Hmm he doesn't really make money from them. They are his work colleagues and pals. They assist him to do his daily job, and his job would be made very difficult (if not impossible) to do if he didn't have some fully trained sheepdogs.

He very occasionally breeds a litter (to keep one or two himself) and the other pups are sold to working homes for a minimal amount, he has also occasionally sold an older, trained or part-trained dog. You can command a higher price for such a dog, but when you take into account the costs of raising and training that dog then he is basically covering his costs.

I just don't see racing greyhounds as *working* dogs in the same sense as sheepdogs, gundogs, police dogs etc.

This is an interesting thread, which I have enjoyed reading. Clearly people have strong views on this issue.

I just wanted to clear up something which I said earlier in the thread lest it be taken the wrong way. I said something along the lines that shepherds/police dog handlers do not claim to love their dogs. I wasn't thinking very straight when I made that broad statement. Of course, there are many who will love their dogs and have a close relationship with them. It was a rather broadbrush statement!

What that’s the only reason farmers have working collies, come on Dawn its hardly their only reason to have these dogs now is it, not as in greyhound racing Do they make money from breeding and selling puppies? The times I hear about people breeding not making money seems to contradict that – or are you saying that they are not breeding ethically?

Oh so what you say in one thread (whether locked or not) is not necessarily true in another thread? How bizarre

So you support one sort of person merely owning dogs for financial gain but not another?

Yes its true I don’t like animals being used purely for monetary gain whether it be greyhound racing, puppy farmer or byb’s breeding underage dogs, all the same thing really. Oh and I will keep voicing my opinion and resurrecting whatever I want to regardless of whether you like it or not just as you will voice yours you don’t have to respond to my posts (especially when you don’t know the answers to any questions I ask) you don’t even have to read them.

Why not if as you say you understand why they do what they do? Surely its nothing for you to hide if you have no problem with it?

Oh right so breeding purely for money and treating dogs as stock is fine so long as they are of an age and have had the health checks and not called pets and you never see them?

Finally someone who can answer the questions about all the greyhounds who are not accounted for. Can you point me in the direction of figures that prove the majority get good retirement homes, thanks.

But greyhounds don’t stay with the owners do they, you’ve just said the majority end up in rescue – not necessarily in nice homes dawn and they can stay there for years so breeding for an already saturated market is not a problem then?

Why is that more acceptable? You don’t have a problem with breeders never taking the dogs they have bred back or owners who give them up when they have served their purpose?

What would people say on here if they started a thread on here saying my breeder wont take the puppy back as there is a problem – would they tell them to dump it in rescue because that’s ok? Would it be acceptable to people on here Im breeding my bitch but have no intention of keeping any will not provide back up if necessary and wont be bothered if you flog it off to spain or stick it in rescue when you’ve finished using it?


The same way as I feel about animals performing in a circus. I am out and out against using animals purely for monetary gain and to provide entertainment as I said whether it be puppy farmers, bybs or greyhound breeders and owners.

During their racing careers dogs can be drugged, fed before racing (to slow them) forced to run regardless of whether the conditions are suitable or not (its in the rules that they have to race and owners can be fined if they withdraw the dogs), they are never allowed to play only to train, have a high possibility of being injured and when they are not treated quickly if at all. Need I go on? How about using live bait for training? Or being kept caged for most of the day? How about using one dog to sire thousands of offspring and offering no back up?

Also its not just about the racing career, its about those that don’t make it to the track, trust me they do not get the chance to curl up by their owners or breeders fire they get to make a trip to seaham (yes Dawn I know you don’t have a problem with that as well)

Not sure what you mean by ‘feel’ the dogs are treated – its not just a feeling! It’s a fact yes the majority do not stay with their owners or return to their breeders, the lucky ones are put into rescue , others are taken to the vets to be pts (some consider these to be lucky as well) others do not have that nice little fate awaiting them, they are abandoned after removing ears of course, shot, in the case of those flogged to spanish hunters hung, drown, need I go on? Now does that fate happen to working collies, police dogs, sniffer dogs or ratters?

