ASPCA Blog

New Report Highlights Horrors of Texas Greyhound Racing

Monday, March 18, 2013 - 4:00pm
Greyhound Locked In Cage

We already knew that Greyhounds at racetracks suffer immensely. But today, Greyhound advocate group GREY2K USA released a report that shows just how bad things are for dogs forced to race in Texas.

The report, produced with funding from the ASPCA, showed that at Texas racetracks:

• Greyhounds are forced to live in confined, stacked cages, with large Greyhounds being unable to stand fully erect in their cages.
• In 2012, six Greyhounds died at Gulf Greyhound Park from a form of canine influenza, often a recurring epidemic in cramped living situations.
• In 2011, a Texas Greyhound trainer failed to obtain veterinary care for an injured Greyhound until two days after the injury occurred.
• Greyhounds are fed 4-D meat from diseased animals to reduce costs.

The report also showed that1,507 greyhound injuries were reported at Texas racetracks from January 2008 through December 2011. Fifty-six of these injuries were fatal or required euthanasia, with the most commonly reported injury being broken legs. Other serious injuries reported included torn muscles, puncture wounds, a fractured skull and paralysis.

Frankly, we don’t see why the Texas dog racing industry doesn’t just throw in the towel—Lone Star State residents are way over dog racing. The report shows that gambling on dog racing and dog race attendance are way, way down.

Angry? Join the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade to stand up for animals.

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Advocacy
Animal Cruelty
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Zooey Deschanel Rescues Two Adorable Puppies!

Friday, March 15, 2013 - 3:30pm
Zooey Deschanel Rescues Two Adorable Puppies!

It looks like twins for Zooey Deschanel! The "New Girl" star just broke the news that she’s the proud momma of two sibling puppies adopted from the Bill Foundation in Los Angeles. Posting pics of the pups—named Zelda and Dot—Deschanel joins Vinny Guadagnino, Miley Cyrus, Denise Richards and numerous other celebs who have shared their animal adoption stories over Twitter.

"I have to thank the #billfoundation for the greatest, sweetest, most wonderful dogs in the world," she tweets. "Apples of my eye!"

Three cheers for using social media to educate others about the awesomeness of animal rescue.

Want to use social media to help animals, too? Check out these super easy ways to make a difference for animals through Twitter.

This Week in Animals

Friday, March 15, 2013 - 3:00pm
Dogs wearing St. Patrick's Day costumes

We’re gearing up for St. Patrick’s Day this Sunday—what about you? We notice that shelters all over the country are having special St. Patrick’s Day adoption events, and we’re so excited for all the animals involved.

In preparation, we checked out these 10 animals from Ireland to celebrate this weekend. (Yahoo)

We met these 15 cats who are in the St. Patrick’s Day spirit. (BuzzFeed)

We laughed at these strange St. Paddy’s Day crafts for pets. (ABC)

And we chuckled at these limericks as written by dogs... (Dogster)

…and limericks as written by cats. (Catster)

Happy St. Patrick’s Day. See you next week!

Is Your Pet the Cutest? Enter our Pinterest Contest!

Friday, March 15, 2013 - 12:00pm
ASPCA Pinterest Contest

Are you the proud parent of the world’s cutest pet? Well, we want to see! Enter the ASPCA “I Heart My Pet” Pinterest Photo Contest, sponsored by Reeds Jewelers and David & Goliath. Follow the contest directions below for a chance to win an ASPCA Tender Voices® diamond pendant or a super-cute David & Goliath T-shirt:

1. Register to enter in the form below.
2. Follow the ASPCA on Pinterest.
3. Follow the ASPCA board “I Heart My Pet Contest.”
4. Create your own Pinterest board titled “ASPCA I Heart My Pet Contest.”
5. Upload your favorite photos of your pet(s)!

As long as you follow those steps, we’ll be able to find your Pinterest board and see your adorable photos! We’ll chooseone valid entry from each board and re-pin that photo to the ASPCA “I Heart My Pet Contest” board, where Pinterest users can then vote for their favorite. Each “like” your photo receives earns it one point, while each re-pin earns two points. Three winners, including one grand prize winner, will be chosen!

Contest registration begins March 15,2013, at 12:00 PM (EST), and the submission deadline is April 1, 2013, at 5:00 P.M. (EST). Voting for finalist photos will open to the public March 15, 2013, at 5:00 P.M. (EST) and close April 3, 2013, at 5:00 P.M. (EST). Winners will be officially announced April 4.

For more information and to view the contest rules, click here. Good luck, and happy pinning!

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Contests
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We’ve Got Big News…

Friday, March 15, 2013 - 9:30am
ASPCA staff playing with dog outside
Did you hear the ASPCA’s amazing news? Well, it’s true: We’re incredibly excited to be opening the first-ever behavioral rehabilitation center for dogs who have survived animal cruelty but suffer from crippling fear as a result.

The Associated Press wrote:
"People want their dog to be a friend, not afraid.
But sometimes, fear grips dogs so tightly they shake, cower, bite, growl or pee. It can be constant, painful and hard to overcome. Such dread can consume a dog when it's freed from a cage at a puppy mill or hoarder's home because that's the only life the dog has ever known.
Until now, it was up to animal shelters to ease the fears, knowing if they didn't, euthanasia was the likely alternative. But this week, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals opens its Behavioral Rehabilitation Center at St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center in Madison, N.J.”

We have so much more news to share with you about this thrilling new facility—and how we hope to use it to offer a lifeline to animals across the country—and we’ll bet you’ve got questions. We can’t wait to tell you everything, so stay tuned to ASPCA.org for all the details.

In the meantime, read the entire Associated Press story.

Tags: 
Animal Cruelty
Animal Shelter
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