I found this post on a Boston Craigs List board. If anyone is in the New England area that would be willing to take in a greyhound, please do
======
Hi Everyone,
500 Greyhounds at a Connecticut Dog Racing Track are scheduled to be put down on May 15th, in one and a half weeks, due to the track being closed down. The track is giving rescues very little time to save as many as they can. If anyone you know would be willing to foster one of these amazing dogs or is interested in adopted a Greyhound, please read and forward the below email about the situation. Transports to other parts of the country are being arranged, and medical expenses will be covered for foster homes.
Original Email Below:
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 euthanized. 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 http://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 & love
and together we will give them a new life! For information on what it's like to
take a greyhound home, visit http://www.greyhoundgang.com. If you can help, or are
interested in more information, contact us at 413-548-9898.
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
======
Hi Everyone,
500 Greyhounds at a Connecticut Dog Racing Track are scheduled to be put down on May 15th, in one and a half weeks, due to the track being closed down. The track is giving rescues very little time to save as many as they can. If anyone you know would be willing to foster one of these amazing dogs or is interested in adopted a Greyhound, please read and forward the below email about the situation. Transports to other parts of the country are being arranged, and medical expenses will be covered for foster homes.
Original Email Below:
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 euthanized. 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 http://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 & love
and together we will give them a new life! For information on what it's like to
take a greyhound home, visit http://www.greyhoundgang.com. If you can help, or are
interested in more information, contact us at 413-548-9898.
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
![=[Stinky]=](/data/avatars/m/0/414.jpg?1000521489){kind=avatar}