Thank you, this is how I thought it was, so they are not just to make money from if at all or just considered as stock.

Not biting anymore Spot, you carry on.

Thanks for your detailed response Spot, and it is clearly something you feel very passionate about.

From your description, it does sound as though racing greyhounds have a rough deal of it throughout their lives Is it the majority that suffer or the minority (or somewhere in between)?

As I have said, greyhounds are not a breed I know much about.

Thanks Spot, for taking the time to give details of the abuse to the poor animals. I don't think some people realise just how bad it is. The site I looked on were kind of saying that conditions for Greyhounds had improved but did give the impression that there was a way to go. From reading your post - there is a long way to go. The UK is known for being an animal loving nation, yet this is allowed to go on. I don't get it

Ive always been a bit worried about posting on any of the discussions on here about greyhounds but here goes
when i was a child i used to go greyhound racing at catford mainly, my family over the years had four racing greyhounds Prince (Glenbegs Gold), Ozzie, Dolly(killeadys doll) and jenny(jenny lynd) they all raced except for Ozzie as we bought him from ireland and they had fed him on steroids to make him run faster - (we didnt know that when we got him) - this caused him to cramp when he ran all out so obviousley we didnt race him . All our dogs lived out their lives at the racing kennels and when retired spent their remaining years in retirement kennels we used to visit them twice a week, Prince broke his leg in a race many people told my mum and dad to have him put down as he wouldnt race again but they refused and had him treated.

As i spent so much time watching racing and helping out at the kennels i got to see the good and the bad of the racing industry and now that im older im not too sure what i feel about it, i think there are caring owners out there that look after their dogs but equally there are many that treat them as money makers and when they are of no more use they are destroyed and a new one is bought - as kids we saw dogs fall over on the track and break a leg then after they were put down by the vet they were wheelbarrowed to a storage room in a black bag ready to be disposed of and many other things that id rather forget.

But i also met alot of wonderfull people that race their dogs and then keep them as pets after they retire, maybe we just have to regulate the breeding of greyhounds so that there are fewer dogs racing and thus fewer needing homes when they retire - i heard that in australia there is a waiting list for people wanting to rehome ex-racers not sure if its true but if it is maybe we should look at what they are doing and try it over here?

Sorry about the long post.

Don't be sorry. It is always nice to get a balanced view and your post certainly was balanced.

If only all Greyhound owners were as responsible and caring as your parents obviously were.

It's the same as everything really isn't it. There is good and there is bad. It's just that, to me, even one dog suffering is one too many.

In a perfect world all Greyhounds would be placed in retirement homes or with families, being cared for in a loving environment - but this is not a perfect world - unfortunately.

Good post MD.

I keep saying dont tar everyone with the same brush and you are a perfect example.

A friend of mine had a very successfull racer, he broke his hock after a race, he was treated and now is happily retired, they also had one that never made the grade, in fact she was useless they had her spayed and she is one of 6 retired racers they currently have (4 not being theirs) Good and bad in all things, but when money is the motive, you will get those like in breeding that will discard and replace and breed more if something doesnt come up to scratch.

That would be the best thing I think- if they're not being born then they're not suffering!

Of course it isn't all trainers that treat their dogs like that, thankfully... But enough do. I'm sure Jobie's had a beating somewhere down the line I think to many trainers they are stock and are treated as such, which is a bit of a waste of a dog if you ask me but as long as their basic needs are accommodated for, including after their racing career finished... The trainers I have known don't treat ther dogs with affection particularly but they don't have a bad life and are cared for. There are probably more trainers like that than abusive one or ones that treat the dogs as pets I would think.
Those who rehome them themselves, pts humanely or lop off the ears and dump them seem to be an unknown quantity though as everyone comes out with wildly different figures- From 500 dogs unaccounted for per year to 40,000. 500 is too many, and 40,000 is abhorrent but I don't expect that it's as many as that (that was peta's figure )

I remember reading that Australia ships a lot of their old racers off to Asia for the dog meat market and for unlicensed racing, not sure how true that is though.

all this hassle just to watch a few mutts run round in a circle eh it seems ridiculous when i think about it...