At a Florida dog track earlier this year, a Greyhound was fatally electrocuted during a race. The same thing happened last year in Arizona. Even worse, these deaths are hardly out of the ordinary in the cruel, inhumane world of Greyhound racing, where dogs frequently suffer broken legs, paralysis, head trauma and death from cardiac arrest. We're outraged, and we hope you are, too.
Anyone who loves a Greyhound knows they're the sweetest, gentlest creatures. And yet, right now, at dog tracks from Iowa to West Virginia, thousands of Greyhounds are languishing in cramped cages for as many as 23 hours a day, unable to even turn around. They suffer parasites and fleas, and are sometimes given cocaine and other drugs to enhance their performance. They eat meat unfit for consumption, don't get the veterinary care they often desperately need, and many never get to know what it's like to be a beloved pet dog.
When a racing Greyhound is no longer profitable, she may be killed, or returned to breeding facilities to serve as breeding stock.
Just about no one wants Greyhound racing to continue. Americans are disgusted with the cruelty of the so-called sport, and even dog track operators say the industry is unsustainable. Only the powerful Greyhound-breeding industry is fighting for this dying sport.
We don't think the Greyhound-breeding lobby should win—and we're fiercely fighting back. The ASPCA is a major funder of GREY2K USA, an anti-dog racing powerhouse that has helped close more than 20 dog tracks since its inception. And our Government Relations team is fighting hard for these dogs in statehouses across the country.
There is no reason for Greyhound racing to continue, and with your help we could see it forced out of the United States in our lifetimes. But we need your support.
Please give to the ASPCA today. We fight for Greyhounds, and for all animals who suffer cruelty across the country.