First of all a note from Judy Kody Paulsen, Founder of Greyhound Companions of New Mexico:
Another common excuse given by the "neutral"rescue groups is "If we put greyhound racing out of business, where will we get our wonderful greyhound pets?" My reply to that is:"I love my greyhounds, but I don't love them to the point of accepting the sacrifice of tens of thousands of others who were not fortunate enough to be placed in homes. If the time ever comes that there are not enough greyhounds to go around, I will rescue whatever needs a home. The point is to save lives and not encourage the destruction of others."
"I am not willing to sit idly on the sidelines while an industry denies the problem of abuse, overbreeding and destruction then pays others to deny the same. The problem the industry has created is perpetuated by those unwilling to accept the very real, darker side of racing."
Many greyhound rescue groups accept funding and other benefits from the racing industry in exchange for their silence on issues involving abuse, neglect and destruction of racing greyhounds. These groups proclaim that they will not be able to get dogs from tracks if they take an anti-racing stance, but this is an excuse without merit. The racing industry cannot afford to alienate anyone during this campaign of theirs to convince the general public that all racing greyhounds go into loving homes, therefore it would be counterproductive for them to deny dogs to any reputable placement group.
And now part 2 of Melani's article:
Many greyhound advocates consider the definition of the phrase"neutral adoption group" an enigma, for they know there is no real neutrality going on: behavior clearly favors dog racing or it does not. The average person unfamiliar with what goes on behind the scenes in greyhound racing however may genuinely wonder what the fuss is all about. After all, who cares what a group's philosophy may be as long as they're still acomplishing something worthwhile by saving greyhound lives, right?
While it may be true that any sincere effort made by any group to find homes for unwanted greyhounds is admirable, neutral adoption groups undermine all their good work by passively and/or actively assisting an industry responsible for the immense suffering and destruction of greyhounds by either innocently or purposely engaging in the following behavior:
Neutral groups are likely to perpetuate myths to the public that have no basis in truth or refrain from giving any information at all. The result? The public has no way of knowing that there is anything wrong with dog racing, or that there is anything we can do to stop/prevent it.
An example would be telling adopters that all greyhounds are"well- taken care of" when greyhounds continue to come to most adoption groups with signs of both phsiological and psychological neglect. Rescued greyhounds are frequently loaded with ticks and fleas, worms, have ill-kept coats, often have gum disease, a multitude of scars and more serious conditions such as the presence of tick borne diseases and broken limbs. Behaviorally, greyhounds tend to be socialized to a limited range of experiances and exhibit behavior indicative of having been live lure trained. Many adopters unwittingly bear the burden of responsibility by putting the extra time and effort to both socialize the dogs, as well as guard against their predilection to kill percieved prey animals.
Another misconception is telling the public that the numbers of greyhounds being killed yearly has been drastically reduced by an industry that places animal welfare concerns above all else. In this instance, neutral adoption groups reiterate racing industry propaganda that is designed to convince the public that they have sincerely changed their ways. The truth is, animal welfare concerns could never supersede the economic bottom line if greyhound racing is to exist. Disposition figures have been declining yearly due to a number of other factors-primarily competition from an increase in alternate forms of gaming such as casinos and economic pressures forcing many breeders and dogmen out of business. Though there are industry people who do care about the disposition of their dogs, such an attitude is not the norm and there are not enough of these people to make a difference. The economic bottom line insists that they too eventually cooperate or get out of the business.
The sin of omission-Not giving the public any information whatsoever about why there is a need to rescue and adopt out greyhounds suggests that the problem of dog racing is managable. When groups give the message that they are only concerned with adoption (and all else is well), the public is likewise convinced that dog racing is a reality we must live with.
Groups taking a neutral position on racing is caused and prolonged by the acceptance of dogs, goods or services from industry members in exchange for silence or for helping to spread industry propaganda. The cycle of misinformation and rationalization continues while the industry survives on this assistance.
There are some adoption groups who take money/dogs/benefits from certain greyhound racing industry members and feel obligated to not speak out about industry abuses for fear of losing these "resources."
Especially prevalant is the fear that certain industry members will no longer"give them dogs" if they speak out against racing(what does that say about an industry who would rather see the dogs die than give them to adoption groups?). Such groups are scared into a vicious silence=compliance=reliance cycle.
Some groups believe they cannot change the system and do not feel empowered enough to even try. Others have come to rely on benefits they derive from the industry and decide that silence is not such a bad "trade off," rationalizing that at least they are able to save some dogs by their silence.
No one is thinking about the big picture.
This bartering of silence for dogs, or goods for propaganda constitutes a form of free public relations for the greyhound racing industry and tends to deceive the public. This behavior serves to encourage the breeding (and eventually death) of more unwanted greyhounds.
The ramifications of neutrality are far from benign. Particularly in those areas of the country where there are no other greyhound adoption groups that oppose racing or who are educating the public, the resultant humane awareness quotient remains devastatingly low.
If, in addition to saving the dogs that need saving, neutral adoption groups are simultaneously working toward further establishment and legitiminzation of dog racing in our society, then they are on a dangerous treadmill, sabotaging their own efforts in the long run and insuring the future breeding/destruction cycle of greyhounds. If for every life that is saved, we watch helplessly as another is lost, the cycle never broken. A commitment must be made so that both a meaningful service is rendered to the greyhounds and no compromise of ethical principles takes place. The goal of any responsible rescue organization should be to address and eradicate the need for the group's existence.