The enlightened seven

The move to stop the passage of House Bill 5291, “An Act Granting The Fox New Millennium Amusement Club Inc. (FNMACI) A Franchise to Construct, Operate and Maintain a Greyhound Racetrack in Any Place Within the City of Mandaue, Province of Cebu,” has started gaining momentum.

As of press time, seven senators have contacted the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) to say that they are voting “no.”

The enlightened seven are:

1. Senator Chiz Escudero

2. Senator Gringo Honasan

3. Senator Pia Cayetano

4. Senator Miguel Zubiri

5. Senator Jamby Madrigal

6. Senator Manny Villar

7. Senator Rodolfo Biazon

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If only more of the members of the Senate would take the more humane road, which at this time seems to be less traveled, then all 24 of the members of the Senate would oppose the bill.

That would be great. And all the pet lovers and their canine companions will love them for it.

I don’t mean to belabor the point, but, just as I wrote last week, there is no possible way that the Greyhounds will be treated well.  Since the greyhound racing industry is a profit-driven one, what counts is the money, not the health of the dogs. The Greyhounds will be used as commodities —  holding on to them for as long as they are winning races, and then disposing of them at the end of their 3rd or 4th year.

When Greyhounds are no longer useful the dogs will be dumped or their owners will have them put to sleep. There is no two ways about Greyhound racing – only one, that it not be allowed to enter the country.

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This week Petlife prints excerpts from the position paper of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) against Greyhound racing:

Greyhound racing is an industry fraught with cruelty.

Every year, countless Greyhounds are killed by breeders and owners because they are too slow to win races. Dogs have been shot, bludgeoned, or simply abandoned and left to fend for themselves. Those who survive the initial cull are living on borrowed time; their very lives are secure only as long as their stamina remains.

Dogs who do qualify to become racers typically live in cages and are kept muzzled by their trainers at all times. Many exhibit crate and muzzle sores and suffer from infestations of internal and external parasites. Because it is cost-prohibitive to have a veterinarian on-site 24 hours a day at any kennel, dogs are left vulnerable. Although they are extremely sensitive to temperature because of their lack of body fat and thin coats, greyhounds are often forced to race in sweltering heat in excess of 37°C. Illness and injuries—including broken legs, heatstroke, and heart attacks—claim the lives of many greyhounds. A string of catastrophic injuries on British greyhound tracks (including dogs suffering compound fractures) led the public to call for a ban.

Trainers frequently dope greyhounds to mask injuries or to increase the dogs’ speed. Irish millionaire Paul Hennessy—considered one of Ireland’s most successful trainers—pleaded guilty in 2007 to seven counts of possession of unauthorized animal-performance–enhancing drugs and injectable supplements. Two trainers in England were found guilty of giving potentially fatal drugs to injured greyhounds in order to keep them running. Dogs (and trainers) have tested positive for cocaine.

Every year, millions of healthy, socialized dogs are euthanized worldwide for lack of good homes. Greyhounds have no greater chance of being adopted than any other breed does. In fact, most greyhounds who have been used in racing are exceedingly difficult to place because they are unsocialized and tend to be skittish.

In 2006, the bodies of 10,000 greyhounds were found buried in a UK field; the dogs were former racers who had been shot and killed. The man responsible admitted to officials that he killed up to 40 dogs every day on behalf of 40 trainers before he was caught. It is estimated that more than 15,000 greyhounds are “officially” euthanized in the UK annually after they are judged to be unsuitable for racing on British tracks or when their racing “careers” come to an end because of age or injury.

In Wisconsin, the operator of a greyhound-training facility sold 1,050 retired dogs to a research facility that used them in invasive cardiac experiments. All but 100 died. The operator had promised to find homes for the dogs.

Animal shelters throughout the Philippines are already overflowing with dogs awaiting homes. No animal shelter has the capacity to take on hundreds of greyhounds as they inevitably are discarded from breeding and training facilities. Breeding more dogs places an intolerable burden on already crowded animal shelters. Reducing the number of dogs who are bred—of all breeds—is the most effective way to stop the mass euthanization of animals. 

FNMACI’s assurances about building a shelter for retired greyhounds are suspect. Any facility built for this purpose would almost certainly house the dogs in cramped cages for the rest of their lives. These kinds of dog warehouses are not only cruel but also put the animals’ lives at risk. Dogs kept in close confines are highly susceptible to numerous respiratory ailments and other communicable diseases. In recent years, a new, highly contagious and sometimes deadly canine flu has been spreading in kennels and at dog tracks. The virus, which scientists say mutated from an influenza strain that affects horses, has killed greyhounds throughout the U.S. Epidemiologists studying the outbreak have concluded that the virus spreads most easily when dogs are housed closely together.

Economic Issues: Globally, an increasingly informed public is losing interest in and withdrawing support for greyhound racing.

Dog racing is illegal in 35 US states, and on June 29, 2009, officials in New Hampshire ended racing at the two remaining dog tracks in the state. Barbados, Guam, Haiti, and Indonesia have all shuttered their once active dog tracks. According to GREY2K, a greyhound-advocacy group, commercial dog racing represents less than one  percent of all wagers made each year in the US. In order to remain in business, many tracks are shifting their focus to slot machines.

Much of the recent global expansion of casino and other forms of gambling can be attributed to the support of local business owners and city leaders who have been lured by assurances of increased tourism and economic growth. However, attendance at greyhound tracks has plummeted worldwide, and revenue continues to decline significantly. Marketing House Bill No. 5291 as an economic boon is inaccurate and misleading.

An increasingly well-informed public will shun this operation, and the impact on tourism could be significant. More and more travelers are choosing to spend their vacation dollars on environmentally friendly destinations; conversely, they are avoiding or even boycotting areas that support or encourage animal exploitation. Our office regularly receives letters from people who refuse to travel to Spain, for example, because of the country’s support of bullfighting. With an unlimited number of locales to choose from, compassionate tourists can simply go elsewhere. The public backlash against the Province of Cebu—and Mandaue in particular—could be considerable.