dog fights and dog races

[pochacco]

what can you say about dog fights and dog races?

i think these events exhibit cruelty to animals and should never be done to dogs or any other animal

[altaylor]

I'm completely opposed to dog fights.

Dog races though, I don't know enough about. I imagine that if trained in a humane way, racing can be a great outlet for those breeds bred to run.

[kian]

Dog fighting a big NO! Now, racing is different, as long as those dogs when retired still have a great home and not tossed away.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Dog fighting, or any animals fighting for sport, is in poor taste. However, animals racing for sport, treated in a humane way, love and enjoy it. There will always be controversy in anything involving animals and it is up to one's own moral compass to distinguish right from wrong.

[pochacco]

i saw on the news (and read also) that there were some dog races involving greyhounds wherein the dogs did not receive good treatment. some of the owners/caretakers of the dogs limit the food that the dogs eat so they'll be thin and light and run faster. i saw some video clips on tv and the greyhounds were really thin

[altaylor]

pochacco, you're right. In practice, most individuals used for racing aren't treated humanely. In theory though, dog racing is a perfectly acceptable sport.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

When animals of any kind, be it dogs, horses or whatever, are used for money making purposes, the chances are high that they are not treated like pets, but like chattel. I personally will never attend a dog track.

Dog fighting is illegal and if one is aware of said behaviour, they should report it to the authorities.

[iluvcats&dogs]

I don't approve of dog fighting at all. Dog races on the other hand, are not against my moral as long as they are treated as the innocent pets they are Which means being fed properly and trained correctly and humanely. What you said abou the grey hounds is just awful : (

[macy_moo]

I definitely don't agree with dog fighting, especially when you hear stories of people who steal other peoples much loved pets to either fight or be used to help train another dog to fight. I don't understand at all how these people can think this is ok?

Dog racing i cant decide. What makes me angry about it here is that the University i attend (which happens to be the only west Australian University where you can study to become a vet) use greyhounds every semester for the vet & chiropractic students to disect, its the most disgusting thing i have ever heard of. These are the greyhounds that retired and didn't have homes to go to.

[altaylor]

I too find that to be disturbing, macy_moo.

But, the other side of the argument is, how else are our future vets to learn?

Of course, I'm all for searching for an alternative learning experience, but university/colleges are often so limited for funds.

[macy_moo]

But, the other side of the argument is, how else are our future vets to learn?

I know i do think about that, its just sad though that they happen to use the retired greyhounds. it would be nice to think of an alternative, maybe using dogs that have naturally past away due to old age or illness? Providing their owners would be willing to donate them, kinda like when we can donate our bodies to science? but then i know that would be an incredibly hard choice for an owner to make, i know i would struggle to.