Live Baiting - How you can make a difference

The fallout from the Greyhound Live Baiting scandal continues to create suffering and grief in Australia.

As predicted in my last post, Australian greyhound adoption agencies are being overwhelmed with record numbers of hounds as people seek to exit the industry ahead of investigations and inspections, putting their dogs up for adoption.

This is creating the perfect storm for adoption agencies who are now faced with the costs of neutering, vaccination, chipping, feeding and homing record numbers of hounds on a shoe-string budget.

Greyhound Rescue Australia (http://greyhoundrescue.com.au/) are already besieged and say that

"Greyhound lovers, we beg for your help. Due to the recent airing of Four Corners we are under the most pressure we have ever been under, to take surrendered greyhounds. Our inbox has been flooded and phones have not stopped ringing."

Sadly the wave of negative publicity is also likely to slow adoptions, putting agencies such as Greyhound Rescue under even greater financial pressure.

The really sad thing is that the Live baiting issue isn't so much about the dogs, but is about the evils of people who put making a fast buck over the welfare of animals.

Most greyhounds are gentle creatures that definitely don't deserve the  negative attention they're getting in the Australian media.

If Greyhound rescue agencies do go under it will be even worse for the dogs whose retirement could come to sudden and permanent end.

There is good news however

This is avoidable. If like me you care deeply about the plight of these magnificent hounds, please visit greyhound rescue and make a small donation - every single bit helps!

Saddened and Shocked: Live Baiting

New Zealand’s Greyhound racing body have released a statement distancing themselves from the live baiting scandal that's sweeping through Australia.

After complaints from industry insiders and animal activists, 16+ prominent Greyhound trainers were caught by hidden cameras attaching piglets, guinea pigs, rabbits and other small animals to the mechanical lure for greyhounds to chase.

The practice is called “blooding”. It screened to a shocked Australian public on ABCs Four Corners current affairs show on Monday.

6 NSW greyhound trainers as well as 10 in Victoria plus several in Queensland have all been stood down after investigations by the RSPCA.

In Australia the practice is punishable under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 and can result in a jail term of up to two years plus fines of up to Au$30,000.

Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) announced that a task-force will investigate live baiting within the NSW greyhound industry. Similar efforts are likely in other Australian states.

The unfortunate reality is that no amount of investigations will fix the damage done to public perceptions of Greyhounds.

Even though 16+ trainers may end up in jail and are now banned from the industry, public perceptions of Greyhounds as violent canines are likely to linger. Greyhound adoptions in Australia are also likely to suffer as a direct result.

Dealing with the large numbers of Greyhounds owned by the banned trainers (many of whom own upwards of 70 dogs) could also create a double-whammy.

Now they're banned from racing, they'll struggle to afford to keep their dogs. 

Many will have little choice but to put a large number of Greyhounds up for adoption. Doing so when public perceptions of these gentle and loyal animals is at an all time low will probably see many euthanised.

Footage from the Four Corners expose makes for pretty harrowing viewing (viewer discretion is advised).  As a greyhound owner and an animal lover, I found it deeply upsetting. That a small number of people could put money ahead of animals to create this dire situation in which so many hounds will lose their lives is despicable. Years of work done by so many to change public perceptions of Greyhounds has now been undone.

Posts are already surfacing in Greyhound forums with Australian Greyhound owners posting that they're getting accosted by people on the street who are asking how they can own such "violent" dogs (check out http://www.reddit.com/r/Greyhounds/comments/2w82db/australias_live_baiting/) as an example.

The reality is of course the complete opposite. Most Greyhounds I’ve ever met have been more interested in hogging the sofa than being aggressive towards anyone. Some may chase cats and other animals but after 4+ years of chasing a lure around a race track its easy to see why this happens.  If you’ve read any of my previous blog entries you’ll also know that while my two hounds may not be saints, they’re no danger to anyone.

So what can we take out of this horrible situation? If anything it’s this:

Blame the people not the dogs.  Greyhounds make excellent pets. they're gentle, intelligent, loyal and lazy. Please don’t let the despicable acts for a few idiots change your views of these beautiful animals.

Here's how NOT to lose your dog

Morning walks with our two Greyhounds are a much loved daily ritual. Bomber (aka tinklebert woofledink) goes totally nuts at the mere mention of the word "Walk". Lottie (aka the insinkerator) races to the front door.

This mornings walk started out like any other. A casual stroll around the block saw Bomber watering lamposts and wondering why they don't grow, while Lottie maintained a vigil for the ginger tabby-cat she's so become besotted with.

We were almost home when I spotted a Hunterway/Rottweiler puppy tearing into a rubbish bag. Aside from being cute, this pup was clearly an escape artist and was not accompanied by a human. The street it was on was particularly busy, morning traffic was building. This poor pup could run out onto the road and hit by a car at any moment.

