Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). Learn about the life of a racing greyhound and read key facts about the state of dog racing in the United States. Every day, greyhounds suffer on breeding farms and at racetracks across the country. As dog tracks continue to close, fewer greyhounds are now in harms way. Nonetheless, in the thirteen states where greyhound racing yet exists, thousands of dogs live in confinement for long hours each day and suffer the risk of serious injury while competing. Visit our About Dog Racing page for detailed information on the history and economics of dog racing.
Why is dog racing cruel and inhumane?
Where do dogs live at the racetrack?
What kinds of racing injuries do dogs commonly suffer?
How many dogs are injured while racing?
How many greyhounds are killed each year?
Is it true that unprofitable greyhounds are sometimes sold
to research laboratories where they undergo invasive procedures?
Do greyhound trainers sometimes give dogs performance-enhancing
drugs to cause them to run faster?
What are dogs fed while at the racetrack?
Why is "4-D" meat used to feed racing dogs?
Do dogs race in extreme weather conditions?
Is it true that racing dogs are sometimes trained with
live animals, such as rabbits?
Are dogs sometimes transported in a dangerous manner?
If trainers depend on their dogs to earn a living, why
would they mistreat them?
How many dogs are required to operate a commercial racetrack?
How many dogs are bred for racing each year?
How many dog tracks are currently operating in the United
States?
How many states specifically do not allow dog racing?
Do dogs typically spend their entire racing careers at
the same track?
How many greyhounds are adopted into loving homes each
year?
How can I adopt a retired racing greyhound?
How is dog racing subsidized?
Who supports GREY2K USA?
How can I help GREY2K USA end the cruelty of dog racing?
Why is dog racing cruel and inhumane?
While at the racetrack, dogs are confined in small cages barely large enough for them to stand up or turn around for long hours each day. Many are seriously injured while racing, and thousands are killed each year when they can no longer compete. Dog racing is cruel and inhumane, and should be outlawed.
Where do dogs live at the racetrack?
At the racetrack, dogs are routinely confined in small cages barely large enough for them to stand up for long hours each day.
What kinds of racing injuries do dogs commonly suffer?
The most common injuries are bone fractures and soft tissue injuries. Other reported injuries include cardiac arrest, spontaneous seizures, sudden collapse before or after racing, spinal cord paralysis, severed tails, lacerated eyes, and puncture wounds.
How many dogs are injured while racing?
Because several states do not keep adequate records, there are no national statistics on the number of dogs injured each year while racing. However, based on the records that are available we can safely estimate that thousands of dogs are seriously injured each year nationwide. For example, between 2002 and 2007 over seven hundred dogs were injured while racing in Massachusetts.
How many greyhounds are killed each year?
Because several states do not keep adequate public records, there are no verifiable statistics on the number of dogs killed each year. Estimates range from 5,000 to 8,567.
Is it true that unprofitable greyhounds are sometimes sold to research laboratories where they undergo invasive procedures?
Yes. In April 2000, a Wisconsin man was caught selling more than 1,000 former racing dogs to Guidant Corporation research laboratories, where they were used to test pacemakers before being killed.
Do greyhound trainers sometimes give dogs performance-enhancing drugs to cause them to run faster?
Yes. In 2002, authorities from the Wisconsin Department of Justice investigated allegations that a greyhound trainer was receiving anabolic steroids by mail. After placing an undercover surveillance camera in the kennel where the trainer worked, authorities caught him injecting at least 11 dogs with a foreign substance over a two-day period.
In a separate case, 119 dogs tested positive for cocaine at Florida racetracks between 2001 and 2003. Because the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering did not investigate how these drug-positive dogs ingested cocaine, it is impossible to determine whether these were attempts to alter the outcome of races. However, according to a regulatory agency in the United Kingdom, even small amounts of drugs such as cocaine may affect a dog’s performance.
What are dogs fed while at the racetrack?
According to Care of the Racing Greyhound, the primary sources for meat used to feed racing dogs in the United States are “abattoirs that have commercial products of 4-D meat.” It goes on to add, “The ‘D’ stands for dying, diseased, disabled and dead” livestock.
