Study: Greyhound Training Causes Bone Density Changes and Microfractures

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 11:35 AM PST  Grey2KUSA   Researchers at Massey University in New Zealand just completed a five-year study of issues related to the greyhound racing industry. Not surprisingly, their conclusions provide even more evidence that dog racing is cruel and inhumane. According to an abstract for the study, which was conducted between 2007 and 2011: “We identified that hock injuries were the single most important cause of catastrophic failure and dog loss. The combination of training practices, questionable feeding practices, and the suspicion of stress-induced fractures was also a significant cause of dog loss.” In particular, the study found that training and racing on an oval track actually changes a greyhound’s bone density, and results in microfractures: “An initial subjective assessment has revealed asymmetry between the bone density of the left/right central tarsal bones, as the result of track running, and increases in bone volume and density following training. Also, microfractures appear to result during training.” Finally, and perhaps most notably, the study found that the bone density changes that take place during training may cause greyhounds to be predisposed to a later catastrophic injury: “We are uncovering the early changes in bone that occur after the onset of training, and which may predispose it to catastrophic fracture later.” Greyhound breeders often claim that catastrophic injuries are mere accidents they are not responsible for. In their own words, a broken leg is “no big deal.” This new study provides even more evidence that this is simply not the case. Catastrophic greyhound injuries are an entirely predictable result of this cruel industry. As long as dog racing continues, thousands of greyhounds will suffer broken legs and die on the track.

Arizona NRT voted to phase out greyhound racing

Grey2KUSA Feb. 7, 2012

Yesterday, the Arizona Committee on Natural Resources and Transportation voted unanimously in favor of phasing out dog racing in Arizona! GREY2K USA lobbyist Gretchen Jacobs was there to testify for the dogs.

Skecher’s Super Bowl ad promoting the cruel sport of greyhound racing

To:

Skechers President Michael Greenburg at michaelg@skechers.com

Skechers Vice President of Media Gary Martin at gpmedia@aol.com

Mark Cuban at mcuban@hd.net

NBC Universal at nbcuniversalviewerfeedback@nbcuni.com

 

michaelg@skechers.com; gpmedia@aol.com; mcuban@hd.net; nbcuniversalviewerfeedback@nbcuni.com;

 

Please pull the Skecher’s Super Bowl ad featuring greyhounds running at Tucson Greyhound Park.

Why would you want to glorify a cruel sport.  You have obviously not done your homework in regard to using the dogs in your ad.

It is probalby to late to withdraw the ad and make a new one.  Instead you could make a large donation to Grey 2K USA, who is fighting to close all the greyhound tracks in the US and around the world.    

http://www.grey2kusa.org/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greyhound Dogs as Blood Donors

Greyhounds are being used as blood donors, under the pretense of having been rescued from the track.  Is it better for the individual dogs to go from a cage at a track, to a cage at a so-called rescue facility and be in a situation where they might have to share a cage with another dog, having to fight for their food and space, sleeping in their feces, having little exercise, etc.  Is it better to have a good quality of life or quantity?

 

It appears that having a “non-profit” business, supplying blood to vets, is very lucrative.  For example, Hemopet, in Garden Grove, California, has grown over the years to warehouse hundreds of greyhound dogs, who have been given to the organization by trainers and others, dogs who are no longer money makers.  They go under the radar as to who is giving them away.  Hemopet gets the dogs free, bleeds them for months and years, and then when they can no longer give blood, the dogs are put up for adoption.

 

See 2009 Non-profit Tax Return for Hemopet – (you need to register on www.Guidestar.com in order read 990 Tax Return)

As you can see, a non-profit does not mean that you cannot make a large salary, as a managing employee of the organization, with benefits, over $100,000.  Not having the details of the tax return, we can only surmise that the President of Hemopet, Dr. Jean Dodds, DMV, is receiving these funds.

 

Major problems with Hemopet:

Dog cages –  two dogs per cage

• designed for one dog, with one raised area for sleeping
• even the greyhound tracks do not have shared cages
• space for movement, sleeping, excretions, is limited with two dogs in a cage
• below is a photo of two dogs in a cage ( photo with blue cage sides) – you can see the dog bowl on the raised area in the back of the cage – what you see is the cage size
• the cages are lined up, as they are at the tracks
• how is this condition better for the dogs

• State inspectors are influenced by the reputation of Dr. Dodds and are therefore not inspecting the Hemopet facility or they are overlooking the conditions. 
• We are in the process of determining the California minimum size of a cage ALLOWED for one dog.  With the raised sleeping platform, we assume the cages are too small for two dogs.
• The description below, on the Hemopet web site, of the cage, is a complete lie.

