I know, IsoChick understood my reply thanks.

Here is a petition

https://submissions.epetitions.direc...etitions/10800

rune

How many dogs died at Crufts this year?

Many a event horse dies, whether whilst being ridden at a competition, in a lorry accident on the way to an event, on the gallops or of an illness. The list goes on about what could be a contributing factor to its death, and I know the horse that died in 2010, it was horrific...it happened in front of my eyes, that isnt to say that the racing community dont think the deaths of the GN horses are devastating, there will be owners/trainers and grooms and riders absolutely devastated by the loss of these horses.

Just because the majority of the public that support the GN dont seem to bat an eyelid, doesnt mean that the people who care for these horses (whatever discipline) day in day out, dont.

One as far as I know and it was on it's way out of the venue when it collapsed and died due I think to an unknown heart defect.

I have had my say once on this thread, but just had to come back after reading some of the posts.

I really do feel that there is a great deal of mass hysteria about the Grand National, and racing in general, which to my mind is generally (although maybe not always) completely hypocritical.

There is much talk about racing being all about money.......well, of course it is. It is a business, and it just happens to be a business that involves animals. So.....making money out of animals is wrong? Farming is a business; farmers are trying hard to make money.......out of animals in many cases.

People talk about the death of any animal being dreadful, and quote percentages of deaths in racing and throw their hands up in horror. Well, what about the percentages when applied to pigs cows and sheep? Rather higher don't you think (getting on for 100%) - in fact whereas those involved in racing hope and pray that their animals will come back safe and sound, farmers KNOW that their animals will never come back from that trip in the lorry. I apologise to anyone who never eats meat in any shape or form, and who wear only synthetic shoes and sport synthetic handbags etc. etc. (oh and don't forget the meat you might be feeding to your dog, or that leather lead and collar). We simply cannot have it all ways, and we cannot push out of our minds the fact that animals are slaughtered daily to put food on our plates, then scream blue murder when it is splashed all over the media that two horses were tragically killed in a race. Remember, pigs are reputedly more intelligent than dogs, so is the fact that they are dying in unfamiliar surroundings with strange people more acceptable than a horse having to be put down after an accident doing something that it loves?

I am not a vegetarian, and I am not stirring up any arguments about farming practices or meat eating - this thread is about racing and I am merely trying to compare different businesses to put things into perspective.

so on this logic, would you also deem it ok if someone knowingly designed a dog sporting event that would lead to the death of some of the dogs participating each time it took place, or would you, perhaps, think it cruel and unnecessary??

I would think that would depend, as with anything involving animals, on whether there was cruelty involved. I don't honestly think that you can compare dog activities to horse events though - if a dog breaks a leg when competing, then a visit to the vet in the back of a car will usually sort things out. As has been discussed earlier in this thread, a horse is a whole different ball game and a badly broken leg sadly is the end of the road for most of them. Neither horse in this year's race died whilst racing, they had to be spared pain and suffering as quickly as possible. Fortunately most dogs are repairable.

Totally agree with all of this, well said!

Me too. An animal is an animal, I really do not see the difference of "animals for food" and "animals we can't possibly put at risk" that others do. (Apart from my own of course, but my animals are special )