Archived 1-17-2023
RACING TO END AT SOUTHLAND GREYHOUND PARK IN 2022
from Cynthia Branigan
from Cynthia Branigan
Southland Greyhound Park in West Memphis, Arkansas is home to the fastest Greyhounds in the country and is the track with the highest purses. It is also the latest casualty in Greyhound racing.
On October 17th, the management announced that the track, which opened in 1956, will close voluntarily on December 31st, 2022. The casino operation at the site will remain in business.
Between now and then, the track will reduce gradually the number of races held, so as to avoid a glut of retired dogs on the final day and to avoid competition with Florida's racing Greyhounds that will be forced out on December 31st, 2020.
Some kennels are already planning to filter out marginally performing Greyhounds, either to other tracks or to early retirements. Slower dogs, older dogs, or younger dogs that have not yet proven themselves, could excel at less competitive tracks, or in adoptive homes.
We at Make Peace With Animals have expressed our willingness to accept as many former racers, including broods (breeding females), as we can reasonably handle.
Should you want to provide foster care, we're all ears. Fill out the adoption application and write Foster on the front page.
Should you want to adopt, please submit your adoption application.
The adoption application is available on our website, www.mpwa.org
On October 17th, the management announced that the track, which opened in 1956, will close voluntarily on December 31st, 2022. The casino operation at the site will remain in business.
Between now and then, the track will reduce gradually the number of races held, so as to avoid a glut of retired dogs on the final day and to avoid competition with Florida's racing Greyhounds that will be forced out on December 31st, 2020.
Some kennels are already planning to filter out marginally performing Greyhounds, either to other tracks or to early retirements. Slower dogs, older dogs, or younger dogs that have not yet proven themselves, could excel at less competitive tracks, or in adoptive homes.
We at Make Peace With Animals have expressed our willingness to accept as many former racers, including broods (breeding females), as we can reasonably handle.
Should you want to provide foster care, we're all ears. Fill out the adoption application and write Foster on the front page.
Should you want to adopt, please submit your adoption application.
The adoption application is available on our website, www.mpwa.org
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Archived 1-17-2023
GREYHOUND RACING TO END IN FLORIDA BY 2020
from Cynthia Branigan
from Cynthia Branigan
On November 6th, Florida voters agreed to amend their state's constitution to the effect that, after December 31st, 2020, live Greyhound racing in the state will be illegal. Wagering on Greyhound races in other states, via simulcasting, will still be permitted. Tracks that currently feature other forms of gaming such as slot machines or poker, will be allowed to retain their license.'Only' the Greyhounds, their trainers, and their owners, some 8,000 dogs and 13,000 people, will be affected and unemployed.
The amendment provides for a 'phase-out' of dogs, so as to avoid flooding the market with Greyhounds forced into retirement. But, some seasonal tracks have already announced that the 2019 session will be their last. We could begin to see the first large waves of adoptable dogs in early May, 2019. Most year-round tracks have not yet revealed their plans for the future. They cannot weed out some of their active dogs as a certain number must be available on site to maintain a full racing schedule. Their choices are either to continue as-is until the end, or close now.
As we have since our founding in 1988, Make Peace With Animals is committed to finding homes for displaced Greyhounds. To say that the influx will be a challenge is an understatement, but we are banding together with like-minded adoption groups across the nation to get the job done. While this will be an urgent matter, it will not be an emergency. We and our fellow adoption groups are at the ready to ensure that no dog is left behind.
Three things you can do to help us, and help the Greyhounds:1/ Adopt! It's the obvious answer and a good one--if, and only if, you are adopting for the right reasons (i.e. for companionship for your self and/or your current animal friends; because you have the know-how, the finances, and the room; and out of love, not pity). If you've been considering adopting, or adopting again, there could be no better time. Why not put in an application now so we have you on file?
2/ Foster! Housing a Greyhound for us until a permanent home is found will allow us to take in more dogs. You can change a Greyhound's life by showing him or her the ropes of home living; seeing them through their spay or neuter surgery; and easing the adjustment period in the dog's eventual adoptive home. And who knows, your foster dog may be such a good fit that you may decide to make the arrangement permanent! Contact us for a copy of our manual Fostering 101 so you can find out what we expect of you, and what you can expect of us.
3/ Donate! You can imagine how our expenses will balloon with the impending increased number of incoming dogs. Although we are staffed solely by volunteers, and rely on foster homes, more dogs mean more bills for collars; leashes; i.d. tags; de-wormers and flea/tick preventatives; and the biggest expense of all: veterinary bills. Our adoption fee does not cover what we spend on each incoming dog.
Make Peace receives neither state nor federal funding, nor have we received or been offered any donations from either pro- or anti-racing organizations.
