Saturday, June 29, 2013

Boom, Boom! Out go the...oh wait, never mind...the lights are on.

Just a couple of weeks ago, the greyhound adoption community had the opportunity to be lectured via social media regarding kennels at a greyhound track:

Have you actually ever been at a track and been inside the kennels?
Did you know the kennels in Arizona are NOT air conditioned?
And the lights are off 24/7?
And they wear muzzles 24/7?
And they live in cramped urine soaked cages 24/7?

So being curious I set out to learn for myself rather than blindly accept the words of those who support and follow "humane advocate protectors".

I arrived at the Arizona track around 5:30 pm on a day when outdoor temperature, according to my vehicle, was approximately 110 degrees. I took off my shoes and stepped out on the track and went for a slow, measured walk. Not once did my feet feel any heat. I did feel the cool sand between my toes and was not uncomfortable and the pace of my barefoot walk allowed me to detect any inconsistencies in the track surface, I then walked over to the metal starting box. I found the starting box located in shade. I stuck my head inside and did not feel uncomfortable at all. I took my hands and felt along the walls and found it was not hot to the touch at all.

After observing a few races, I then went with several trainers to the kennels as they returned the dogs that just finished racing. Low and behold I found lights on in the kennels and as I walked around petting dogs I found not a single dog wearing a muzzle. As I gazed into the eyes of the dogs, which were happy, playful and showing absolutely no signs of heat distress, I noticed that I felt temperate and comfortable. Yes, there were fans on in the kennel but I walked outside and looked at the roof top and there it was...a metal box pumping cool air into the kennels.

And the entire time I was at the track and in all the kennels I walked into, not one had the smell of soaked urine, not one greyhound was soaked in its own urine or any other canine body secretion.   


Before you accept the incorrect statements of a "humane advocate protector", go forth on your own and learn the facts for yourself. You will find the facts are more truthful than a fake French model.

1 comment:

  1. Went to Dairy Land a number of years ago. Got to go into the kennel where 2 of my greyhounds came from. It was clean, cleaner than my house. The dogs were happy and clean and bright eyed! Got to spend time in the turn out yard, what fun! Got to see the dogs taken over to the track to race. Wow, they were soooo excited! When they came back, they'd been cooled down, cleaned up from their toes to their eyes, and then they got dinner and ice cream! Happy dogs in a cool (yes, it was July) spotless kennel. No odors, no mess, nothing but clean and happy dogs!

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