Ithaca 37
New member
Is this a legitimate sport or something that should be banned? Is it something that gives PETA more anti-hunting ammo? Can anyone post the video? It's on http://www.cnn.com/ today. Look at "Greyhound owners let pets rip up rabbits"
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=i_team&id=3893413
"An ABC7 I-Team investigation into a blood sport taking place in the Bay Area is reverberating through the animal rights movement, and through local and state government.
It's been four days since we first showed you open field coursing, in which dogs race to catch and kill rabbits.
We're getting a huge response to the investigation from around the state, the country and the world and that's fueling a movement to ban the sport in California. We should warn you once again that the pictures might be disturbing, even though we're not showing the worst of them.
This is the scene that's causing such uproar -- greyhound owners from San Francisco, Napa, Alameda, Seattle and Canada gathering near Fairfield for a race.
The spectators form a line to flush out wild jackrabbits. Three racers walk to the front. When a rabbit appears the dogs give chase. They get points for how hard they pursue, for turning the rabbit, and finally, killing it.
Scorer: "And a kill credit to Preacher."
Owner to dog: "Ooh, you got blood on you."
We reported Sunday that these greyhound owners are members of the National Open Field Coursing Association, the umbrella group for 12 clubs up and down the state that do the same thing. Frank Morales is vice president of the association and a computer analyst for the San Francisco Unified School District.
Frank Morales, National Open Field Coursing Association: "Imagine being bred for 1,000 generations just for one task and then being able to do that task and it's something I'll never know except vicariously, but I can see it in that dog's eyes every time they run."
State Assembly member Loni Hancock isn't buying it.
Assm. Loni Hancock: "See, that's just horrible."
After we showed her video of open field coursing, she promised to sponsor a new law. Hancock's already come up with a draft of the "ban on open field coursing." She plans to introduce it within two weeks.
Assm. Loni Hancock (D) Berkeley: "It's a really horrifying thing and something that it's clear from the outpouring of mail we've gotten, the people of California don't think should be happening here."
Shelters and animal welfare groups around the bay are throwing their support behind the coursing ban, including the Marin Humane Society.
Diane Allevato, Marin Humane Society: "This isn't about dog behavior at all and animal behavior at all, this is about human behavior, it's about a human evil."
There's also action on the local level. Our investigation came as a surprise to supervisors in Solano County, where the race took place. They're putting it on the agenda.
Duane Kromm, Solano County supervisor: "If we can at the local level, I'd like to see if we can ban this from happening in Solano County. It's cruel and unusual punishment for animals."
The I-Team's received hundreds of e-mail on this topic, the vast majority supporting a ban. Others make points that were echoed by the people we met at the races near Fairfield.
Ann standing, Canadian greyhound owner: "To me, it seems sort of like natural. If the dogs aren't going to get them the coyotes are going to get them."
Mary Pounder, wildcare biologist: "When you watch a coyote, a bobcat, mountain lion chasing a prey, you'll see a short sprint."
Mary Pounder is a biologist at a wildlife rescue center in San Rafael who's worked extensively with jackrabbits. She says these chases are anything but natural. They go on far too long, and even the rabbits that get away suffer irreparable harm, what's called "capture myopathy."
Mary Pounder, wildcare biologist: "The heart tissue is damaged, so that the next time that animal undergoes any kind of exertion or stress, the heart, the adrenaline that the body pumps in, will actually stop the heart."
The coursers also claim this is just another form of hunting that offers a quick, painless death.
Frank Morales: "If the rabbit does get caught, it isn't really wounded, it's killed immediately."
That's not what our tape shows. After one dog catches this rabbit, the others join in a tug of war. A full 30 seconds pass, and you can still hear the rabbit squealing.
Mary Pounder, wildcare biologist: "And I would bet money that rabbit was alive judging by the position of its body. A dead jack rabbit, the first thing that happens is its ears come down."
This rabbit's ears stood up for a full minute while the dogs yanked on its body. The coursing association's latest newsletter even cautions members, "it is their responsibility to deliver the coup de grace if needed" when the dogs fail to make the kill.
The other point the coursers make? Chasing live game is the best way to exercise their dogs.
Loyce Ryan, Napa greyhound owner: "The owners bring their dogs out to basically play, and it's as much fun for us as it is for the dogs."
Scott Sanders, Greyhound Pets of America: "I don't buy that argument that they need to use live animals."
Scott Sanders of Greyhound Pets of America points out, there are coursing events most every weekend that use artificial lures on pulleys or even just white garbage bags. Sanders is concerned rabbit coursing is giving greyhounds a bad image.
Scott Sanders, Greyhound Pets of America: "In essence, they're teaching these greyhounds to be aggressive, they're teaching these greyhounds to kill, and that's not their nature, and so it's leaving the public with a misperception that greyhounds are aggressive when they are not."
The coursing association sent us a statement late today, saying, in part, they are considering rule changes to give the rabbits a better chance to get away. (You can read their entire statement here).
