It was so cold last week that the greyhound racing opponents found opportunity to call me for the first time ever.Executive Sports Editor Pat McCann put me on the spot with the following lead in Friday’s News Herald: “The dogs wouldn’t have minded the cold temperatures, but patrons of Ebro Greyhound Park undoubtedly are appreciative the weather is expected to cooperate Saturday for the opening of the 2008 meeting.” Carey Theil, executive director of GREY2K, a greyhound protection group, was on the phone before my limbs had time to defrost from the jaunt between my car in the parking lot and the front door.
The call started something like this, following the greeting:
Theil: “How does Mr. McCann know the greyhounds wouldn’t be bothered by the cold? Isn’t that uncaring?”
Me: “Huh?”
Theil: “Is he trying to be funny or is he just uncaring of these animals’ welfare?”
Me: “Huh? Who is this? What?”
Long story short, Theil believes greyhound racing is cruel, that the dogs are not well-treated, and that while he doesn’t know how The News Herald feels about greyhounds, he feared McCann’s brush-off of their welfare might be indicative of a lack of caring.
Me: “I really don’t think so. He’s probably working off the premise that it’s cold here right now and that’s probably more upsetting to human beings sitting in the stands than it is for the dogs that come out, run around the track, and go back inside.”
Theil: “Do you run outside in this extreme weather?”
Me: “Yes, about five days a week.” (I do not, of course, but assistant managing editor Kevin Porter does, and he was standing outside my office, so that was close enough for me).
Theil: “Even when it’s 5 degrees or 0 degrees outside?”
Me: “It’s not 5 degrees outside, it got down in the 20s.”
Theil: “And how do you know the dogs don’t mind that?”
Me: “They seemed happy when we interviewed them.”
Theil: “You interviewed the dogs?”
Me: “Yes, we did.”
Theil: “I’d like a copy of that conversation.” (To give him credit, Theil appeared to be trying not to laugh).
Me: “It’s protected by a journalism shield law.”
Theil: “So you’re saying Mr. McCann actually interviewed the greyhounds?”
Me: “Well, it wasn’t Mr. McCann. It was our staff dog whisperer, who translates those things for us.”
Theil: “I see.”
Theil, through the 14-minute conversation, was able to make his point, and did so in a constructive way.
There are people who feel as strongly as Theil when it comes to animals, like the folks who won the right to take their dogs to a small portion of Panama City Beach.
I always considered myself somewhat of an animal lover, with my dogs staying indoors for the most part and even finding space at the foot of my bed. This, for me, does not run contradictory to my love of hunting.
There are pets, and there are animals that provide meat for the table. Hunting, to me, is more humane than eating meat from a farm-raised cow that never enjoyed a minute of freedom in its life.
And, at first, it was incomprehensible that a landlord would sue someone over having a dog in a rented home. Now I get it.
Just as I get Theil’s point.
It was a reminder for me that many people can look at the same situation and come away with a different view of what’s going on, and that it doesn’t necessarily mean they are wrong.
