OK, so it was just 48 hours, but when you haven't had a break in years, 48 hours is truly a vacation. With all my business either done or on hold, and with a trusted friend to take the reins of my home, my 92 year-old mother and my adopted greyhound, I was off to the great state of New Hampshire for the weekend. Destination? The Lodge Greyhound Track in Belmont and friend Lisa Lussiers' kennel complete with 102 greyhounds. Part of my background is in the stables of the thoroughbred tracks and I was interested to see the differences and similarities of the two sports. This would be my first time backstage at a greyhound racing kennel and I was truly looking forward to it.Hot, humid and horrible weather greeted me in the Granite State. Thank God Ms. Goodwrench (yours truly) was able to fix a pesky low pressure switch in her car's A/C system and ride in comfort. Who am I kidding? If I couldn't get the A/C to work I would have postponed the trip.
After checking in to the Red Roof Inn in Loudon (I always try to support hotel/motel chains that welcome pets) I called Lisa and asked what the plan for my day was. I was told that "turn-out" would occur at 4pm and I was to meet her prior to that at the entrance to the Clubhouse for my credentials and an escort to the kennels. The Lodge was easy enough to find; it is essentially on the same road some 16 miles away from the hotel. I liked how the track seems to have been 'cut into' the mountain, a very picturesque setting.After a warm welcome and a short drive to the kennel security gate, where my credentials were confirmed, we arrived at the building that houses the Flying Colors and the New England Racing kennels, holding 102 greyhounds. The building was quiet, neat and tidy, with no doggie smell, unlike the horses! From the outside the kennels looked old but quite sturdy, with six foot high chain link fencing and a deep clean sandy surface for the adjacent turnout pens. Multiple air-conditioning units hummed in the outside walls.
When Lisa opened the kennel door the sound of 102 greyhounds greeting their human friends in perfect unison was almost deafening! I was immediately put to work getting the turn-out muzzles onto the ladies in the top rows of crates. "Turn-out" muzzles are very light plastic muzzles which allow the dog to breath normally, bark, and drink. What they don't allow is any damage to be done to any hound should a bar fight break out in the turn-out area. Getting these muzzles on the excited hounds was like trying to thread a moving needle but they all got on and the girls all hopped down to ground level. Suddenly the urge to pee was replaced by the need to greet The Stranger en masse, and it was wonderful! Finally, the ladies were cajoled into going out into their spacious pen, the access door was secured, and it was time to get the boys ready to go out. I had learned my lessons well with the ladies and muzzling the boys went a little faster and smoother. The boys were also far more interested in pats from The Stranger than the vertical surfaces that awaited outside. A few decided to take advantage of the diversion caused by my presence to pee in the kennel hall which quickly raised the ire of Lisa and her wonderful employee, Heather. Dogs will be dogs! Soon the boys were out in their huge pen.
The males and the females are segregated to prevent any unwanted pregnancies. I went out into the pens with the hounds and what a wonderful time I had with them. They were magnificent! Soon I was being poked, prodded and nuzzled by happy, playful and downright fresh hounds and muzzles from all sides, I couldn't stop laughing. There were two one might classify as shy, but only out in the pen. In the familiar and comfortable environment of their kennel they were just like the others. Adopted greyhounds that are shy often lead some to believe that they are abused in the racing kennel, but it is clear to me from seeing these racing dogs that its the process of adoption, where they meet new people and move from a racing kennel to a home, that is the cause of much of their initial shyness as a pet. There is also the fact that the 'shyness' in some dogs is hereditary in some bloodlines.In the turn-out pens, the dogs peed, pooped, played, and drank. Some even bathed in the kiddie pools full of clean cool water Lisa keeps in each pen. It was so entertaining to watch dozens of dogs interact this way. There was the occasional snarl which was dealt with instantly with a simple vocal correction from Lisa.
When Lisa opened the kennel door the sound of 102 greyhounds greeting their human friends in perfect unison was almost deafening! I was immediately put to work getting the turn-out muzzles onto the ladies in the top rows of crates. "Turn-out" muzzles are very light plastic muzzles which allow the dog to breath normally, bark, and drink. What they don't allow is any damage to be done to any hound should a bar fight break out in the turn-out area. Getting these muzzles on the excited hounds was like trying to thread a moving needle but they all got on and the girls all hopped down to ground level. Suddenly the urge to pee was replaced by the need to greet The Stranger en masse, and it was wonderful! Finally, the ladies were cajoled into going out into their spacious pen, the access door was secured, and it was time to get the boys ready to go out. I had learned my lessons well with the ladies and muzzling the boys went a little faster and smoother. The boys were also far more interested in pats from The Stranger than the vertical surfaces that awaited outside. A few decided to take advantage of the diversion caused by my presence to pee in the kennel hall which quickly raised the ire of Lisa and her wonderful employee, Heather. Dogs will be dogs! Soon the boys were out in their huge pen.
