Sevier News Messenger Sevier County News and Opinion
Retired racing greyhound dogs will be strolling the streets of Gatlinburg this weekend instead of circling the track at top speed.
The Mountain Hounds weekend getaway for greyhounds and their owners will be held in Gatlinburg on June 2 – 5, 2016. About 300 people and 340 greyhounds will descend on the Sidney James Motel for three days of fun and fellowship among greyhound dog lovers.
The group will gather for games and contests in Mynatt Park from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Friday, June 3.
Then on Saturday, June 4 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., the group will reconvene under the big tent adjacent to the Sidney James for more activities. Seminars and vendor booths are also part of the weekend activities.
The 12th annual Mountain Hounds event is sponsored by Greyhound Friends of North Carolina, a 501c3 to help support their kennel and find loving homes for retired racing greyhounds.
Photo: Courtesy of Mountain Hounds
Mountain Hounds is great event that we attend last year, wish we could be there again.
Sadly Fred of the other post has bad facts.
When greyhounds are done with thw racing they do have 3 option: go back to live with their owners, return to farms for breeding, or go to an adoption group which then networks with many other greyhound adoption group to find a forever home.
Reach out to those involved in racing to learn the real facts. Do not listen to poltical action groups like Fred’s who pay more money to legislator and employee and a miniscule amount to any adoption group or effort.
Find groups like ProGreyhound Movement on facebook and conect with those in the industry, you will be amazed at what you can learn about the greyhound and the truth about racing for actual owners and trainers.
I hope everyone take a few moments to stop by the Mountain Hounds weekend getaway and support the good work done by Greyhound Friends of North Carolina. Racing greyhounds have three options when they can no longer make money for their owners: they can be killed outright, often cruelly, they can be sold for medical research, usually terminal, or they can be adopted.
Greyhound racing, always an inhumane “sport,” is no longer a viable even as a business. As Governor Ducey of Arizona said when he signed legislation outlawing live racing, “Greyhound racing has run it’s course…” Your readers are probably aware of the West Virginia Legislature’s movement to end subsidies to the racing industry as well. A business that needs to be propped up with money from outside sources–money that good be used for far better purposes—is not a business, it’s a charity case.
The continued decline of the industry presents a very dangerous time for the greyhounds trapped there who are only kept as long as they win. I am a Board member of Grey2KUSA Worldwide, an organization that fights to save these marvelous creatures all over the globe, (you can learn more about us here: http://www.grey2kusa.org/index.php). I have fostered and adopted rescued racing greyhounds since 1995. I cannot imagine abandoning any of them when they become injured, old or sick and yet this is routinely what happens to them at operating tracks. Imagine the danger they face when the track closes. They need a guardian angel more than ever at times like this and I’m thankful there are groups like Greyhound Friends of North Carolina who are willing to step up and save otherwise perfectly healthy dogs from certain death.
Fred Barton
Board Member
Grey2KUSA Worldwide