pets over the last few years, especially since awareness about the atrocities committed against them has rapidly increased. However, nowhere near as many greyhounds are being adopted as rescued and the awareness of this needs to be elevated still further.
There are some misguided beliefs out there that concern greyhounds. Some people believe them to be poor house pets. Others do not even consider them as pets because of their racing history. However, anyone that has ever owned one will know othewise. The greyhound is a perfect pet - lazy, laid back and loving, they would happily sleep, eat and cuddle all day long. Of course, not all of them get on with cats and other small animals but the majority of them are extremely clean and family oriented.
If you need proof of this, go to this fantastic video
link and watch the images there, courtesy of Greytexploitations. It really is worth a few minutes of your time! There's a whole host of other greyhound videos on there too so relax to a little greyhound love!
Sunday, March 2, 2008
BREAKING NEWS: The Slaughter Of Healthy Greyhounds
News broke today of a practice that frankly made me feel sick as I read about it and I wanted to share it with all of you, not to make you feel sick but to make you angry, shocked and disgusted all at the same time. I have people messaging me every day stating that my views are misguided, personally attacking me for making up "facts" that are completely off the mark because very few greyhounds are slaughtered every year and those that are happen to be old and ill.
This is not the case and Daniel Foggo, a renowned investigative journalist, has proved it for me.
Foggo broke the story in The Times newspaper today that the Royal Veterinary College in England has a financial agreement with the Greyhound Clinic, located in Essex, England. The latter provides the bodies of healthy greyhounds for the RVC at £30 per body part. The RVC has a number of similar agreements with other vet practices, which ultimately means that hndreds if not thousands of greyhound are slaughtered every year for a profit of £30 each.
The RSPCA, not surprisingly, is horrified and has spoken out against the practce as well as launching an investigation.
Of course the information provided above is just the tip of the icebeg. There is much more in the article itself which can be found at this Times Online link. Please speak out, read the article and leave your comments here or elsewhere to show your outrage. We need voices now because otherwise nothing will ever change.
This is not the case and Daniel Foggo, a renowned investigative journalist, has proved it for me.
Foggo broke the story in The Times newspaper today that the Royal Veterinary College in England has a financial agreement with the Greyhound Clinic, located in Essex, England. The latter provides the bodies of healthy greyhounds for the RVC at £30 per body part. The RVC has a number of similar agreements with other vet practices, which ultimately means that hndreds if not thousands of greyhound are slaughtered every year for a profit of £30 each.
The RSPCA, not surprisingly, is horrified and has spoken out against the practce as well as launching an investigation.
Of course the information provided above is just the tip of the icebeg. There is much more in the article itself which can be found at this Times Online link. Please speak out, read the article and leave your comments here or elsewhere to show your outrage. We need voices now because otherwise nothing will ever change.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Annette Crosbie Speaks On The Greyhound Slaughter
British actress Annette Crosbie, best known for her role as Victor Meldrew's long-suffering wife in One Foot In The Grave, has been a campaigner for the rights of greyhounds for a long time now but her work is only just beginning to get recognised.
She first began to speak out when news broke a couple of year ago about a slaughterhouse in the North East of England. The owner was murdering thousands of retired racers every year. It was found that the majority of the hounds were completely healthy and the brute that ran the place was jailed as a result.
Ms Crosbie is a wonderful woman who deserves our applause and respect, as does everyone that works to help greyhounds in any way shape or form. Her latest public appeal for awareness can be found at Sky News by clicking on this link.
If you would like to read more about Ms Crobie's work then you can read a fantastic article about her here.
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