The Case Against Banning Greyhound Racing

Make Peace With Animals, the greyhound adoption agency founded by Cynthia in 1987, has placed more than 4,000 dogs into homes, without any financial involvement from the racing industry. This is mentioned so that you know she has no vested interest in making sure the sport continues. Nor does she owe any debts to anyone in racing. The following article is from the Spring 2001 newsletter from Make Peace With Animals, reprinted with permission.

The Case Against Banning Greyhound Racing

On first blush, some of you may think that outlawing dog racing is a good idea. You may have heard horror stories about how the dogs are treated and think this a good way to stop it. I ask you to take the time to read the following, as it is the result of much painstaking research, direct experience and careful deliberation. I cannot stress strongly enough that I am not making a case for racing. I am simply arguing that there are far more productive ways to express our concern for the Greyhounds' welfare. To my way of thinking, at least three things seem sorely lacking in the goal of bringing down Greyhound racing: a historical perspective, a consideration of the broader implications and, perhaps most importantly, a holistic approach.

The Historical Perspective

When I adopted my first Greyhound, King, in April of 1987, the prospects facing former racing dogs were not good; in fact, they were appalling. At that time, over 50,000 dogs were either destroyed or sold for laboratory research each year. Greyhound adoptions were rare and I remember on more than one occasion being asked if my King was a Whippet as very few people had ever seen a real, live Greyhound. When I learned of the fate of most ex-racers, I made it my business to do something about it.

To start with, I founded Make Peace With Animals which, to date, has placed nearly 4,000 former racers. For a group comprised solely of a handful of hard-core volunteers, without a kennel, as well as being one that has never accepted a penny from the racing industry, this is a remarkable accomplishment. Remember, too, that placing ex-racers today is a breeze compared to those dark days. Not only did no one know what a Greyhound was, but, unlike today, I had no volunteers to lighten the load and scant information was available on the subject.

It was just that lack of information that led me to spread the word by giving countless interviews to the media and by writing two books for the benefit of the dogs. Since its publication in the fall of 1992, Adopting the Racing Greyhound, has gone on to become a best seller. To date, over 90,000 copies have been sold throughout the world and it is not an exaggeration to say that many thousands of Greyhounds in homes today owe their lives to that book. I wrote my second book. The Reign of the Greyhound, with the sole purpose of educating the public about the Greyhound's long and noble history. It was my thought that if people knew more about these dogs, they would value them more highly. That book went on to win an award for Best Dog Book of the Year (1997) and, judging by the fact that many people now proudly recite previously unknown facts about Greyhound history, I would say the book has succeeded.

In time, of course, I was joined by what I consider the best and most hard-working volunteers imaginable. They do not know the meaning of the word inconvenient when it comes to helping an animal in need. Our volunteers are the ones who make this project excel, and are the ones who are too busy saving dogs' lives and helping people experience the joys of animal companionship to have time for the tidier, less demanding task, of trying to influence legislators in state capitols. By their hard work, and by the example they set with their lives, our volunteers know first-hand the satisfaction of making the world a better place for animals.

The point is that conditions facing ex-racing Greyhounds today are not at all the same as the ones they faced in 1987. For one thing, there are more adoption groups than ever before, around 300 at last count. More groups mean more adoptions, with last year's count being around 16,000* nationwide. To add to this, there are thousands fewer Greyhounds being bred for the track. In 2000, for example, only 26,000 dogs were registered, compared to 39,000 in 1993. The exact number of dogs being destroyed is unknown, but reliable sources place the figure at around 10,000** per year. (Bear in mind that some of those dogs destroyed are terminally ill, have severe behavioral problems or congenital defects.) While the death of even one is too many, anyone can see that these numbers show that what we are doing is working.