By the way, because of this controversy, the association is considering suspending their super bowl, what they call the "grand course," scheduled to be held in 10 days near Lost Hills in Kern County. "
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=i_team&id=3893413
"An ABC7 I-Team investigation into a blood sport taking place in the Bay Area is reverberating through the animal rights movement, and through local and state government.
It's been four days since we first showed you open field coursing, in which dogs race to catch and kill rabbits.
We're getting a huge response to the investigation from around the state, the country and the world and that's fueling a movement to ban the sport in California. We should warn you once again that the pictures might be disturbing, even though we're not showing the worst of them.
This is the scene that's causing such uproar -- greyhound owners from San Francisco, Napa, Alameda, Seattle and Canada gathering near Fairfield for a race.
The spectators form a line to flush out wild jackrabbits. Three racers walk to the front. When a rabbit appears the dogs give chase. They get points for how hard they pursue, for turning the rabbit, and finally, killing it.
Scorer: "And a kill credit to Preacher."
Owner to dog: "Ooh, you got blood on you."
We reported Sunday that these greyhound owners are members of the National Open Field Coursing Association, the umbrella group for 12 clubs up and down the state that do the same thing. Frank Morales is vice president of the association and a computer analyst for the San Francisco Unified School District.
Frank Morales, National Open Field Coursing Association: "Imagine being bred for 1,000 generations just for one task and then being able to do that task and it's something I'll never know except vicariously, but I can see it in that dog's eyes every time they run."
State Assembly member Loni Hancock isn't buying it.
Assm. Loni Hancock: "See, that's just horrible."
After we showed her video of open field coursing, she promised to sponsor a new law. Hancock's already come up with a draft of the "ban on open field coursing." She plans to introduce it within two weeks.
Assm. Loni Hancock (D) Berkeley: "It's a really horrifying thing and something that it's clear from the outpouring of mail we've gotten, the people of California don't think should be happening here."
Shelters and animal welfare groups around the bay are throwing their support behind the coursing ban, including the Marin Humane Society.
Diane Allevato, Marin Humane Society: "This isn't about dog behavior at all and animal behavior at all, this is about human behavior, it's about a human evil."
There's also action on the local level. Our investigation came as a surprise to supervisors in Solano County, where the race took place. They're putting it on the agenda.
Duane Kromm, Solano County supervisor: "If we can at the local level, I'd like to see if we can ban this from happening in Solano County. It's cruel and unusual punishment for animals."
The I-Team's received hundreds of e-mail on this topic, the vast majority supporting a ban. Others make points that were echoed by the people we met at the races near Fairfield.
Ann standing, Canadian greyhound owner: "To me, it seems sort of like natural. If the dogs aren't going to get them the coyotes are going to get them."
Mary Pounder, wildcare biologist: "When you watch a coyote, a bobcat, mountain lion chasing a prey, you'll see a short sprint."
Mary Pounder is a biologist at a wildlife rescue center in San Rafael who's worked extensively with jackrabbits. She says these chases are anything but natural. They go on far too long, and even the rabbits that get away suffer irreparable harm, what's called "capture myopathy."
Mary Pounder, wildcare biologist: "The heart tissue is damaged, so that the next time that animal undergoes any kind of exertion or stress, the heart, the adrenaline that the body pumps in, will actually stop the heart."
The coursers also claim this is just another form of hunting that offers a quick, painless death.
Frank Morales: "If the rabbit does get caught, it isn't really wounded, it's killed immediately."
That's not what our tape shows. After one dog catches this rabbit, the others join in a tug of war. A full 30 seconds pass, and you can still hear the rabbit squealing.
Mary Pounder, wildcare biologist: "And I would bet money that rabbit was alive judging by the position of its body. A dead jack rabbit, the first thing that happens is its ears come down."
This rabbit's ears stood up for a full minute while the dogs yanked on its body. The coursing association's latest newsletter even cautions members, "it is their responsibility to deliver the coup de grace if needed" when the dogs fail to make the kill.
The other point the coursers make? Chasing live game is the best way to exercise their dogs.
Loyce Ryan, Napa greyhound owner: "The owners bring their dogs out to basically play, and it's as much fun for us as it is for the dogs."
Scott Sanders, Greyhound Pets of America: "I don't buy that argument that they need to use live animals."
Scott Sanders of Greyhound Pets of America points out, there are coursing events most every weekend that use artificial lures on pulleys or even just white garbage bags. Sanders is concerned rabbit coursing is giving greyhounds a bad image.
Scott Sanders, Greyhound Pets of America: "In essence, they're teaching these greyhounds to be aggressive, they're teaching these greyhounds to kill, and that's not their nature, and so it's leaving the public with a misperception that greyhounds are aggressive when they are not."
The coursing association sent us a statement late today, saying, in part, they are considering rule changes to give the rabbits a better chance to get away. (You can read their entire statement here).
By the way, because of this controversy, the association is considering suspending their super bowl, what they call the "grand course," scheduled to be held in 10 days near Lost Hills in Kern County. "
