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Greyhound Gang |
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Greyhound Gang |
Kanab Is Host to Festival For Fans of Greyhounds
by Mark Havnes
Salt Lake Tribune, Tuesday, May 16, 2000
There were greyhounds everywhere in Kanab last weekend -- in the streets, on the sidewalks, in the motels and up the neighboring canyons, waiting to point their long, slender noses skyward and let out a "roo," usually with their owners joining in.
The reason for the plethora of greyhounds and a cappella howling was the second annual Greyhound Gathering that attracted 240 greyhound aficionados and 220 of the sleek, docile dogs from around the country to the Kane County town located in southwestern Utah.
Claudia Presto, who organized the event, says a "roo" sounds like a "dog siren" and something dog and owner will do with the slightest enticement.
Other activities during the event that lasted from Friday through Sunday included a parade down Kanab's Main Street and a gathering at the Best Friends animal sanctuary north of the town, the largest no-kill animal sanctuary in the country.
Artisans were also in town selling greyhound-themed products from scarves to pillows to feeders in addition to traditional dog items like leashes and collars. Also on Saturday, races were held pitting the dogs against their owners in a 100-yard dash. To give the owners a chance, they were given a 50-yard head start, but even with that, not one person beat their dog. A Kanab police sergeant clocked the dogs with a radar gun and reported the top speed achieved by the running dogs was 38 mph.
Presto's interest in the dogs compelled her to form The Greyhound Gang, which is dedicated to saving greyhounds from racetracks once they no longer can race. Presto, "who owns two greyhounds, but always has six around," says there are no laws regulating what race-dog owners must do with their animals once they can no longer race. In the past, the usual procedure was to destroy the animal.
But as the public became aware of the killings, adoption groups started to form until today there now are more than 200 around the country. The dogs Presto saves and puts up for adoption come from Arizona and Colorado, where dog racing is a popular pastime.
The Kane County Chamber of Commerce supports the infusion of dog owners during the gathering, and this year the Kane County Travel Bureau made a financial contribution to stage the event. Stores also participated by giving discounts to festival participants.
"We were welcomed by open arms," Presto said, adding that organizing the festival is a lot of work.
Information about greyhounds, including the adoption process, can be found on The Greyhound Gang's Web site at www.greyhoundgang.com.
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