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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 9, 1993)
ber 9,1993 ,L avel to ; A&M ith the irphy's y- n ist survive ienate Ap- on Thurs- ext week, critic Dale arming to terminate ugh, bare- mm said, .ing very )usly I'm ful." \ f »e a er 1994 «LAND i? editor editor irts editor tentlik, Carrie -nblay 5 and |oe Leih ohn Scroggs, ada and ring semesters m periods), at i<M University, te Division of ed McDonald tvertising, call anday through ar. To charge Thursday, September 9,1993 The Battalion Page 3 student finds homes for canine racers By Margaret Claughton The Battalion In 1990, David Mosier adopted Grey Lady, a 14- month-old Greyhound, from a local breeder. Grey Lady was the runt of her litter and when tried on [hetrack, did not run nearly as fast as her siblings. Raising dogs is a business, and businesses must cut their losses. So what is the breeder to do when a dog does not perform? Grey Lady was lucky - she was adopted. Many greyhounds are not as fortunate. If a dog does not make it to the track, or ; even if it does but begins to slow down, the breed ers cannot afford to keep it. This leaves two choic- ' es: try to get the dog adopted or have it eutha nized. According to National Geographic, greyhound racing is a billion dollar business. There are ap proximately 59 tracks in the U.S. with over 45,000 i dogs racing on them. In Florida alone, 1 billion dollars are wagered on greyhounds yearly. With i such high numbers at stake, breeders cannot af- ! ford to support losing dogs. Mosier estimates that approximately 10 percent I of all greyhounds born make it to the track and only half of those stay there. 1 "About every 2 years, there is almost a 100 per- : cent turnover," Mosier said. "This means 45,000 i unwanted dogs." Mosier is currently a junior electrical engineer ing major at Texas A&M. He said his interest in i greyhounds began while he was a Marine in Flori da. | "I watched the races at the dog tracks and | wanted a greyhound ever since," Mosier said. "I met Grey Lady's breeder while working in a local ’dike shop. We somehow began discussing dogs and the rest is history." Having discovered the position the breeders are f in,and realizing what wonderful dogs greyhounds are, Mosier began adopting retired greyhounds from area breeders and placing them in suitable domes. Tommy Skaggs, former breeder and superin- Jndent of the Washington on the Brazos State ark, said, "Mosier has the dogs' best interests at eart." There are many others like Mosier including na tional organizations such as Greyhound Pets of America and Racers Recycled. "These organizations don't just give dogs to anyone," Skaggs said. They, like Mosier, carefully screen prospective owners in order to guarantee the dogs a safe and happy home. Not all of the greyhounds are adopted or eutha nized, however. Many are killed by unlicensed breeders using other methods. The National Geo graphic special "Greyhounds; running for their lives," shows authorities discovering many grey hounds shot and buried in large mound graves. In addition, several dogs were discovered starving to death in their kennels. In an effort to reduce the number of grey hounds killed, the Texas Racing Commission man dated that any greyhound breeder must have filled out a form for each dog removed from the track. The forms must include where the dog will be living. This way, every dog is logged and can not just disappear. Jim Frey, executive director of the Texas Grey hound Association, said, "For example, each track in Texas has its own adoption service. Here in Texas, we have taken several steps to get in line with the humane aspects of the industry." According to Frey, many track adoption ser vices experience a 100 percent adoption rate of their retired dogs. "At some tracks, there is actually a waiting list of adopters," Frey said. Greyhounds are reportedly very agreeable ani mals. Mosier said their sweet disposition and mild manner make them wonderful house pets. And since greyhounds are raised in kennels, they prefer small spaces. All three dogs currently living with Mosier have their favorite niche around the house. Three- year-old Pretty Girl prefers to lie under the kitchen table. Akeishian, 2 years old, enjoys curling up on the corner of Mosier's bed. Of course Grey Lady, being Mosier's permanent pet, has staked her claim on Mosier's lap. Although the problem of protecting retired