"In retrospect, nobody needed to tell me this. Rosie and Dash told me themselves"

My Journey with Greyhounds

From the first time that my spirited Rosie (AMF Red Bull) twirled her silly helicopter tail at me and my handsome Dash (Cleveland) snuggled me with his elegant head, I knew my journey with Greyhounds had begun. It has been one year on July 15, 2018 since I first looked into these gentle brown eyes.

I had previously met a few retired racers and admired their calm natures and athletic physiques. When I lost my beloved Jack Russell Terriers, Torrie and Hailey, in their 15th years, I was heartbroken and decided to follow my dream of being a Greyhound adopter, a decision which has left a profound mark in my life.

Throughout the adoption process from the GRA (Greyhound Relocation and Adoption, now named Crazy for Greyhounds Adoption, based out of Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada) I was impressed by the support provided to me and my hounds in their transition from kennel to couch. In this past year, all my experiences with the Greyhounds and people involved in Greyhound racing and adoption have been absolutely positive. Over time, I have become aware of the vast support network that oversees the welfare of these racing Greyhounds from Florida.

I had never before owned a dog I hadn’t raised as a puppy. Curiosity about my retired racers' previous lives motivated me to educate myself about their past. I learned they are provided with extended socialization with their dam, siblings and other adolescent dogs. There is plenty of opportunity for exercise, play and training, and provision of optimal nutrition and physical therapy. They receive lots of love and hugs from owners, trainers and caregivers. And, they get to do what they were born and bred to do — run! My dogs came from the Sandford Orlando Kennel Club, and they had experienced a privileged upbringing.

In retrospect, nobody needed to tell me this. Rosie and Dash told me themselves. With soft trusting eyes, confident friendly body postures and relaxed wagging tails they communicate love and trust for people. Exemplary on-leash manners demonstrate their professional training. Greyhounds are quick studies in adapting to new experiences. I know from the way my dogs seek my leadership that there have been loving people in their pasts to similarly help them learn.

All the retired racing Greyhounds I have met this past year have told me the same. Every two weeks I witness a social phenomenon at our Greyhound Romp and Run, held at a local indoor horse arena. Here, 25 to 35 Greyhounds with their people gather for the fun. Rosie and Dash dance with excitement as we approach. Muzzles are mandatory. Everyone gets along. What sights I see! A pack of Greyhounds might be running or sauntering around like kids in a school yard, groups of people stand chatting to each other or are bent over to pat Greyhounds — any hounds, not just their own. Greyhounds are social animals who visit easily with people. I feel a bump at my side. It could be Rosie, it could be Dash, it could be another friendly Greyhound. I know I am in a special group.

Animals can tell of their past even though they cannot speak in words. For me, my 35 years as a veterinarian have given me the skills and opportunities to listen to many animals. One thing I know with certainty — my dogs did not spend 23 hours a day in cages, as stated by some anti-racing groups. None of the retired racers that I have met have either. It would be impossible to produce such fine athletes and companions from this type of background. Impossible.

Dogs who are well-socialized, kind, diplomatic, loving and gracious come from backgrounds filled with caring and skilled people. It is no accident that retired racing Greyhounds have these gentle personalities, for which they are well known.

For Rosie and Dash, their pasts have lead them to their home with me. They do indeed enjoy couches and dog beds, as is so often reported about retired racers. We walk the streets and trails daily. With their beauty and composure, they are fine ambassadors for the Greyhound racing industry. And they still get to run in my fenced yard. Rosie has turned it into her own personal race track, and Dash enjoys a run, a play with toys or a nap, as he sees fit. These two Greyhounds are happy in their retirement years.

The Greyhound racing industry is not an isolated entity. It is an integral part of a vast web of support for these special dogs who are loved, cared for and protected from birth until death in well-orchestrated stages. From puppyhood at Greyhound farms to careers as professional athletes until they transition to retirement in the care of adoption agencies who find them loving retirement homes, these dogs are treated with utmost reverence and respect.

Should this web be broken I will be so terribly sad. I will weep for everyone involved in all aspects of this supportive Greyhound network — the knowledgeable owners, trainers and handlers in the Greyhound racing industry who will lose their professions and livelihoods, the potential adopters who will no longer be able to acquire gentle and well-socialized retired racers and the passionate people who help these dogs find their adoptive families. And mostly for the dogs, who for centuries have been born and bred to run and will no longer be allowed. If Amendment 13 passes, what will happen to this special Greyhound breed?

Listen to the Greyhounds. Vote NO on 13.

Kathryn L. Hunt, DVM
Photo by Joan Skelton: Rosie and Dash run with their friends Lacey, Colby and Quinn at the Waterloo Area Greyhound Romp and Run