Greyhound Tales: True Stories of Rescue, Compassion and Love

Rating:
Summary: Greyhound Stories That Will Touch Your Heart
Review: I bought this book at the same time I bought the Brannigan book on caring for the retired racing greyhound. I was planning on adopting my first retired racer and wanted to learn as much about the breed as I could. This book is very readable and includes stories about greyhounds in different parts of the world. It speaks to the whimsical, affectionate temperament of these gentle giants, and reaffirmed that I was making the right choice in adding a grey to our home! Some of the stories are about the very poor conditions of some kennels/tracks, while others share humorous or heart-rendering tales of greys living like royalty in loving homes. I'd like to know when Volume II is anticipated!

Rating:
Summary: Informative but very one-sided.
Review: I found that the stories in Greyhound Tales:True Stories of Rescue...truly represented the loving and loyal nature of these dogs. All of the adoptive parents who shared their stories parallelled my experiences of what it means to be a lucky owner of one of these regal beings. To be graced with the love of a greyhound is a singular life experience. So I am especially thankful that I was allowed to interact with these animals on a day to day basis in a career that spanned 12 years. I was a greyhound trainer during this time and would have liked to have read a little less about the "atrocities" that face the racing greyhound. As in every business, there are people who do not operate ethically or humanely. But these people are very few and far between. They are held up as examples by people who are not intimately aware of the racing industry's strive towards responsible breeding, racing, and training of these animals. To hear that "10's of thousands" of the dogs are euthanized annually makes my head spin. The simple fact is that breeders do not raise that many pups per year, so that number is astronomically inflated. It is true that some dogs are euthanized but it is never a choice that is made quickly, easily or without regret. The people who run adoption kennels know the hard work involved in caring for these dogs and I graciously thank them for taking on such a noble cause. I would like to see that respect go both ways and read more stories that reflect the close bonds that can and do establish between kennel owners, trainers, adoption kennels and those who adopt a dog. To always focus on the minority does nothing but miseducate those who are not as informed. I am looking forward to another book, one that will include some of the "good guys" who take care of these animals daily. I found that the book THE REIGN OF THE GREYHOUND by Cynthia A. Branigan to be very informative with a minimum of negative information on the racing aspect of greyhounds