The use of this meat has led to false drug positives due to drug residues that dogs ingest when consuming it. Also, as a result of eating this substandard raw meat, dogs are continually exposed to serious pathogens such as Salmonella and pathogenic e.coli. Even the mink fur ranching industry has discouraged the use of 4-D meat, due to outbreaks of Aleutian Disease and Transmissible Mink Encephalopathy, a neurological disease that causes gray matter in the brain to be riddled with holes.
Why is ”4-D” meat used to feed racing dogs?
According to Care of the Racing Greyhound, it is used because “it is the most economically feasible at this time.”
But isn’t this the same meat that is used to make pet food?
Yes. However, 4-D meat used to make pet food is cooked to remove disease-producing bacteria. Racing dogs are fed 4-D meat raw because many trainers believe this causes them to run faster.
Do dogs race in extreme weather conditions?
Yes. Dogs race on the hottest days of summer and the coldest days of winter.
Is it true that racing dogs are sometimes trained with live animals, such as rabbits?
Yes. In 2002 a greyhound breeder and owner had his state racing license temporarily suspended after he was caught using domestic rabbits to train his dogs. At least 180 rabbits were found at his kennel in rural Arizona.
Are dogs sometimes transported in a dangerous manner?
Yes. Because dogs typically race at several racetracks during their racing career, professional haulers often transport large numbers of dogs from one racetrack to another. During this process, dogs are usually transported in cramped conditions, and in some cases undergo cross-country trips in unventilated, aluminum trailers or rental vans. According to Care of the Racing Greyhound, transportation over long distances can cause dogs to suffer from dehydration, weight variation, and exhaustion.
In recent years, there have been several media-documented cases of racing dogs dying while being transported. For example, in 2003 two dogs died while being transported from Oregon to Oklahoma.
If trainers depend on their dogs to earn a living, why would they mistreat them?
To the racing industry, greyhounds are short-term investments. As with all investments, making a profit depends on securing the highest possible return while incurring the least amount of cost. Except for a handful of champion dogs, racing greyhounds are disposable, and there are always young dogs available to replace dogs who are no longer profitable.
How many dogs are required to operate a commercial racetrack?
On average, a population of 1,000 dogs is required for the operation of a commercial racetrack.
How many dogs are bred for racing each year, and how many of these dogs actually make it to the racetrack?
In 2006, 24,567 dogs were bred as potential racers. The same year, 22,951 dogs were individually registered to race at 14 to 17 months of age.
How many dog tracks are currently operating in the United States?
There are currently 32 operational dog tracks in 11 states. Click here for more state information.
How many states specifically do not allow dog racing?
Commercial dog racing is per se illegal in 34 states. In five other states, all dog tracks have closed but no prohibition has yet been passed into law. Click here for more state information.
Do dogs typically spend their entire racing careers at the same track?
No. Generally dogs compete at several tracks, in multiple states, during their careers.
How many greyhounds are adopted into loving homes each year?
The exact number of greyhounds adopted into loving homes each year is not known, and estimates vary from 14,800 to 18,000. What is certain is that not all dogs are adopted, and thousands are killed each year when they are no longer profitable as racers.
How can I adopt a retired racing greyhound?
Visit our Adoption Directory to learn more about adopting a greyhound and to find a local adoption organization in your area.
How is dog racing subsidized?
Across the country, politicians have given wealthy dog track owners millions of dollars in tax cuts, direct subsidies, and the ability to operate other forms of gambling at their racetracks. For example, Florida lawmakers gave the dog racing industry a $14 million annual tax break in 2000. Dog track owners have used these subsidies to artificially perpetuate dog racing.
Are dog track owners still asking for handouts?
Yes. Across the country dog track owners constantly ask politicians for legislative assistance.
Who supports GREY2K USA?
GREY2K USA is a national, non-profit greyhound protection organization with supporters in all 50 states. Our volunteers come from all walks of life: business people, lawyers, construction workers, artists, animal shelter workers, and many others.
How can I help GREY2K USA end the cruelty of dog racing?
It will take the support of everyone who cares about dogs to launch a multi-state initiative to fight the network of breeders, trainers, track operators, and gamblers who profit from commercial dog racing. Volunteers nationwide contribute their time, money, and talents to help end this cruelty. Visit our Volunteer page to learn more.