The males and the females are segregated to prevent any unwanted pregnancies. I went out into the pens with the hounds and what a wonderful time I had with them. They were magnificent! Soon I was being poked, prodded and nuzzled by happy, playful and downright fresh hounds and muzzles from all sides, I couldn't stop laughing. There were two one might classify as shy, but only out in the pen. In the familiar and comfortable environment of their kennel they were just like the others. Adopted greyhounds that are shy often lead some to believe that they are abused in the racing kennel, but it is clear to me from seeing these racing dogs that its the process of adoption, where they meet new people and move from a racing kennel to a home, that is the cause of much of their initial shyness as a pet. There is also the fact that the 'shyness' in some dogs is hereditary in some bloodlines.In the turn-out pens, the dogs peed, pooped, played, and drank. Some even bathed in the kiddie pools full of clean cool water Lisa keeps in each pen. It was so entertaining to watch dozens of dogs interact this way. There was the occasional snarl which was dealt with instantly with a simple vocal correction from Lisa.
And then came the poop, by the bucket, by the pound, by the truckload. I did my best to be a good nanny and keep up with them and keep their sandy pens neat and clean, but just when you think you found it all...While the hounds were outside, the chamber maid (me) attended to their condos. The crates they live in are huge, more than enough room for the largest dogs to move about freely and comfortably. Their bedding was thick, soft, clean cuts of carpet the same size as the kennel floor. Any wet or damaged carpet was removed, the kennel floor cleaned and the carpet replaced. All were straightened and fluffed. The hounds were outside for a bit over 45 minutes this time. Since it was very hot and humid it was decided to return the dogs early to the air-conditioned comfort of their kennels. Oddly enough, once the hounds were out and had their bodily functions, water intake, splashing and playing blocks checked, they were all at the kennel door whining to come in after about twenty minutes.
Letting the dogs back into the kennel is as much of an event as letting them out! The door to the kennel is opened very slowly by either Lisa or Heather, and then only partly, which allegedly prevents a stampede of dogs flying back into the kennel. Now the fun was reversed, trying to match up the name on the muzzle with the name on crate, the two often had nothing in common as a 'kennel name' can be quite different from the greyhound's racing name. Eventually, 102 greyhounds were back in their homes and within minutes were sound asleep. The total peace and quiet was a stark contrast to the commotion less than an hour earlier. I had been told earlier that the kennel area at The Lodge was not typical of the higher-end tracks; these accommodations here are apparently subpar when compared to the newer, richer tracks. I found the kennels to be safe, solid, clean, and bright. There was absolutely no smell of urine or feces; only the scent of disinfectant was obvious and you couldn't find a fly with a search warrant. 'Weigh in' occurs between 5 and 6pm for the evening's races. I asked Lisa if I could help with this evolution as well, "Oh yes you will" was the reply. She would send 24 dogs to the field of honor this evening.
Heather was soon attached to five dogs and Lisa handed me a hound on a leash, cool! Then another, OK, Cool! Then another, ah, OK... Then a fourth hound was handed to me. Suddenly I felt like Charlton Heston in Ben Hur. Lisa had a large group of dogs leashed also and soon the three of us, and I don't know how many dogs, were off to the weigh in area just up the road. What an experience. The hounds knew the way and you would have thought they had a bus to catch; these hounds DRAG you to the building where they will be identified, numbered, weighed and quarantined until their races. Did I mention it was hot and humid? No time to rest or cool off, back down the road to the kennels to get the rest of the greyhounds who would compete this evening and bring them here for the pre-race processing.
There are strict rules for the dogs' weight. Hounds who are over their "program" weight are brought to the "fat pen," a turn-out area near this facility where the hound can pee and or poop again in an effort to lose the required weight. Dogs that are under weight are scratched, i.e. eliminated from competition for the day. Lisa had five dogs that would be branded as over weight, nearly 20% of her competitors. Four of five hounds lowered their weight to the appropriate number with an extra toilet run, the fifth was scratched for being too heavy even after a successful toilet evolution. I walked back to the kennel with Lisa and this dog. And honestly? This dog was distraught. "But, but, I'm supposed to be here! I'm supposed to race! Why am I going home?" He was clearly confused and upset that there would be no racing for him this night. He was settled back into his crate and given his supper.