Heart in mouth I handed my wife Bombers lead and she crossed the road (so the pup wasn't startled by our two hounds). I walked up to the pup gently calling to it in a high pitched friendly voice so it wasn't startled and knew I was there. Luckily it was used to people and didn't panic. I patted its fur, checking it out. There was no collar, tags or anything else to connect it with human owners. It wasn't injured or starving and its tail wasn't between its legs. These were all good signs.

I had no way of getting directly in touch with its owner so I pulled out my phone and went to call animal control so the dog could be picked up and hopefully re-united with its owners. Finishing the call, the unthinkable happened. The pup bolted across the road.  Luckily there was no traffic. I watched as the pup scooted up a path to one of the houses across the road.

By now I was running seriously late for work, but turning my back on this pup wasn't an option. I crossed the road and wandered up to the house whose path the pup had wandered up. I knocked on the door. They'd never heard of the dog, but said that they had new neighbors who might own a dog. Several door knocks later I finally caught up with the owner.

It turns out that the sneaky escape artist was already inside curled up on the sofa and owner hadn't even noticed the pup had got out.

So what can we take out of what could have been a tragic tale involving a lost pup or a road fatality? Here's 4 simple steps that can be the difference between losing a dog and making sure it doesn't escape.


1 - Dog Proof your Property
This might sound a littler obvious, but an ounce of prevention goes a hell of a long way. The pups home had no front gate - or fences. It turns out that the owners kids had left the back gate open and the pup had wandered off.

If you get a dog, make sure your property is dog proof. Use several gates and make sure your property is surrounded by a dog-proof fence. Never underestimate the ingenuity and finkiness of a determined mutt. Even if our hounds manage to sneak into our front section, it's still gated and  fully dog-proofed.

2 - Make sure your dog is identifiable
This is such a simple thing but is so often overlooked. The escapee pup had no collar, no tag and no means of contacting its owner. This meant I had to involve animal control. If an an animal control officer had of captured the pup it might've been  reunited with owners assuming its owners had got it chipped (Chipping your dog is a must-do). Trouble is the pups owners would then be liable for a whopping fine from the council.

The really annoying thing is that this was all so avoidable. Just by making sure your dog has a collar and a tag that  with its name plus your contact details. This means that whoever finds your dog can call you rather than the council, saving you a tonne of fines and council related grief.

3 - Neighbors are your dogs best friends
None of the neighbors whose doors I knocked on even knew who owned this dog, even though it only lived next door. Neighbors may be home when you're out. They may see your dog on the lose and could let you know and save people like me a heap of shoe leather wear, door knocking and unneeded stress. Introduce your dog to your neighbours. Its dead easy to do and may make a big difference one day should your pooch escape.

4 - Keep an eye on your dog
The pups owner wasn't  even aware it'd escaped until I knocked on their front door. Situational awareness (that is knowing where your dog is and its regular habits) can be the difference between a lost dog and a foiled escape attempt.

So there you have it. If you're thinking of owning a dog please think about these 4 simple steps. They may save you and your dog a tonne of grief.

UPDATE: While out walking yesterday the pup was once again on the street. Sigh

Greyhound People

We've been Greyhound owners now for almost 2 years -  They've been the best 2 years of my life.

I don't think I've laughed out loud so much or smiled so often.

Both our hounds are a constant source of hilarity and happiness to us.

In fact both Lottie and Bomber have become such a big part of our lives that being without them isn't an option.

Adopting both has also had some huge benefits.

I love to get home from work. I am usually greeted at the door by two furry tail wagging four legged tornados and this is just brilliant beyond belief.

Then there's the health benefits. Wearing a smartwatch with a built in step-counter has given me insight into the healthy effects of  living with two hounds. Most days I'll hit my 10,000 step goal with little to no effort as a 30-40 minute walk twice a day boosts my step count.

Best of all is the social side of things.

Lottie and Bomber both have their own fan clubs in our  community. Each morning we go for a morning stroll and bump into a regular cast of people who also happen to be out and about.

Many stop and make a fuss over Lottie and Bomber. Both hounds have also got to know these people and look forward to seeing them, greeting them each morning with furious tail wags.

Then there's the amazing Greyhound community that we've become a part of. Other greyhound owners are amazing people, and I count many as firm friends. It isn't all that unusual to meet up at least once a week with several of them to take our hounds for a zoom at a secure hound friendly location.

Dinners and other catch ups are common too. Great advice is usually shared and we discuss the quirks of our hounds, more often than not with a liberal dose of laughter. The social scene is a big bonus and an unexpected one too.

Greyhound owners in Wellington are also well connected. Every new hound adoption is usually known about.  Its also a pretty inclusive environment. Most owners know each other and welcome new owners into the fold. The social scene has to be one of the least discussed yet better benefits of adopting a Greyhound.

