Greyhound Rescue Benefit a Big Success!

I just completed my first greyhound rescue benefit, and it was great! I did a benefit for GALT (greyhound adoption league of Texas) and it was quite successful. What wonderful people are involved in this fine organization! I heard from quite a few of them.

Generally speaking, I love working with animal rescue groups! I’ve held quite a few benefits this year and last year, and I am still looking for more adoption groups to help.

This is the first time I’ve worked with a greyhound rescue, but I know I’ll want to help more of them now. And this group seemed to really like my greyhound jewelry! Of course this was pretty exciting for me.

Why Exactly Do Greyhounds Need to be Rescued?

When I researched this area, I found some disturbing information. Although these dogs work overtime to make money for their “masters” they are often treated with cruelty and disrespect. I found it a bit hard to read, to be honest.

Greyhounds may live up to 13 years but they are often retired from racing around eighteen months to five years of age. Of course if they are injured, they are not fit to race. Some dogs aren’t fit to race in the first place, and others just don’t seem to have the desire.

Although some are retired and sent to Greyhound Rescue groups for adoption, many others are destroyed or become breeding stock.

What are Racing Greyhounds Lives Like?

According to the ASPCA,  racing dogs have an extremely unpleasant life. They spend the majority of their lives alone, stacked in double-decker cages that are barely tall enough for them to stand up in.

The kennels where these cages are stacked are often unheated and not air-conditioned, adding to their misery. It is said the dogs spend up to 20 hours day in these miserable conditions.

Many of the dogs don’t receive proper care for parasites, and they have been found with fleas, ticks and internal parasites as well.

Where are Greyhounds Bred for the Racing Industry?

Greyhound puppies are born on breeding farms. Thousands are produced, and as only a few become champion racers, many of them are destroyed or sold to research laboratories.

It makes you wonder how people can possibly be so heartless!

What about Greyhounds as Pets?

Here’s a few things I discovered about adopting these gentle giants:

•    They are extremely friendly, and love human companionship. They make marvelous pets!
•    They are known to be gentle dogs
•    Although there is cruelty in the racing industry, generally speaking greyhounds have been bred to be healthy and intelligent
•    They are also quite social
•    They make great companions for other animals and children, too
•    Greyhounds are clean and quiet. And of course they are extremely beautiful!
•    You should keep your greyhounds inside. They are especially sensitive to cold weather. On the other hand, because of their short coats, they are low-maintenance
•    Some people have reported that greyhounds do not produce the allergic reactions that other dog breeds cause

If you are involved in greyhound rescue, be sure and contact me! Perhaps I can do a benefit for your group!