Sweet Yet Sour

Last Saturday, June 28th, was the last day of live Greyhound racing at the only remaining dog track in Colorado, Mile High Racing.  Apparently this was due to the track owners not bringing in enough money during the winter season to justify having dog racing during the winter months.  Dog owners were asked to race the dogs from April to September only, and dog owners refused, since the dogs need to be fed and housed all year long – which is costly.

Unfortunately, this means that there will be a huge amount of dogs that need homes.  The organization that we got Cash through (Colorado Greyhound Adoption) is estimating at least 200 dogs that will need to be adopted, if not more.   And not to be dramatic here, but if the owners cannot find homes or other race tracks in other states to race their dogs at, the dogs will be euthanized.

I’m not exactly sure how to feel about the end of racing in Colorado.  On the one hand, I don’t get the impression that the dog’s lives while they race is that great and so I think it’s good that there is a chance for many dogs to have a better life.  On the other hand, it seems like a huge task to get hundreds of dogs adopted, so I fear that many will go unwanted.

If you want a great, calm, well-behaved dog, I believe now that there is no better breed than the Greyhound.  Seriously, look at our sweet dog:

Isn’t Cash cute? Before he met us, he lived in a concrete kennel for so long that his hind quarters and chest still don’t have hair.  Before he met us, he didn’t know about things like dog treats, toys, glass doors, stairs or how to live in a house.

Everyday we are glad that we rescued him. Everyday, we are glad that we got this large, but sweet and good dog. He’s not a guard dog, but that’s not what we wanted.  Mike wanted a large dog, like a Rottweiler, and I wanted something that I could control. We compromised, and we know we made the right choice.

For centuries, these dogs were revered and only royalty were allowed to keep them.  Racing of them began a long time ago in Egypt and spread into Europe; it’s been called the “Sport of Queens”, because the dogs were kept and raced by female royalty.  (Hunting is the sport of kings.)

For a long time, many veterinary practices would keep a Greyhound on staff because they are so docile that they are easy to use for blood donations.

We have never had a problem with Cash and our cats, Anna or our pesky 2 year-old nephew.  One of the cats took a swipe at him in the first few days and he’s never been near them since.  Adoption organizations always test the dogs for cat friendliness and will tell you if the dog thinks cats are prey.

We have also never had a problem with Cash and other dogs.  Except once, when a Husky tried to mount him at the dog park, and he turned and growled, but really, who wouldn’t?

When I heard that the track was closing, I called Mike and we discussed getting another Greyhound.  I think for the moment, with Anna here, we simply can’t, but we would love to do so in the future.  These dogs are so easy that many people we meet have multiple Greyhounds.  Mike and I always discuss that if we win the lottery, our dream is to get a big ranch and adopt lots of Greyhounds.

So I am asking you, my readers, to spread the word about the track closing.  This is a wonderful dog breed; if you want to try one out, most organizations have foster programs to acclimate the dogs to living in a home (there is some house training involved) so you can easily volunteer to do as such.  Most dogs available for adoption will spend several weeks in a foster home and so they will come to you house trained.

They really are great dogs, just come meet ours if you want proof!