Sample

chapter from No Shelter Here: Making the World a Kinder Place for Dogs by Rob Laidlaw

Bad Jobs for Dogs

Working Nine to Five

Dogs have had jobs since they first started living with humans. A long time ago, dogs that probably hung around humans for scraps of food could have been guards that barked when danger approached. Dogs also helped with hunting and, when humans started to raise animals, they worked as herders or livestock guardians. Today they work as sniffer dogs in airports, looking for drugs and explosives; search and rescue dogs find people buried in avalanches; and cadaver dogs find human remains in disaster zones. Therapy dogs visit hospitals where they cheer up patients, while service dogs assist blind, deaf, and disabled people. Karelian bear dogs help prevent human-bear conflicts, and herding dogs still work throughout the world. Many dogs probably enjoy doing their jobs as long as theyre treated kindly and have all their needs met. But thats not always the case. [Sidebar: LONG-TIME COMPANIONS Dogs have been around people for a very long time. Prehistoric dog skulls have been found in caves that were used by humans 30,000 years ago. Human and dog bones were found in a 14,000- year-old burial site in Germany, and a dog burial took place in Danger Cave in the United States about 11,000 years ago.]

Fragile Athletes

At full speed, their muscles ripple and they seem to glide across the ground, defying gravity in the process. Greyhound racing may be fun for the spectators who watch, but dog protection groups say its not fun for the dogs and can even be dangerous. Greyhounds have been bred to run fast. They can reach 65 km/hr (40 mph) in just a few seconds, but theyre vulnerable to injuries. Running around a track at top speed puts a lot of stress on the dogs, and that can lead to pulled muscles, broken legs, or even heart attacks. Some hard-surface tracks have been softened and other actions have been taken to reduce injuries, but the stress of racing cant be completely avoided. Its not just running at top speed that dog protection groups are worried about. There are even bigger concerns. [Sidebar: A Bone to Pick Some people get dogs to fight as a way to gamble and make money. Dogfights can cause serious wounds like cuts, bites, ripped ears, broken legs, or even worse. The winner is declared when one dog refuses

 Greyhounds have short racing careers, so when they slow down because of injuries or old age, they may be put down. That means new dogs have to be regularly produced as replacements. Greyhound protection groups say about one thousand Greyhounds are required to keep a commercial dog track operating. Many of them are confined in small cages out of public view, so most people never realize what sort of conditions racing dogs live in. In the United States, dog racing is in decline. Maine, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and other states have banned dog racing, and each year more tracks close. However, dog racing is still popular in some other countries. Greyhounds are considered low-aggression dogs that make good companions. U.S. dog rescue groups now adopt out approximately 60% of the dogs that used to race. But that still leaves a lot of dogs that need help. [Sidebar: ADOPT A GREYHOUND Greyhounds make great companions. Theyre not prone to very many hereditary diseases and can remain healthy for most of their lives, although some may have injuries from their racing days. A number of Greyhound rescue groups work to place ex-racers in loving homes, so check the Internet to find a rescue near you.]

to fight or cant fight because he is too injured. The Human Society of the United States (HSUS) believes there are about 40,000 dog fighters in the U.S.]

Long Distance Racing

Alaskas Iditarod, the worlds most famous sled dog race, is 1850 km (1150 mi.) long. Every year, teams with one human musher and 12 to 16 dogs compete. Other sled dog races can be as short as 816km (510 mi.). Pulling a sled, especially a long distance, can be hard on dogs. They may love to run, but they can still suffer from fatigue, injuries to their feet, lameness, frostbite, or severe chafing of the skin where harnesses pull on their bodies. The Iditarod has had is share of injuries and deaths, even with veterinarians en route and 27 checkpoints where dogs are examined. Animal welfare groups say that on average, out of the thousand or so dogs that compete in the race each year, three die, although that number doubled in 2009 with six dog deaths. The Iditarod is one of the better-managed sled dog races, but it still has problems, so less professional races probably have even more problems. Thats one reason why a number of animal welfare groups have called for an end to sled dog racing.

 Another worry is how sled dogs are often kept when theyre not training or racing. Ive seen many sled dogs restrained by short chains to wooden shelter boxes, or just chained out in the open with no shelter at all. In most areas, there are no rules about how sled dogs should be kept, so many dogs spend a lot of time chained. Sled dogs love to run, but they should never be pushed beyond their limits, and abusive practices like long-term chaining must be brought to an end. Until that happens, sledding will remain a bad job for many dogs. [Sidebar: A Bone to Pick Scientists didnt know if a human could survive in space, so in the 1950s, the Soviet Union (Russia) sent 21 stray female dogs up to test it out. Many did not survive the trip.] [Sidebar: POUND SEIZURE In some places, shelters are required by law to give up dogs, even former pets, to research institutions in a practice called pound seizure. Its banned in many areas because people dont think its right to give a shelter dog to science. Elsewhere its still the law, but shelters often just refuse to give up dogs. They know that working in science is not a good job for a dog.]

[Sidebar: THE BATTLE AGAINST DOGFIGHTING Michael Vick, a professional football player, ran an illegal dogfighting operation called Bad Newz Kennels. In July 2007, Vick was charged with financing the operation, participating in dogfights, and in killing unwanted dogs. He was sentenced to 23 months in prison and ordered to pay about one million dollars to care for the dogs that were taken from his property. Michael Vick is now assisting the HSUS in their campaign against dogfighting. He speaks to inner-city kids about how cruel it is and why they should not get involved.]

Dog Champions
Brittney & Ines: Keep Shelter Dogs Out of Science
For their grade eight Media Studies course at Torontos City View Alternative Senior School, life-long animal lovers Brittney Johnston and Ines Valente decided to do a project with meaning. After learning about the practice of pound seizure, the two students decided to make a documentary film about it. Months of research, filming interviews, and writing and editing eventually led to the creation of Pound Seizure: The Ultimate Trust Violation, a compelling video calling for an end to the use of shelter dogs in research. In addition to raising awareness in their school, the video was posted on YouTube and has attracted a lot of interest. The girls were even interviewed by a local television station. They continue to work on the pound seizure issue in the hope that if enough people know about it, the practice will be stopped. Great work, Brittney and Ines!