Hi...I'm a retired racing greyhound trainer. Grey2K is a political action group, who contributes not dime one to the adoption of retired racing greyhounds. Their leader, in MA, doesn't even own a retired racing greyhound. They do, however, make a whole heap of money pushing an animal rights agenda on an unnsupecting and uninformed public, and by propaganda and outright lies, demonizing an entire class of people---racing greyhound professionals----as animal abusers. They managed, in 2001, a ballot initiative which sought to ban greyhound racing in the Commonwealth of MA----and which was defeated by the voters.
The HSUS is another political action group, the richest of its ilk in the country. They have nothing to do with the support of local humane societies....their former vice president was quoted by the AP as having said...."the life of an ant and the life of my child should be accorded equal respect".....they are a rabid animal rights organization, and have been since the late 1980s.
Racing Greyhounds are the most perfectly adapted canine specimens in the world. They are the perfect expression of form following function, and they are selectively bred from only the most fit, well-bred and well-performed specimens, to themselves perform a specific function.
They are the only breed of large dog completely free of the degenerative and crippling defects of congenital hip dysplasia, and have the most well-developed and efficient cardio-pulmonary systems in the canine world. They also have the highest muscle-to-bone ratio of any purebred (including non-racing greyhounds), and to put their athleticism in some kind of context, pound for pound, they are over 10 times faster than a thoroughbred racehorse.
There are 46 distinct female families of racing greyhounds, and racing greyhounds have inbreeding coefficients that are among the lowest of all canines. Their life expectancy is 12-14 years, much higher than is the norm for other large breeds.
Recently, Rooftop Gizmo, an untried and unraced sapling, sold at the National Greyhound Association auction in Abilene KS, for $70,000. Of course, it is possible that his new owner bid on him and purchased him solely for the purpose of neglecting and abusing him----but not likely----- as he is now racing with distinction in the top grade, against the top greyhounds, at the premier track in the nation, in Wheeling, WV.
During the 75-plus year history of greyhound racing in the US, there have been only couple of scandals concerning alleged doping and/or race fixing-----as greyhounds run on their own, with no jockeys. Daring criminals who desire to fix races, or to dope the contestants have traditionally looked to other racing sports to perform such deeds.
At all US racetracks, the greyhounds are unrine tested after each race.....the winner and the last place finisher, and usually a random contestant, are tested. These urine samples are controlled and regulated by the states, and tested by gas-chromatography---an acutely sensitive method.
During the time in question, there were over 35,000 urine samples tested in FL------a handful of them came back positive for cocaine.
Historically, there have been numerous instances of false-positives and of drug contaminents in the meat that greyhounds are fed as part of their racing diet----which also result in positive urine tests (for example, procaine from procaine penicillin)......my guess is that the racing greyhounds exposure to cocaine is less than the canine population's at large...but we wouldn't know that, because racing greyhounds are the only breed which routinely undergoes unrinalyis.
Thanks rock!!