Greyhound Racing
Greyhound racing is popular all over the world. Australia, Ireland, United Kingdom, New Zealand and the United States have many greyhound racing tracks. Greyhound racing is also popular in Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Macau (China), Mexico, South Africa, Pakistan and Vietnam.
The Greyhound racing industry is composed of three basic segments:
The Greyhound Racetracks
Each racetrack is licensed by the state racing commission to conduct pari-mutuel Greyhound racing in accordance with the rules set forth by the state racing commission. The racetrack does not own, breed, buy, sell or race any Greyhounds.The Contract Kennel
The kennels are contracted by the track to race Greyhounds. Each kennel agrees to provide a number of active Greyhounds, usually 30 to 50 in number, to race at the track. In return, the track provides kennel space on the grounds for the Greyhounds to be housed. The kennel receives purses based on a percentage of the mutuel handle and the performance of the Greyhounds. Some contract kennels own all of the Greyhounds they race, while others lease the bulk of their Greyhounds from other greyhound owners.The Greyhound Owner
The owners are either breeders, or they purchase Greyhounds from breeders. Some Greyhounds are bought as young pups, while others are bought when they are ready to race. The price of Greyhounds varies according to age and breeding. When Greyhounds are ready to race, they are then leased to a kennel who is contracted by the track. From this point on, the kennel is responsible for all expenses incurred for the caring of these Greyhounds and the kennel then pays the owner a percentage (usually 35 percent) of the purses the Greyhounds earn during their racing career at the track.
The most exciting dogs in the world
Look at the muscles and see the excitement in a greyhound's eyes! You don't get that kind of power by sitting around in a crate or being a "couch potato." You get muscles like that from exercise. You get the energy to run from good nourishment provided by a good trainer. You get a shiny coat from being washed and groomed.
Nobody forces greyhounds to run. As anyone who raises them can tell you, that's impossible. Greyhounds are as opinionated and different from each other as we are - and if there was a way to make them run like we want them to, we would have figured it out long ago!
Greyhounds aren't horses with riders on their backs telling them what to do. They are not African cheetahs running after gazelles because they are starving. Greyhounds run for the sheer love of it!
In all of history, what other dog has inspired people to build whole stadiums in its honor? What other dog is so treasured that we build wide-open spaces called racetracks so they can run as safely and as fast as they want to?
Greyhound racetracks are soft and flat, much like playing on the beach. There are no stones for them to step on and hurt their feet, no clumps of grass or holes for them to trip over, and they are simply chasing a toy on the end of a stick.
Greyhounds symbolize passion! The pleasure for them is seeing if they can catch that toy before anybody else does. The pleasure for racing fans who love them, is screaming and hollering and urging them on! Because we know how it feels to set your mind on something and really go for it!