No more walmart bettas for me......

[Haiku]

This is really off topic, but some of you started it so I'm just going to add my own comment on greyhound racing. A few months ago, the dog board I am part of had an incredible debate/discussion about the greyhound racing industry, the thread was several, several pages, and some people actually involved in racing got involved with the discussion. The conclusions I got out of all the different viewpoints were that some racers treat their dogs like star athletes, and they get more pampering, doting, and care than many house pets. When their careers are over, some owners take a very active role in screening and finding the most perfect home they can for the dog, and continue to keep in contact with the adopter and follow the dog throughout its life. Some owners, of course, are the opposite end of the spectrum, BUT while the dogs are actually racers, they must be treated well and conditioned well. A dog kept caged all day is not a dog that will win any races. Either way, I'd prefer the gambling and money aspects be gone, and the sport to become more like the coursing events out there, because anytime money is involved, there is more potential for the dogs to be treated like offal if they are not performing up to par.

I do have to say that the racers who participated in the thread pointed out that greyhounds are generally some of the best bred dogs out there, because they are bred for performance. You will not find inbreeding there like you do in the conformation show world (where inbreeding is apallingly common). Anyway, off my soapbox now. Dogs are my passion, so it's hard for me to pass up commenting when they are brought up