"Then you're part of the problem"

I mentioned to someone once that I used to be a greyhound trainer. She started to tell me how badly the dogs were abused and when I tried to assure her that was not the case she tole me she knew from personal experience. I asked her how she knew.

She told me she had worked security at the local track. The same track I had worked for years. She told me she had witnessed on camera the dogs being abused several times. I asked her why she didn't report it. She just looked at me.

I told her that on the few occasions that I had witnessed abuse (and had proof - a videotape would have been perfect proof) I had reported the abuse. Each time the parties involved were disciplined. Not always to my satisfaction but they were disciplined and there was a mark on their record in case it happened again.

I told her if she saw abuse and it was on tape and she didn't report it - "then you're part of the problem."

She shut up and she left.

I am not saying abuse never happens. It does. But if it is reported to the track they take immediate action. Even better when an owner finds out (the best way to report it) then the person involved is usually fired. When other dog people working see abuse then jobs seem to disappear when the abuser is in need of one.

Dogs don't run well when mistreated. A happy dog does it's job better just as a happy person performs better.