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Greyhound
Welfare From The Farm to Track
The greyhound racing
industry has made a strong commitment to animal welfare from the farm
to the track. Efforts such as:
The Animal Welfare Guidelines Program - the adoption of standard guidelines
for the care of greyhounds and the maintenance of kennel facilities.
The Farm Inspection Program - farms and kennels are inspected to verify
compliance with the animal welfare guidelines.
National Greyhound Adoption Effort - through the American Greyhound
Council grants, Adoption Hotline and state and track-based programs,
adoptions have increased significantly.
Industry policies require owners to accept responsibility for their
dogs at all times, and impose stiff penalties for those who fail to
live up to their obligations. The fact is that racing greyhounds receive
the very best of care from devoted trainers who ensure clean and comfortable
surroundings, a nutritious diet of fresh meat, vegetables and high-protein
feed, and immediate veterinary care when required.
Greyhound Adoption
In addition, every
track in the country has either established its own adoption program
or has built relationships with local adoption groups. Greyhounds
make wonderful pets precisely because of the excellent care and training
they receive during their racing careers. They are welcomed into loving
homes because they adapt so quickly and easily to family life.
Palm Beach Kennel Club works with two exceptional groups: Greyhound
Pets of America, since 1986; and the Greyhound Adoption League, formed
in 1998. PBKC communicates regularly with each group to coordinate
activities, solve issues and keep informed. These two groups take
retired racers from local kennels and care for them until they are
adopted. They work hard to promote adoption with fund-raising efforts.
They are run by a board of directors and volunteers - most of which
are people who have adopted greyhounds. The funds PBKC supplies are
used for food, medicines, bills, equipment, facility costs, etc. Working
together, with responsible dog owners, we achieved 400 successful
adoptions last year. |
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