BeastBlog: February 2006


About The Beastly Beasts - By The Beastly Beasts

This is where we, the Beastly Beasts, tell you all about what we've been up to.

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Love and licks,
Kai, Monty, Jack, Troy, Lucy, Mack, & Rosie - The Beastly Beasts

20 February 2006

Greyhound Racing Clips on Five

BeastBlog is usually a light hearted affair; this post is not.

five, the UK TV broadcaster, are using greyhound racing clips as channel idents. If you think the same as I do about the greyhound racing industry, please send a polite e-mail to customerservices@five.tv outlining the issue with the greyhound racing industry, and asking them to stop showing these clips immediately.

Please bear in mind that the people at five are probably ignorant of the realities of the greyhound racing industry, and you may want to point them to resources on the internet such as the Greyhound Action website (www.greyhoundaction.co.uk) and their fact sheets (#7 in particular) for further information.

This is the e-mail I sent to them. Please feel free to copy and modify it for your own use.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to you concerning the use of greyhound racing clips as channel idents currently being used by five, and would ask the the use of such images is stopped at the earliest opportunity.

Greyhound racing is a sport who's time has passed; greyhound stadia are closing throughout the UK, and the other countries. The dogs for the most part are not even treated as animals, but merely commodities; and it has recently been shown to be a corrupt industry with the doping of animals taking place.

To give one recent example of the issues: on 27th January this year a dog was injured at the Abbey Moor stadium (Glastonbury) after running into the side of the track. It laid there for 10 minutes crying in agony before it eventually died. Admittedly this is only one incident, but many others can be found at the Greyhound Action website, www.greyhoundaction.co.uk ; I would refer you in particular to sheets 1, 2 and 7. Please be warned that these do not make for pleasant reading or viewing.

It is (conservatively) estimated that over 10,000 greyhounds per year are destroyed by the greyhound racing industry, and many more are simply abandoned and/or mutilated by cutting off their ears to prevent traceability; either because they reach the end of their useful career, or do not show enough promise to be successful at the track. Those that are injured while racing are often are not treated properly; one of my own greyhounds was rescued one day away from being destroyed because his broken foot, an injury sustained during training and not treated, meant he was no longer able to run fast enough. And even when healthy the greyhounds are often kept in conditions that no-one with any degree of compassion would consider adequate; cages only just big enough to turn around in, hard floors, and no mental stimulation.

Of course their are owners who treat their dogs well, and care for them throughout their lives. Unfortunately they are a very small minority.

I am sure that five does not wish to be associated with a corrupt industry that makes profit out of cruelty to animals, and would urge the company to stop showing these images immediately.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I look forward to hearing from you regarding the action taken on this matter.

Yours sincerely,
Mr. C. Yates


Thanks in advance for your help.

12 February 2006

A Wet White Lodge Walk

OK, so one of the deals with a dog is that you get to go out every day, rain or shine, for a walk. But when it's rain, voluntarily travelling to meet up with others to do it is, well, not normal; is it, really, when you think about it.

Welcome to the world of not normal people.

Yes, today, in the rain, people and their pooches braved the elements and travelled varying distances - some just a few miles, some about 50 miles (that's us), and some more than twice that - all so that they could get together with other pointy dog people and go for a walk.

Start of the White Lodge Walk
Start of the White Lodge Walk

Today's venue was Beacon Hill. This is one of my favourites as it's through the woods and not flat (understatement of the year!!). Gill, me and the Beasts were uncharacteristically early, and only Tom and Alice and their humans had beaten us to the bottom car park. Unbelievably, by 2 o'clock about 30 others had joined us, and the walk was on.

One of the brilliant things about these walks is that someone is bound to know something about something. Case in point: we are off to Swallows Dance for BeastBreak 2006. Sarah went there last year, and so of course she got the third degree about the place, people and resident beasts. The report was glowing.

Sarah and Gill
Sarah and Gill

One of the other nice things is that there is someone to share the not so good with. Wendy (from Wiltshire!!!!) and Sarah have both recently lost dogs, and having others to talk to hopefully helps a bit.

Beacon Hill is a fairly(?) steep walk, and so some, perhaps more sensible souls, prefer to start from the top car park.

Jack and Gill
Jack and Gill Going Up the Hill

Where ever you started from today, standing at the the top was just not a good idea. Beacon Hill is about the highest point in Leicestershire, and with nothing to stop it the wind and rain did make things - less than perfect shall we say.

The Top of Beacon Hill
The Top of Beacon Hill

Of course, some of the dogs thought it all good fun irrespective of the weather. Jack was one of those, and another was Sam, who is a very nicely slightly mad dog.

Sam
Sam

And most of the humans came dressed sensibly for the weather; others didn't.

Mel
Mel

Back down again to the bottom car park, and (godess) Claire had flasks of hot chocolate, and Wendy (that Wendy) handed round somewhat superb chocolate brownies.

So, to all the brave/stupid/totally mad (delete as appropriate) souls that turned up - I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did, 'coz that is the very strange thing - we really did enjoy it.

09 February 2006

New Collars

We got some new collars today from Anna at Greyhound Gap. Monty went and collected the package when it dropped through the door, and opened it - he's dead good at doing that.

When dad found them he dressed us in our new togs. The greyhounds all have matching ones, and mine is similar but different. Here we all are looking dead smart in our new togs:

Kai
Me

Monty
Monty

Jack
Jack

Troy
Troy

Of course, we had to go and show them off up at Hunsbury when we went out this evening; and just as well we did 'coz we met everyone.

First we met Joey, another lurcher. Joey's great fun and always comes to see us. Today Joey, Jack, and me had a great chase - Joey was it and me and Jack chased him. Jack's faster than he is, but Joey can turn dead quick and Jack couldn't catch him - boot's on the other paw me thinks as Jack's usually the one doing the fancy turns (like he was earlier on).

Then we met Nero and his new mate Charlie - a black lab. We met Charlie last night, and he was a bit in your face then, but I told him off and tonight he was as nice as pie. Charlie is going to live with Nero now, which is nice. One of Nero's small humans was there too; she thinks I'm the bestist of us lot, so I like her.

Must go - we've had our tea, and now it's time for a snooze.

Spectral Beast

Mum and Dad always say I'm a creature of the night; well, I don't do mornings, that's for certain. No, I like going in the garden when it's dark - it's more mysterious, and being black I blend right in.

Anyway, last night dad was taking some pics. He wanted to get one of Jack, but I walked in front, and this is how it came out - all spooky; you can see right through me. Maybe I am a specter - a ghostly greyhound - whooooo!

Spectral Monty
Me Being a Ghost

06 February 2006

Annual Check Up

Had my annual check today, the first one since moving in with Kai and Monty and the humans. We met a new lady vet; she liked me. So did the lady you who books you in - she came round to give me a hug for being do good when I cut myself.

Anyway, seems I'm good for another year. The vet says I have a very strong heart, and was very fit - I should think so the way me and Kai have mad chases - we had one yesterday evening and Kai didn't catch me - haha!! The others just stand and watch. She was a bit concerned about the paint on my nose, but dad explained that was just me lending a helping hound while he was doing the door frames in the kitchen. And I've got a lump, which everyone thinks is a reaction to the anesthetic from my op; but I've got to go back to see the vet again to make sure.