Letting the dogs back into the kennel is as much of an event as letting them out! The door to the kennel is opened very slowly by either Lisa or Heather, and then only partly, which allegedly prevents a stampede of dogs flying back into the kennel. Now the fun was reversed, trying to match up the name on the muzzle with the name on crate, the two often had nothing in common as a 'kennel name' can be quite different from the greyhound's racing name. Eventually, 102 greyhounds were back in their homes and within minutes were sound asleep. The total peace and quiet was a stark contrast to the commotion less than an hour earlier. I had been told earlier that the kennel area at The Lodge was not typical of the higher-end tracks; these accommodations here are apparently subpar when compared to the newer, richer tracks. I found the kennels to be safe, solid, clean, and bright. There was absolutely no smell of urine or feces; only the scent of disinfectant was obvious and you couldn't find a fly with a search warrant. 'Weigh in' occurs between 5 and 6pm for the evening's races. I asked Lisa if I could help with this evolution as well, "Oh yes you will" was the reply. She would send 24 dogs to the field of honor this evening.
Heather was soon attached to five dogs and Lisa handed me a hound on a leash, cool! Then another, OK, Cool! Then another, ah, OK... Then a fourth hound was handed to me. Suddenly I felt like Charlton Heston in Ben Hur. Lisa had a large group of dogs leashed also and soon the three of us, and I don't know how many dogs, were off to the weigh in area just up the road. What an experience. The hounds knew the way and you would have thought they had a bus to catch; these hounds DRAG you to the building where they will be identified, numbered, weighed and quarantined until their races. Did I mention it was hot and humid? No time to rest or cool off, back down the road to the kennels to get the rest of the greyhounds who would compete this evening and bring them here for the pre-race processing.
There are strict rules for the dogs' weight. Hounds who are over their "program" weight are brought to the "fat pen," a turn-out area near this facility where the hound can pee and or poop again in an effort to lose the required weight. Dogs that are under weight are scratched, i.e. eliminated from competition for the day. Lisa had five dogs that would be branded as over weight, nearly 20% of her competitors. Four of five hounds lowered their weight to the appropriate number with an extra toilet run, the fifth was scratched for being too heavy even after a successful toilet evolution. I walked back to the kennel with Lisa and this dog. And honestly? This dog was distraught. "But, but, I'm supposed to be here! I'm supposed to race! Why am I going home?" He was clearly confused and upset that there would be no racing for him this night. He was settled back into his crate and given his supper.
Finally Lisa and I were off to the clubhouse for some dinner and the races. The clubhouse and grandstand area of The Lodge is simply lovely. Coming through the main entrance one would believe they had arrived at a high-end ski chalet in Aspen; the motif really works. It is warm, woodsy and charming. There are table games and a poker room immediately to the left, and dozens and dozens of plasma TVs mounted on the walls showing racing of everything from just about everywhere. The Bluesology restaurant and nightclub makes you wonder if you are still at a race track. There are all sorts of inviting nooks and crannies one can huddle in either alone or with chosen company. The clubhouse dining area offers unobstructed views of the track from every seat. The food was excellent though the service was a bit slow. The grandstand area was spotless.
We just finished our meal when the last race started, Lisa had 6 dogs in this race and we had to hurry to the catching area on the far side of the racetrack to help gather up the dogs. What an experience! It was pitch black and I didn't have a clue which dogs belonged to Lisa! Heather would yell, "Laurie take the 4," so I had to find the 4, in the dark, assuming the lead-out hadn't undressed the dog yet, and in the deep mud from the earlier thunderstorms' torrential downpours. It was hilarious! I deeply annoyed a 15 year-old lead-out by attaching a leash to a dog's collar prior to his getting off the hound's uniform, "Sorry kid. I'm new here."Walking back to the kennels in the dark with the panting hounds, we went directly into the turn-out pens for a bath in the kiddie pools and some cool water to drink. Thankfully the kennel area itself is very well lighted.
We just finished our meal when the last race started, Lisa had 6 dogs in this race and we had to hurry to the catching area on the far side of the racetrack to help gather up the dogs. What an experience! It was pitch black and I didn't have a clue which dogs belonged to Lisa! Heather would yell, "Laurie take the 4," so I had to find the 4, in the dark, assuming the lead-out hadn't undressed the dog yet, and in the deep mud from the earlier thunderstorms' torrential downpours. It was hilarious! I deeply annoyed a 15 year-old lead-out by attaching a leash to a dog's collar prior to his getting off the hound's uniform, "Sorry kid. I'm new here."Walking back to the kennels in the dark with the panting hounds, we went directly into the turn-out pens for a bath in the kiddie pools and some cool water to drink. Thankfully the kennel area itself is very well lighted.
They were back in their crates in about an hour and were fed their supper. This was my first exposure to the so-called "inferior" meat they eat. It comes frozen in large sealed plastic bags about eight inches thick, two feet long and about eighteen inches wide. I saw this meat with my own eyes, smelled it, and touched it. If I had a hot griddle handy, I would have put a few handfuls on the grill with some onions and Velveeta and made a nice Philly steak and cheese sub. It was bright red, fresh, maybe a bit fatty like pastrami, but it looked to be of human grade quality. I would have eaten it. I probably have in some local sub shops! There is nothing like first-hand experience to dispel any notions that racing greyhounds get an inferior diet.
