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The origin
of the greyhound is deeply rooted in ancient history. In
fact, murals and paintings of dogs strikingly similar to
today's greyhound existed more than 4,000 years ago.
From the beginning, the greyhound was held in high
regard in the Middle East and throughout Europe.
Pictures of the early greyhound can be found etched on
walls of ancient Egyptian tombs, and the Pharaohs rated
them first among all animals as both pets and hunters.
The Arabs so admired the physical attributes and
speed of the greyhound that it was the only dog
permitted to share their tents and ride atop their
camels. In early Arabian culture, the birth of a
greyhound ranked second only in importance to the birth
of a son.
In Persia, Rome and Greece, the
greyhound enjoyed similar stature and is the only canine
mentioned in the Holy Scripture (Proverbs 30:29-31.)
Their link with nobility was established in 1014
when King Canute of England enacted the Forest Laws,
which stated that only noblemen could own and hunt with
greyhounds. In fact, greyhound racing in England was
first established for the English nobility and could not
be enjoyed by other citizens.
Greyhounds were
first introduced to America in the 1800's to help
farmers control the jackrabbit population. It was not
long before competitions of greyhound racing was
conducted by the surrounding farmers. This proved to be
both an exciting event for the local population but also
proved that the greyhound loved the chase and excitement
of racing. From this humble start, we now have greyhound
racing as we know it today.
To watch a greyhound
in action is comparable to watching any great athlete.
The grace and beauty of this most noble animal is a
sight to behold. At the end of the greyhound's career
they adapt to the life of a loving pet with ease and
have become the pet of choice among an increasing number
of people.
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