Ava

Pasma: greyhound

Spol: samička

Barva: modra tigrasta

Višina: 66 cm
Datum rojstva: 6. maj 2016

Avo so nedavno rešili prostovoljci zavetišča Deel Animal Rescue.

Opis v pripravi.

The Dog With No Name

Ava is an 8-year-old greyhound, though she didn’t know that was her name until much later. In fact, for all her life, she hadn’t been given a name.

She had no identity, no affection, just a place in a cold, drafty shed where she curled up in fear, not knowing when she would be taken out of there and brought into the scary world of the race track where she’d be forced to run again, or in her latter years be forced to have more puppies. We all know owners don’t see these dogs as a companion, don’t even see them as a living creature with feelings. To Ava’s owner, she was a tool—a racer, a brood.

The shed where she lived was her world. It was cold in the winter, with the wind slipping through the cracks and the nights long and merciless. In the summer, the heat suffocated her, the air thick and oppressive. The dog in the kennel next to her barked at her relentlessly, probably also demented from being kennelled for almost every hour of every day. But the owner said she was a ‘jealous dog’ and so acted as she did.

Ava would not come to her owner in the small run, she evaded his touch, cowered and hung her head as he eventually got a lead on her. Then, put back in her kennel where she curled into a tight ball, trembling, hoping to disappear into the corner. The fear never left her; you could see she was scared of everything. The only thing she knew was fear—of the barking dog, of the darkness, and most of all, the world, human touch all the things that happy dogs thrive on.

She had raced for him many times, in fact. She had run as fast as her legs could carry her, not for the joy of the chase, but because she had no choice. She had won money for him. But in the end, that wasn’t enough. She was supposed to breed, to give him more dogs to run for him, but when she couldn’t, she became useless to him. She had outlived her purpose.

In Ireland alone, over 6,000 greyhounds are killed every year because they are no longer profitable or fail to meet racing standards. Many of them, like Ava, are discarded, unwanted, their brief and brutal careers ending in abandonment or death. For many greyhounds, life is no more than a cycle of exploitation and neglect, where they are discarded when they can no longer serve their owner’s needs.

Ava was one of the lucky ones, though it hadn’t always felt that way, becuase one day her rescuer came.

When she first saw Ava, it broke her heart, her coat dull, and her eyes—those eyes held so much fear and sadness. The rescuer asked the owner what Ava’s name was, and he laughed.

“She doesn’t have one,” he said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Ava wasn’t important enough to deserve a name.

The rescuer was able to take Ava that week. It didn’t take much convincing; after all, she was no longer of use to him. He handed her over without a second thought, and just like that, Ava left the cold shed, the barking dog, and the world of racing behind. For the first time in her life, she was free.

When they arrived at her foster home, Ava was hesitant, unsure of this new world. But her rescuer was patient, kind, and slowly, Ava is beginning to trust her. Her new life as a pet is unlike anything she had ever known. There is warmth, food, and a soft bed. No one yells at her, no one makes her run. She has her own name now—Ava, and slowly, she will recognise it as her own.

It will take a long time, but Ava will begin to heal. She will learn what it means to be a dog—not a tool, not a number on a race sheet, but a dog with a name and a family who love her.

Our current Government have allocated €74,000,000 to the greyhound racing industry in its time so far. Since 2001 the Industry has received a whopping €348,000,000. This funding contributes significantly to the suffering and exploitation of these gentle dogs.

This significant amount of public money supports an industry plagued by animal cruelty, including the mass killing of greyhounds that fail to perform.

The reality is that greyhound racing has a dark side, with many dogs suffering injuries, abandonment, and death. Reports of greyhounds being destroyed after racing careers, poor living conditions, and the export of dogs to countries with no animal welfare regulations have been well-documented.

As a society, we should not be using public funds to support an industry that perpetuates cruelty to animals. Instead, there are far more ethical and sustainable ways to invest this money.

By reallocating these funds to ethical and productive causes, we can create a positive legacy for Ireland, showing our commitment to compassion and sustainability. We urge our government and ask our followers to do the same, to end state funding for greyhound racing and redirect it towards initiatives that reflect Ireland’s values of kindness, progress, and respect for all living beings.

(Zapis zavetišča DEEL Sighthound Rescue)

Prevoz v Slovenijo možen konec oktobra 2024.

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