I do not want to use the metaphor that this is "a battle that we are winning" because this is not a war. All of the above has been accomplished through communication and cooperation, and it is just that sort of behavior that is at the heart of Make Peace With Animals. History shows that conditions for the dogs have improved dramatically in just the 14 years that I have been associated with Greyhounds. Perhaps it is a reflection of our fast food culture that some people do not realize that things of an enduring nature are not accomplished overnight. As it stands, the progress has been remarkably swift!

The Broader Implications

I fear that many who have been convinced that the only way to help Greyhounds is by stopping dog racing have failed to consider the broader implications of their dream. Quite apart from the fact that big government has already intruded into too many areas of our lives, have those pushing for a law to ban Greyhound racing stopped to think of what kind of precedent this is setting?

If they succeed and Greyhound racing is outlawed in the United States, what will be next? Make no mistake, it will not stop at Greyhound racing because, logically speaking, why should it? So, what will be next on their hit list? Horse racing? Sled dog racing? Lure coursing? Field trials? Dog shows? Dog breeding? Pet ownership?

Lest you think this last possibility absurd, consider this: the animal rights' group, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is on record as being opposed not just to Greyhound racing, but also to the ownership of pets. They feel that the domestication of animals is a form of slavery and that, in an ideal society, such a thing should be outlawed.

Most people's main objection to Greyhound racing seems to be that the dogs are not taken care of properly either during their racing lives or after. Certainly a case could also be made for the fact that not everyone who owns a pet takes care of it properly (Over 9,000 dogs of all types are euthanized every day in the U.S.). Therefore, by this skewed logic, pet ownership should be banned, too. Do we really want to open the door to these other issues by outlawing Greyhound racing? Personally, I prefer the approach of education to legislation. Is the organized running of Greyhounds really something that is inherently bad, or is our energy better spent on the realistic goal of improving the practice?

The Holistic Approach

When I founded Make Peace With Animals I never intended for it to be just another Greyhound adoption group. Anyone who takes the time to ponder our motto "Make Peace With Your Self, Make Peace With Each Other, Make Peace With Animals" would surely get the idea that there was more going on here than simply the placing of animals into good homes. Greyhound adoption is the means by which we can express that philosophy. I feel as strongly today as I did in 1990 when our group was incorporated that the only way to a real and lasting peace in this world is not by taking an adversarial position, but, rather, by finding a way to emphasize what we have in common.

To save the Greyhound dogs while demonizing those involved in the industry is an old-fashioned and uncreative approach that, in the long run, will produce no lasting effects. Can we really say that we are humanitarians if we love our dogs but hate our fellow man? War is war, whether it is nation against nation, or anti-racing groups against the racing industry. Is it possible that in the year 2001 some people still think war is a good idea? Surely the incredible toll on human and animal life over the millennia proves otherwise. Fighting aggression with our own aggression, no matter how well intentioned, may alter conditions on the outside, but produces no inner, lasting change.

I know that many involved in the anti-racing movement have never set foot on a Greyhound track, much less sat down with a trainer or owner; but I believe that just that sort of meeting is necessary if we are to appreciate the human side of the business. How easy it is to attack a faceless "industry" while conveniently overlooking the fact that the racing industry is not a thing, but a group of people, many of whom are supporting families with their jobs. Many of those involved with racing dogs love the animals and take excellent care of them. Most of the dogs we take in today bear little resemblance to the thin, flea- and tick-ridden creatures of a decade ago.

I would never suggest that the racing industry is without problems, any more than adoption groups are; but it seems to me that encouraging those within the industry who have integrity and compassion for the animals, and showing those who do not that, because of our commitment to peaceful solutions, we will work with them anyway, is a far more powerful, and meaningful, way to help the Greyhounds and to further our goal of Peace on Earth.

Editor's notes:

* Since there are no reliable records to give us a definitive number, this is an estimate. Other well-informed people in both the racing industry and adoption put the figure at or above 20,000 today.

**Other reliable sources estimate this figure to be less than 6,000. The difference in adoption estimates alone would bring us to this lower number. Again, record keeping is almost non-existent in this regard.