"I was shocked, amazed, and curious .... I needed to know more"

My first adopted Greyhounds had run at the Multnomah Greyhound Track outside Portland, OR. I had never been to a track, but several years earlier, I had lived in Seattle when that track closed. I’d read the horror stories that some Greyhound RESCUE groups use to get the public engaged ... I wanted to RESCUE a Greyhound ... and I did ... or so I thought. I prepared my home for a dog that needed to be rescued, but “Alice the Goon” (my beloved Inger) didn’t need rescuing. She LOVED people, and had no nefarious interest in my cats. She was so ... wonderfully easy. WTF?

Her adoption group had been closely aligned with the track and even housed hounds there until foster or forever homes were found. The next year they held an adoption publicity event at the track. Adopted hounds were invited to come and parade around the track ... could "bite" at Rusty, the lure, at the end. Inger was in heaven. She was so happy to be back at the track. We stayed in the stands for some races .... she went BONKERS! She pled, “Omg, let me out there! I WANT TO RACE!” and watched races start to finish. I was shocked, amazed, and curious .... I needed to know more. Five Greyhounds (and 17 years later), I know TONS more. The dogs don’t need to be rescued from racing; they just need homes once their careers have ended. Was there a time when racing Greyhounds were not treated well? Probably in SOME kennels, but poor treatment does not produce champions. Modern racing Greyhounds are superstar athletes that get massages after races and only the best diets. They are doted on by trainers and handlers, and expect such adoration from future adopters. Their handling by trainers and learned routines from track life actually facilitate their transition into extraordinarily easy adoptees or "rescues" as some like to call them.

Sadly, an easy way to turn future adoptees into RESCUES would be to end Greyhound racing. Disproportionate numbers of hounds would need to be rehomed ....and the jobs — livelihood — of trainers and kennel workers would also be eliminated ... Don’t accept the melodrama of G2K or other such groups at face value ... are their accusations true of Greyhound racing TODAY? Not in my experience of the past 17years.

Jennifer Vookles

Comments

"As a person who helps connect humans and Greyhounds..."

As the President and Founder of Forever Home Greyhound Adoptions, as well as having 13 of my own Greys, I feel like it's important to weigh in with my views as not only a Grey mom, but as a person who helps connect humans and Greyhounds, every day for over 20 years now. With all the allegations and controversy surrounding the Greyhound racing industry lately, I feel like it's high time that more of us on the adoption side of the road make our thoughts and feelings known. Having been in the adoption world for well over 20 years now, I think I have seen and heard just about everything, and I am here to tell the world that all the anti-racing slandering of the industry is shameful, hurtful, and untrue. Most of the AR mouthpieces that spout toxic lies the loudest, have probably never ever seen the inside of a racing kennel, and maybe never even witnessed a Greyhound race. Well, I HAVE, and I can truthfully say, that most kennels are cleaner than some people's homes, a

"She was not 'culled' like a puppy farm inmate"

It's about the dogs! It's been not quite four years since I became a "Crazy Greyhound Lady," retired racers have that effect on a large number of their adopters. NGA greyhounds have amazing careers as athletes and then are fortunate to have an adoption rate of over 95% when those careers are over. Now it's time for all of us who appreciate all that goes into the breeding, training, and care to stand up and defend racing against the endless lies put out by profit-driven extremists. My husband and I have adopted two retired racers and volunteer extensively with our adoption group, including traveling to the track to pick up new retirees and doing home visits to help match prospective adopters with dogs. We had the oh-so-common experience of mutual love at first sight when we met each of our hounds. Coming up with a testimonial should have been an very easy task. Instead I struggled with draft after draft, they all fell short. One day I realized that it was not

"And one year later we visit the first time a racetrack."

My Story: so sorry my English is not perfect I hope you understand me?! I am from Germany and in 2002 I met my first greyhound. He was from the last closed racetrack in Italy and was in a shelter in Germany. His name was Teseo (Teseo della Capitale). The beginning of a very deep love to greyhounds. But Teseo was so sad an scared and unlucky ... now we know he was unlucky with us. He was the first time alone ....He missed other greyhounds. But eight weeks later we adopted Zama (Teresas Hope). A female from the same track. And Teseo was so happy! He changed in a lucky and wonderful boy. At first we hate everything about racetracks. We heard from rescue groups so terrible things about this. This was a very bad area and all people are bad. But we met other greyhound owners in our town and we talked about everything ... and about the racetrack too. They told us so much other stories about the dogs and the people and we changed our opinion. And one year later we visit the f

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