Greyhounds in History

1
Greyhounds in History

• There is much speculation as to the origin of the
  name Greyhound It may stem from the word
  gazehound, which is another word for
  sighthound. Other possibilities include from the
  word Graius or Grecian meaning Greek, the
  Latin word gracillius meaning
  slender or slim, the old British word grech or
  greg, meaning dog, or hundr, meaning hunter. 
• The first evidence of long, lean canines
  resembling the Greyhound appeared in temple
  drawings in the city of Catal-Huyuk in Turkey. 
  The temple drawings dating back to 6000 BC depict
  a Greyhound-like canine assisting a hunter.
• Greyhounds were the most valuable possession of
  the Egyptian Pharaohs, adored for their speed,
  grace, elegance, and loyalty.

2
Greyhounds in History

• During the Middle Ages, Greyhounds nearly became
  extinct due to famine and disease. Priests and
  clergymen took special care to protect the
  Greyhounds, and later bred them for nobleman.
• Around the year 900, the King of Wales ordered
  that the punishment for the killing of a
  Greyhound was the same for the killing of a human
  death.
• In the year 1014, King Canute enacted the Forest
  Laws, stating only persons of nobility were
  permitted to own a Greyhound.
• Greyhounds eventually made their way to the
  United States in the late 1800s to help control
  the jack rabbit population. 
• In 1912, marked the birth of the mechanical
  lure.  It was not too long after the first track
  opened in 1919 in Emeryville, California. 

3
Greyhounds in Literature

• There be three things which go well, yea, four
  are comely in going A lion which is strongest
  among beasts, and turneth not away for any A
  greyhound an he goat also and a king, against
  whom there is no rising up. (Proverbs 2931) King
  James Version
• As they were thus talking, a dog that had been
  lying asleep raised his head and pricked up his
  ears. This was Argos, whom Ulysses had bred
  before setting out for Troy, (The Odyssey, Homer)
• She mates with any beast and will mate with more
  before the greyhound comes to hunt her down. (The
  Divine Comedy Canto I, Dante)
• I see you stand like greyhounds in the
  slips,straining upon the start. The game's
  afoot (Henry V, Shakespeare)

4
Greyhounds in Art

• In ancient Egypt, Greyhounds were kept as
  companions, hunting partners and were practically
  worshipped. Anubis is the Egyptian god of the
  dead, represented as a dog, or as a man with the
  head of a dog.

5
Greyhounds in Art

• The King of England, Edward the Confessor, sends
  his son-in-law, Harold, to Normandy to tell Duke
  William that he is to be his heir. The hounds
  lead the way.

6
Greyhounds in Art

• Francois Desportes, Portrait of the Artist in
  Hunting Dress

7
Greyhounds in Art

• Lisa Wolfe "Greyhounds" Diptypch, Pastel on Paper

8
Famous Greyhound Owners

• Alexander The Great
• Hannibal
• Cleopatra
• William The Conqueror
• George Washington
• Buffalo Bill
• George Armstrong Custer
• Rutherford B Hayes
• Al Capone

9
Greyhounds as Commodities

• Life at the kennel (an industry view)

10
Greyhounds as Commodities

• Life in the kennel (an investigative report)

11
Greyhounds on the Track

• At Tri-State Racetrack in West Virginia, 3,208
  greyhound injuries have been reported since 2005.
• At Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack in West
  Virginia, more than 700 greyhound injuries were
  reported between January 2008 and September 2009.
  
• At two Arizona dog tracks, 923 greyhound injuries
  were reported between 2007 and 2009
• At Bluffs Run Greyhound Park and Dubuque
  Greyhound Park in Iowa, 530 greyhound injuries
  were reported between 2006 and 2010.
• At two dog tracks in Texas, 342 greyhound
  injuries were reported in 2008 alone.

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Greyhounds on the Track

• Crystal B Disco's Last Race, Sanford Orlando

13
After Racing Ends

• Greyhounds no longer fast enough to earn money
  have four options
• Death
• Estimates varying but the industry admits to 5000
  dogs killed. (most sources put the number closer
  to 8000)
• Medical Research
• "But the dead can count themselves lucky. Those
  left to live are truly the damned. Their crates
  are wheeled into the Wide World of Animal Labs.
• Fred Halliday"A Race to the Death
• No clear numbers are available for how many dogs
  are given to research facilities. It is thought
  to be in the thousands
• Being returned to the farm for breeding stock
  (mostly females)
• Adoption

14
What You Can Do

• Educate yourself and others
• Grey2K
• End Tucson Greyhound Racing
• Citizens Against Greyhound Racing
• Speak Out
• Letters to the Editor and article comments
• Governors Initiative

15
What You Can Do

• Donate
• Foster
• Adopt