•  Complaints about Hemopet (correspondence)  from 2008  (click on link)

 

• California –  animal blood banks are licensed and regulated by:

California Department of Food & Agriculture
Animal Health and Food Safety Services, Animal Health Branch
1220 N Street, Room A-107
Sacramento, CA 95814
916/654-1447

 

 

Florida Greyhound Racing Report about Cruelty to Dogs

Read article here  12-7-11

Skechers Shoes Promoting Greyhound Racing – Why?

Earlier this month, a TV crew was seen filming a commercial for Skechers shoes at Tucson Greyhound Park (TGP). Please join us in asking the company not to promote the cruelty of dog racing by using this footage.
Read More

Greyhounds in the Classroom

The GREY2K USA Education Fund provides free educational materials, including posters, magnets and more for all participating students. Read more and see a sample lesson plan, supporting materials and PowerPoint presentation here.

Read more

Greyhound Trainer Receives Five Year Prison Sentence in Ebro Cruelty Case

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Greyhound Trainer Receives Five Year Prison Sentence in Ebro Cruelty Case

 

According to news reports, former greyhound trainer Ronnie Williams plead guilty this morning to 39 counts of animal cruelty. He was arrested last year when dozens of dead greyhounds were discovered in his kennel at Ebro Greyhound Park. According to state officials, the dogs died from starvation, dehydration, or asphyxia.

Williams was sentenced to five years in prison for each charge. However the sentences will run concurrently. He has already spent a year in jail while waiting trial, and will not receive credit for that time served.

There is no doubt that Williams should have received a stiffer penalty for his heinous acts. Sadly, it is common for animal abusers to receive relatively light sentences.

Today’s plea is the end of a sad storyin which dozens of greyhounds suffered and died. Today, my thoughts are with those dogs.

Posted by CTheil at 1:14 PM

Top Recipients of Greyhound Racing Subsidies Contribute Thousands to Tomblin Campaign

Grey2Kusa – 09-28-11

Top Recipients of Dog Racing Subsidies Contribute Thousands to Tomblin Campaign

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 12:59 PM PDT

With only days left in the race for West Virginia governor, greyhound breeders are simultaneously defending candidate Earl Ray Tomblin, while at the same time trying to distance themselves from him.

For example, this morning the Charleston Daily Mail published a letter from Sam Burdette, the president of the West Virginia Greyhound Owners and Breeders Association. In his letter, Burdette defends Tomblin from what he says are “false and negative campaign accusations,” but then claims that Tomblin hasn’t actually helped greyhound breeders:

“Also, we have occasion to go to the Legislature on bills relating to the greyhound industry. We have not known Earl Ray to insert his influence into legislative action relating to the business.”

What greyhound breeders are saying in public, however, contrasts sharply with what they are saying in private. On May 15, greyhound breeder Dean Miner urged other breeders across the country to support Tomblin and contribute to his campaign. He urged breeders to send checks directly to him, and said that he would bundle the checks together and they would be “hand delivered to Governor Tomblin.” He further added:

“It’s been my experience hand delivering goes a long, long way.”

Miner’s message, which was posted on an internet site used by the dog racing industry, made it clear that Tomblin’s election would benefit greyhound breeders like himself:

“You can’t do better in this lifetime, but to have a Governor who has family that owns greyhounds, a kennel and a farm. If you don’t get involved now then I don’t know what to say.”

Miner’s investment in Tomblin has the potential to pay huge dividends. In return for his maximum donation of $1,000, which he gave to Tomblin on July 14, 2011, he can try to ensure that the subsidies he receives under the Greyhound Development Fund continue. In 2010, Miner received $225,986.11 in greyhound subsidies, placing him ninth in total subsidy dollars.

Dean Miner is not the only top recipient of greyhound subsidies who apparently thinks Tomblin is a good bet. Half of the top ten recipients of greyhound subsidies in 2010 have donated to the Tomblin campaign this year:

• The second largest recipient of greyhound subsidies is McMillon Kennel, which received $459,438.59 in 2010. The owner of McMillon Kennel, Millie McMillon, gave a maximum $1,000 contribution to the Tomblin campaign on June 10.