With the races over, I was thinking it's party time at the hotel now. Negative! We turned out the hounds again! The hounds who just raced and who ate late would be turned out again later. Then it's party time, right? No, make that bedtime, I was exhausted! But not too tired to make one final round through the kennels with my bag of Old Mother Hubbard dog cookies.Since I was "on vacation," I told Lisa I'd meet her at the kennel about 4pm the next day as well. Rising about noon, I checked out the local shopping before going to the track. Lisa and Heather arrive for work, seven days a week, at 6:30 in the morning. Turn-outs, veterinary care, feeding, and schooling races fill the first half of the day. The schedule was the same this evening with turn-outs, weigh-ins, racing, etc.
This night at the races was special. The Central New Hampshire chapter of Greyhound Pets of America had a lovely adoption booth set up at the main entrance. We brought some dogs up to the clubhouse to "meet-and-greet" the public early in the evening. Several members of the public left their names with the adoption folks as prospective adoptive families. Other patrons avoided the leashed hounds and their wagging tails like they were depleted uranium. The seventh race this night would be a Stake race named in honor of GPA-Central NH. Of course, Lisa's dog "Joe's Scammer" won the race and paid $53! It was an honor to be on the track with the hound, Lisa, the GPA and track folks for the winners circle photo. The track raised nearly $700 for GPA through raffles and donations. Lisa took the winning greyhound back to the kennel to cool off, I took the winner's trophy back to the clubhouse to finish dinner, I was, after all, on vacation. Lisa joined me a bit later to finish her cold supper.
With the races over, I was thinking it's party time at the hotel now. Negative! We turned out the hounds again! The hounds who just raced and who ate late would be turned out again later. Then it's party time, right? No, make that bedtime, I was exhausted! But not too tired to make one final round through the kennels with my bag of Old Mother Hubbard dog cookies.Since I was "on vacation," I told Lisa I'd meet her at the kennel about 4pm the next day as well. Rising about noon, I checked out the local shopping before going to the track. Lisa and Heather arrive for work, seven days a week, at 6:30 in the morning. Turn-outs, veterinary care, feeding, and schooling races fill the first half of the day. The schedule was the same this evening with turn-outs, weigh-ins, racing, etc.
This night at the races was special. The Central New Hampshire chapter of Greyhound Pets of America had a lovely adoption booth set up at the main entrance. We brought some dogs up to the clubhouse to "meet-and-greet" the public early in the evening. Several members of the public left their names with the adoption folks as prospective adoptive families. Other patrons avoided the leashed hounds and their wagging tails like they were depleted uranium. The seventh race this night would be a Stake race named in honor of GPA-Central NH. Of course, Lisa's dog "Joe's Scammer" won the race and paid $53! It was an honor to be on the track with the hound, Lisa, the GPA and track folks for the winners circle photo. The track raised nearly $700 for GPA through raffles and donations. Lisa took the winning greyhound back to the kennel to cool off, I took the winner's trophy back to the clubhouse to finish dinner, I was, after all, on vacation. Lisa joined me a bit later to finish her cold supper.
In a later race one of her hounds took a terrible tumble in the deep track. Just like with horse racing, you think the worst at that moment. But this hound got up, shook himself off, got back into the race and even beat a dog to the finish line! Later I was still concerned about the pup, even though I saw him finish the race in a normal fashion. I whined at Lisa to call Heather on her phone at the kennel. Heather reported the dog was just fine. At the end of the racing program it was back to the kennel for the final turn-outs and tending to the night's racers. As I made my way around the kennel with my bag of cookies I came upon the hound that had fallen. Physically he was fine, but I'll swear that dog was mad! I looked in his eyes and I could feel him say, "He tripped me! That sonofagun 5-dog TRIPPED ME!!!"
Then it was 11pm again and time to say goodbye to my friend and her hounds since I had to depart in the morning for home. I had such a good time on my vacation and I learned so much. Horse people physically work harder; dog people definitely work longer. I'm looking forward to seeing the backstage area of other tracks now. I saw nothing wrong with The Lodges' accommodations for the greyhounds. What I did see were dogs who love their jobs and people who love their dogs. They are well taken care of! My experience this weekend, what my eyes saw, what my ears heard, what my nose smelled, what my hands felt is totally and completely contrary to the stories released by those anti-greyhound racing advocates. I was actually there and saw, heard, smelled and felt nothing at all that even remotely bears witness to the stories of abuse so often repeated by the animal rights extremists. If I do have a complaint, it's that The Lodge had no t-shirts in my size. After all, I was on vacation, and I was denied the evidence.
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