You can mail a check to Make Peace With Animals, Inc. P.O. Box 488, New Hope, PA 18938; or donate to us online through PayPal at www.mpwa.org.
We assure you, every penny will go to the dogs-- just as it has for the over 5,000 Greyhound we have placed so far.
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Archived 7-9-2020
SOME THOUGHTS ON COVID-19
from Cynthia Branigan
As a non-scientist, I am, of course, not qualified to give advice on how you should react to the incursion of this new virus into our midst.
I can, however, make a few observations on how this might affect your family's companion animals.
1/ There is no evidence that the virus can sicken dogs or cats. Here's a link to a World Health Organization statement to that effect.
2/ If you are in one of the high-risk groups that might become seriously ill (over 80 years of age; or with a compromised immune system; or with respiratory challenges), you should make plans for your animals now should you become sickened.
Those plans might include:
*Asking highly responsible friends or family members to be on stand-by to care for your animals until you have recovered.
*Contacting a well-regarded boarding kennel to see if space might be available on short notice should you get sick.
*Contacting a pet-sitting service that might be available to care for your pets in their home, or yours, if you are hospitalized.
*Stocking up on dry and canned food and medications should supplies become depleted (I said stocking up, not hoarding!). Depending on the number of pets you have, a week's supply or two should suffice.
*Making sure your pets are up-to-date on vaccines, should they need to be boarded.
*Making sure whoever is in charge of your affairs knows that you adopted from Make Peace With Animals and has our contact information. We will take back any animal adopted through us should you no longer be able to care for him or her permanently.
*We are not in a position to board your pets, but it is prudent, now and always, to make sure your pets are well-protected in case of any emergency.
Stay Clean and Stay Healthy!
I can, however, make a few observations on how this might affect your family's companion animals.
1/ There is no evidence that the virus can sicken dogs or cats. Here's a link to a World Health Organization statement to that effect.
2/ If you are in one of the high-risk groups that might become seriously ill (over 80 years of age; or with a compromised immune system; or with respiratory challenges), you should make plans for your animals now should you become sickened.
Those plans might include:
*Asking highly responsible friends or family members to be on stand-by to care for your animals until you have recovered.
*Contacting a well-regarded boarding kennel to see if space might be available on short notice should you get sick.
*Contacting a pet-sitting service that might be available to care for your pets in their home, or yours, if you are hospitalized.
*Stocking up on dry and canned food and medications should supplies become depleted (I said stocking up, not hoarding!). Depending on the number of pets you have, a week's supply or two should suffice.
*Making sure your pets are up-to-date on vaccines, should they need to be boarded.
*Making sure whoever is in charge of your affairs knows that you adopted from Make Peace With Animals and has our contact information. We will take back any animal adopted through us should you no longer be able to care for him or her permanently.
*We are not in a position to board your pets, but it is prudent, now and always, to make sure your pets are well-protected in case of any emergency.
Stay Clean and Stay Healthy!
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MAKE PEACE MAKES THE HUFFINGTON POST
Make Peace President Cynthia Branigan gave a talk recently on the broader implications of Greyhound adoption at the renowned Carlyle Hotel in New York City.
Her appearance resulted in this article in the Huffington Post. The Greyhound featured in the piece is Justa Fusileer, known as Jack to his adopters Ellen and MaryLou.
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(Click above for video) Make Peace With Animals' president Cynthia Branigan (along with a couple of adoptable friends) was interviewed on WXTF Fox 29 TV on Thursday, April 4th, 2013. The segment, on Good Day Philadelphia, aired in celebration of Greyhound Adoption Month.
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Make Peace President Cynthia Branigan visited Fox TV's Good Day Philadelphia on April 12, 2012 to promote Greyhound Adoption Month. Her appearance was initiated by The Greyhound Project's Michael McCann, who described Cynthia as the country's leading expert on the adoption of retired racers. Click here for the video.
Photo: Cynthia Branigan, center, is flanked by Charles Rissel and Sue Serio of Fox 29's "Good Day Philadelphia." Also pictured, Roger and Wilhelmina
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MAKE PEACE PRESIDENT MAKES A SPLASH IN THE NEWS!
Click here for the (Newark, NJ) Star-Ledger article about Atlantic City’s Steel Pier diving horses and Cynthia Branigan’s involvement in their rescue and retirement.
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Getting a letter to the editor published in The New York Times is a rare honor. Fewer than 1% of those submitted are accepted.
On December 31st, Make Peace President Cynthia Branigan's letter appeared in response to an article titled, "Hunting Deer With My Flintlock." Here's a link to the original article, which we should warn you is quite graphic.
And here is Cynthia's letter suggesting the author should have appreciated the doe instead of slaughtering her (third letter down).