• The third largest recipient of greyhound subsidies, Ricardo Pacheco, gave Tomblin a $250 campaign contribution on March 31. In 2010, Pacheco received $323,888.01 in subsidies.

• The fifth largest recipient of greyhound subsidies, Harvey Maupin Jr., gave the maximum $1,000 to the Tomblin campaign in two separate contributions dated May 10 and August 18. His wife Loretta also gave the maximum $1,000 in two contributions, also dated May 10 and August 18. In 2010, Maupin received $248,773.83 in greyhound subsidies.

• The seventh largest recipient of greyhound subsidies, Rondis Cavender, gave $500 to the Tomblin campaign in two contributions on May 6 and June 1. In 2010, Cavender received $237,117.64 in greyhound subsidies.

Finally, it is worth noting that the author of today’s letter, Sam Burdette, gave the Tomblin campaign $100 on June 14.

Next Tuesday, we’ll find out if the bet greyhound breeders have made in West Virginia will pay off. I’m hopeful that Mountain State voters will instead make a humane choice and opt for Bill Maloney for Governor.

Limit Aid to Greyhound Racing Industry

Limit Aid to Racing Industry

June 18, 2011

By MIKE MYER , Editor – The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register

A word of advice to Ohio Gov. John Kasich from a state that has been there, done that:

Don’t let the horse racers rip your state off. Be glad you don’t have to worry about the greyhound breeders.

Kasich’s administration pulled off something of a coup this week. It involves video gambling machines at Ohio racetracks.

State negotiators have worked out a deal that would allow video gambling at Ohio’s seven horse racing tracks. Each would pay $50 million for a license, plus 33.5 percent of revenue from the electronic slots. That may be too low, but that’s an argument for another day.

Today, let’s look at what happens to the 66.5 percent the tracks get to keep.

Reportedly, track owners will have to give a cut of that to the “horse-racing industry.” How big a chunk has yet to be determined.

That’s where we in West Virginia already have been. What we’ve already done is provide a bonanza to the horse- and dog-racing industries.

Part of the revenue from video gambling at our state’s four tracks (two for dogs, two for horses) goes to special funds benefiting those involved in the businesses.

Last year the W.Va. Thoroughbred Development Fund handed out $8,143,526 to Mountaineer Park in Chester and the Charles Town Races in the Eastern Panhandle. Tracks use the money to pay prizes to racehorse breeders, raisers and owners. The idea, according to state law, is to “promote better breeding and racing of thoroughbred horses in the state …”

Another account, the Greyhound Development Fund, goes straight to racing dog breeders. Last year it handed out $5,358,084 to several dozen greyhound breeders. Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s mother, operating as Tomblin Kennel Inc., received $268,410. His brother, Carl, received $38,844. Since 2000, the Tomblin family reportedly has raked in about $2.5 million from greyhound racing, though the governor staunchly denies any conflict of interest.

Six-figure payouts to greyhound breeders are not uncommon. Last year, one collected $655,012.

During one year alone, the horse- and dog-racing funds paid out more than $13.5 million. That’s enough to build a fairly nice new school.

Those involved in the dog- and horse-racing industries get upset when payments out of the special funds are questioned. Why, the money supports important industries and provides jobs for West Virginians, they say.

Yes, the payments do provide some jobs. But “important” industries? Give me a break. West Virginia has quite a few important businesses and industries that don’t receive a dime from video gambling.

Don’t even bother with the argument that subsidies are needed to keep the tracks open. The only reason they need horse and dog racing is that state law requires it if they are to operate video gambling machines.

Ohio already has special funds, something like West Virginia’s, to bolster the racing industry (all horses, both harness and thoroughbred, in the Buckeye State). But Ohio’s Thoroughbred Race Fund and Standardbred Development Fund (for harness racing) paid out just $2,926,894 last year.

One can almost envision those involved in the Ohio horse-racing industry rubbing their hands together in anticipation. Hey, if little West Virginia can cough up $13.5 million a year for horse and dog racing, what might the possibilities be for Ohio, with seven tracks?

That’s where Kasich and state legislators need to be wary. It’s one thing to provide money to maintain horse racing. It’s quite another to do what happened in West Virginia – to provide a pot of gold for the dog- and horse-racing industries.

Going into the current two-year cycle, Kasich and Ohio legislators had to slash spending – including that for schools – to close an $8 billion hole in the budget.

Surely the state has better uses for video gambling revenue than to give a big boost to the horse-racing industry.

Myer can be reached via e-mail at myer@theintelligencer.net.