“If Greyhounds Could Talk”
By Ron Hevener

The world of Greyhounds has always been politically charged. There is competition on the track and every step along the way. As a result, Greyhound lovers are not strangers to controversy and speculation.

Although most Greyhound lovers hope for political and financial events on the national scene not to impact their way of life, that isn’t always true. Right now, it seems like dogs are in the news almost every day and it also seems like there is more and more confusion about which way Greyhound lovers should turn.

It doesn’t have to be like that.

One of the great things about having dogs is their way of calming us in times of personal confusion. Maybe it’s because dogs don’t speak our language (or, maybe, it’s because they do and we still haven’t scientifically proven what true “language” actually is) but dogs don’t get very excited about who is running for political office, which bank is hitting the skids today, or what the price of oil or gold is now. They don’t seem to care which laws are being dreamed up to mutilate their bodies without their consent (neuter/spay) or take away their freedoms (local and state ordinances controlling how they are allowed to live). They’re not concerned about shots and pills and veterinary attention, either. It’s the ones who love them (us) who are into that.

Greyhounds do care about being fed, groomed (sometimes) and they like to have a dry place to sleep. If they’re lucky enough to make a friend or two along the way, and those friends happen to be human, well, they like that, too. Sometimes, they like it a lot.

All this is well and good if the plan is just to keep things on a basic, mediocre, almost Ritalin-kind of level for dogs and people who love them. If “some” people don’t want any excitement, or real challenge in their lives, hey, there’s nothing like a few more laws to tighten the handcuffs of creative thinking and fun. Safety, after all, is the objective … isn’t it?

For years, “safety” has been the cry behind animal control laws, traffic laws, smoking laws, drinking laws, you name it. “Safety” has been the banner of something called “Homeland Security” which most of us never gave a second thought until just a few years ago, when all those laws were passed in its name.

Greyhound lovers weren’t the only ones who found it “slightly odd” when authorities suddenly went from friendly to power-hungry and changed our world in the name of “security” like it was the latest fad, or the latest craze. Other animal lovers – horsemen, livestock farmers, cat, bird, hamster, reptile and exotic pet owners – found it strange, too.

After a lifetime of raising animals, writing stories about animals and designing collectible merchandise for the people who love them, I really do believe that animal lovers are the keepers of the highest emotions in our world.

Does it matter what laws are passed to govern us? Of course, it matters; especially when those laws are forced on us by authorities who “think” they understand love, and sentiment, and trust, and joy … but who really can’t prove it, like most Greyhound lovers can.

Does it matter that individualism is reduced to mediocrity in the name of “security and safety”? I believe it matters very much, because I believe the element of risk (and making the right choices for yourself) is a mark of having your own mind and being grown up. Don’t you find it strange, for example, when banking systems suddenly hold your deposits longer, asking where your money came from if the deposit is over a certain amount, determining how much you can withdraw – even requiring fingerprints to cash a check?

Strange? No, it’s very real. Very real indeed. Such things can affect whether we have enough funds for the feed bill that week, or for the vet, or the mortgage. Are we supposed to be treated like we’re feeble- minded or immature; so delicate and fragile that we can’t make intelligent and wise decisions for ourselves? We’re the Greyhound community. What’s going on here?

Greyhounds don’t take care of themselves in today’s culture. It takes people who love them to do that, and (no matter how much force or power the organizations pushing to change our lifestyle might think they have) … it’s unlikely that Greyhounds ever will be able to pick up a phone to call the dog food store, or hold down a job to pay for it.

Truth be told, all one has to observe is how very little it matters to the general public that a Vice-Presidential candidate is out there shooting animals from a helicopter … to realize, once and for all, that PETA, HSUS and other groups like them really don’t have the clout they pretend they do. Oh, they can bully animal lovers with laws. (They’re good at that). But, only to the extent that we let them. And, remember … there has never been a law that can’t be thrown out.

Politics? Politics start with our very first breath of life, when we decide we’re going to live and struggle and fight to keep it that way. Politics continue through childhood, as we play and compete with each other, finding our way through the maze of everyday life. Just like it is with a litter of puppies, or a crop of foals in a field, “politics” is a natural force of nature based on leaders, followers and everything in between.

For those of us carrying the responsibility of a kennel or even for one dog, there are more complicated things to deal with. We must handle banking, record-keeping, buying supplies, licensing, taxes and all kinds of responsibility. Most important of all, we must figure out how to devote the time, make the money and the trade-offs to pay for it. Is it a business? Sure sounds like a business to me, which brings us right back to politics, banking, and all the other fears in the press right now.

Some Greyhounds run around, hearing experts on the radio, watching the news on TV, and seeing headlines in the newspaper lining their crates. Does that make a Greyhound well-informed about politics? In a world gone mad, who knows? The only thing we know for sure is, our dogs probably aren’t any more nervous today than they were a week, or a month, or a year ago, no matter what’s in the news or happening on Wall Street.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could feel that way, too?

If Greyhounds could talk, they might have a lot to tell us right now. After all, who has more access to the news than a dog listening to the radio all day?

Some of our dogs might be very serious. But, others (maybe the mischievous and naughty ones we love best) might flip their tails, roll their eyes and laugh in that doggy way we all know so well.

“Politics? Schmolitics!” they might say … “Quit worrying and let’s go for a walk!” … That’s what they might say … If Greyhounds could talk!

Author/Artist RON HEVENER specializes in animals and the romantic, adventurous people who love them. Mr. Hevener's collectible figurines and the prints from his novels ("Fate of the Stallion!" ... "The Blue Ribbon" ... "High Stakes") are now bought and traded throughout the world. Today, Ron Hevener's illustrated animal stories are published regularly in magazines, newsletters, newspapers and on websites around the globe. He is currently on tour - speaking at bookstores, libraries, theaters, schools, gift stores, pet stores, dog shows, art shows, horse shows and public events. "Your life is a movie," he says. "On With The Show!"

Please spend a few minutes and visit Mr. Hevener's home site and find out ... What readers are saying! -FGA Assn.