A gathering of hounds

Greyhounds are an amazing breed. They're so like other medium to large dog breeds in many ways but in others, they're also completely different.

This crossed my mind over the holiday break. Bomber (AKA Tinklebert Woofledink) turned 5 so we held a small birthday party. 10 of his fellow greyhounds turned up along with a dozen or so of their humans.

Most dog owners would see this as a potential recipe for disaster. Yet excluding one or two incidents, the hounds all got on pretty well with each other.

So well in fact that we arranged dog beds along the length of a hedge running across our back lawn. Each hound sat back on their bed and did what Greyhounds love to do - sleep.

Several days later a friend's hound turned 10 so she also held a gathering of hounds and humans at her place. Once again, the hounds behaved. 

So why do greyhounds tend to get on so well together?

Greyhound pups often spend a lot longer with their mothers compared to other breeds. This means they're usually well versed in canine etiquette. They're also raised in kennel environments. Which translates into them being well socialised with other Greyhounds.

This said, nothing is perfect and as will be with any large groups of dogs, there is the odd snarl or snap. Making the hounds wear muzzles is always a good idea, even if the dogs are being quiet and well behaved.

 

Bombers 1 Year Gotcha Day

Where has all that time gone? In a blink of an eye an entire  year has shot past. What a year it was! In 2013 we became the (failed) fosterers of our black greyhound boy Bomber (aka the Black Piddler otherwise known as Tinklebertwoofledink).

Over the course of the last year he's settled in and become best buddies with our girl greyhound Lottie (AKA the insinkerator). We are of course besotted!

Things did however get off to a shaky start.

A year ago to the day, we picked up Bomber and drove him home in a car we'd bought the previous weekend. Our original car was a sporty model with just enough room in the backseat for a single Greyhound, two would have been a really tight fit. Not so with the  new car - it was a hatchback with plenty of room for two greyhounds.    

Two thirds of the way back home, Bomber did the unthinkable and threw up in the car we'd only had for just one week. It was an auspicious start. We'd originally planned on fostering Bomber - And while puking in the back of our new car didn't endear him to us, he was with us for better or worse.

As we headed home I began to wonder if we'd done the right thing. Was this an omen? Would he and Lottie get along? The smell of dog sick in the back of our car was overpowering - it was a particularly hot summer afternoon.

After getting home, we cleaned up the car and took a very excited Lottie and a slightly nervous Bomber to our back lawn where we'd set up a blanket for them to lie on. Our neighbours chickens started crowing and both Lottie and Bomber  were up instantly to check things out. Amazingly, it was a case of two dog that appeared to be using the same brain. A pack had spontaneously formed and they've since become inseparable.

Bomber also slotted into our home and lives and hearts seamlessly and has become a part of our family. Im pleased to report that we failed completely and utterly as fosterers. We adopted Bomber a mere 4 weeks later. Nowadays, I simply couldn't imagine life without him.

When we picked Bomber up from Greyhounds as Pets, they said he was a special boy. They weren't kidding. He has a heart of pure gold. In fact it'd be fair to say that he hasn't got a bad bone in his entire furry wriggly waggly body. Here's looking forward to many more years to come!

The Lean

If you've read any of this blog before, chances are good that you already know we are besotted with Lottie and Bomber, our two greyhounds.

They of course know this (and milk it for all its worth) -  especially when it comes to scoring treats or getting attention. We don't mind at all.

Amazingly their Greyhound PR apparatus is both extensive and effective. Not only do they know when to deploy it, but they also know which method will be most effective given a specific occasion.

For a start there is "the look" - Bomber (AKA Tinkbert woffledink or the Black Piddler) has perfected this to an amazing extent.

He can give a sad hound dog look with his soulful dark brown eyes from across the room and it is pretty darned hard not to be at his beck and call.

Another great method of getting attention is the nudge. Lottie (AKA the insinkerator) will walk up to an unsuspecting human and gently nudge their hand with her nose. Subtle and even starting if its a cold day (who'd have thought a greyhounds nose could be so chilly??).

Perhaps the most effective tool in a Greyhounds public relations arsenal is the "lean". This is the canine equivalent of a hug. It involves the hound walking up to the human who they wish to give their affections and leaning on them.

The funny thing is that the more they trust you, the more they lean.

Greyhound leans are both flattering and humbling. Having a hound wander up to you and bestow such an act of affection is all but guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Ours often lean on us to the extent that they'd fall over if we moved away. This is pretty humbling stuff given the sheer amount of trust they're putting in us.

Both Lottie and Bomber are not super licky or vocal dogs. That's fine with us as they have so many other methods of getting our undivided attention. I guess this is also why Greyhounds are such a hit with non dog people, kids and the elderly.