Running For Their Lives

If you have room for one of these gentle dogs in your life you will be richly rewarded with their love.

The Plight of Australian Greyhounds

• The average life span for a greyhound is 12 years although only a handful see out their natural lives. Less than 500 a year go through the adoption programme.

• The industry has no accountability for the countless thousands of dogs that disappear each year; no one knows what happens to them.

• Up to 1000 a year are exported to Asia for racing, countries such as Korea and China. These are countries known for their huge illegal trade in dog meat for human consumption.

• Many greyhounds are seeing out their days in the confinement of Laboratories and Universities and are being subjected to cruel experiments.

• Many greyhounds are trained using live animals (baiting) such as rabbits and possums even though this practice is illegal.

• There is no accountability for these dogs .All greyhound pups are recorded and ear tattooed at birth and yet after this there is no record of them or where they go.

Greyhound Facts

• Greyhounds are naturally docile and gentle dogs and given the chance they make loving and faithful companions. They do not require a lot of exercise.

• If you have room for a greyhound companion in your life you will be richly rewarded. They adjust quickly to family life and are easy to house train. Their greatest love is a comfortable couch.

• They generally fit in well with other animals and are renowned for being good with children.

• Greyhound racing has been recognised as a cruel sport and therefore banned in 6 states of the USA and also in South Africa. This is partly due to the high rate of accidents caused to racing dogs and the huge numbers of dogs disposed of annually by the industry.

• Greyhounds are the world’s oldest breed of dog dating back 5000 years. They were the much respected companions of the Egyptians, Romans, Pharaohs and early Greeks.

• They were also the much loved companions of Queen Cleopatra and Queen Elizabeth1 and they are the only dog to be mentioned in the Bible.

• When Governor Phillip arrived with the first colonists in 1778 he also bought greyhounds with him.

• Greyhounds are a breed free of the hereditary ailments that many other dog breeds are susceptible to.

The Killing of Greyhounds

Photos below will be distressing to some viewers. If you prefer, skip to the AACT Now section to find out how you can help.

• Up to 20,000 greyhounds are killed in Australia annually.

• Many greyhounds are disposed of by extremely cruel methods as the cheapest way is the best way for many people involved in the industry.

Greyhounds in Vivisection

Abuse of the gentle greyhound is unforgivable

• There are many thousands more greyhounds bred than could ever race in this country which means a huge over supply of dogs and sadly a never ending supply for research purposes.

• Any bitch can be used for breeding even if she has never won a race. Of those born the failure rate in this industry is high.

• A substantial number of these dogs are sent to Universities and Laboratories around Australia for research purposes. There they suffer in silence living out their remaining time in the confinement of small concrete pens. This varies from days to years of confinement.

• There is no chance of exercise and many are de barked so they can make no verbal protest.

Should Our Slow Greyhounds Become Asia’s Fast Food?

• Australia is the main player in creating, promoting and encouraging greyhound racing in Asia. Countries such as Korea, China, Vietnam and Macau. It is of great concern that Australia is exporting greyhounds to these countries.

• There are no provisions made for these dogs when they finish racing in Asia and no chance of re homing. Countries such as Korea and China are notorious for their barbaric illegal thriving trade in dog meat for human consumption.

• These dogs are killed in the cruellest possible ways as many Koreans believe that the rush of adrenalin through the dogs’ body as it dies in agony will increase human virility.

• Millions of dogs each year are electrocuted, strangled, skinned alive or bludgeoned to death in Korea.

• This is the fate of some Australian greyhounds. Others have been found terrorised and wandering the streets starving in South Korea. Dogs that started their lives in Australia, and were betrayed by individuals involved in the racing industry because they were not quite fast enough for our tracks.

More Information

Haven't seen enough to convince you? More photos (warning that some of these are more offensive than those shown above).

Sample letter to Tony Burke, who is responsible for live exports

Dear Mr. Burke,

I am writing to you with reference to the Australian greyhounds that are exported to Asia for the purpose of racing and breeding. They are enduring terrible cruelty and once they are no longer making a profit some are butchered in the barbaric dog meat industry while others have been found starving and wandering the streets too terrified and brutalized to trust humans any longer. There is no chance for re homing of these dogs in Asia.

You have the power to stop these atrocities, therefore, I urge you to show compassion and take action to ban the export of greyhounds to Asia.

Yours sincerely,

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sample letter for the Australian greyhound racing industry

Dear Sir,

I am appalled to discover that you support the export of greyhounds to Asia and have made no attempt to stop this appalling trade in companion animals. It is totally unacceptable for you to turn a blind eye to the greyhound atrocities. Surely you are aware that there is no opportunity of re-homing greyhounds in Asia and that many are ending their days being butchered in the barbaric dog meat industry while others have been found tortured and starving wandering the streets. I call upon you to rethink your position and work with the government in taking the appropriate measures to stop the export of greyhounds to Asia.

Yours sincerely,

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------