greyhounds is not completely solved, the efforts of people like David Mosier as well as the work of national adoption services are helping to lessen its intensity. Kyle Burnett /The Battauon lunior electrical engineering major David Mosier (right) is finding decent homes for some retired greyhounds. These canines are bred to race, but only five percent ever make it to the race track. Many breeders are left with dogs like Silverback (forefront) and are unable to provide them with a home. r Music H* Shelton’s album is solid country Ricky Van Shelton's new release "A Bridge I Didn't Burn" is a good mixture of pure country and brings a refreshing sound to country radio. Lesa Ann King The Battalion "A Bridge I Didn't Bum" Ricky Van Shelton Country Columbia While it may not be the biggest release in September or the album of the year, Ricky Van Shelton's latest release, "A Bridge I Didn't Burn," is a good, solid mixture of pure coun try music. Shelton's music talks about love, heartache and life in an honest and wholesome way. His music has a re freshing sound compared to much of the over-synthesized music and meaningless lyrics found on the ra dio today. The opening cut, "If They Turn Out the Lights," takes an optimistic look at getting through hard times. Similar to Shelton's earlier release, "Life's Little Ups and Down," this new song is much more upbeat and fun to listen to. The classic Shelton sound comes out in the title cut, "A Bridge I Didn't Burn." Written by rising country star Tracy Byrd, along with Billy Yates and Frank Dycus, "A Bridge" tells about a man still con trolled by his feeling toward an old love. Shelton's genuine country music often takes a special look at the sim ple things in everyday life. One See Shelton/Page 4 Reviews Paying homage. . . A Dylan tribute By Joe Leih The Battauon "Bob Dylan: The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration" Various Artists Tribute Album Columbia "Bob Dylan: The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration" double disc set leaves no doubt the great singer/songwriter has truly touched the musical world since 1962, when he first began his career. Since then, Dylan has tirelessly cranked out 38 albums, toyed with musical genres on over 500 songs and worked with or influenced countless artists. This new release, highlighting last year's Madison Square Garden concert presents a throng of those influenced musi cians (young and old) paying homage to Dylan with their own renditions of his visionary tunes. Stevie Wonder, one of these artists, was only a teenager in 1966 when he first recorded Dylan's classic gem "Blowin' in the Wind." Three years later, folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary turned it into a mainstream hit. On this album. Wonder again performs the time honored song of peace with power ful R&B force. A truly soulful keyboard king. Wonder proves with his heartfelt crooning that Dylan's songs do in deed know no boundaries, time or generation. Neil Young (middle) and Eric Clapton (right) pay tribute to Bob Dylan for his 3.0 years of contribution to music. Johnny Cash, the famous man in black, is yet another of Dylan's friends that lends his talent for the concert. Dylan and Cash first encountered each other at the 1964 New Port Folk Festival and have since formed a working relationship. See Dylan/Page 4 ‘90210’ plus two pseudo-actors. . . ; Calendar Girl’ stinks By Jacqueline Ayotte Jerry O'Connell (left), Gabriel Olds and Jason Priestley make bad acting an art form in "Calendar Girl." The Battalion "Calendar Girl" Starring Jason Priestley and Jerry O'Connell Directed by John Whitesell Rated PG-13 Playing at Cinema III Take Jason Priestley who plays Bran don on "90210," add two more almost 30-year-old pseudo-actors to a cheesy, predictable script and low budget pro duction, and what do you have? Like omigod, all the ingredients to the sorriest film released this fall — "Calendar Girl." If you've seen the previews for this film, that's about how far the plot ex tends. It's as predictable as Shannen Dougherty hate mail. It's 1962 and three teenage boys from Nevada are practically drowning in a puddle of their own hormones. The rea son? Like every other male human be ing, they're head over heels infatuated with Marilyn Monroe. But, unlike most males, it's the bull headed, conceited Roy (Priestley) who believes Marilyn Monroe would go out with him if he asked her. Stubbornly, he drags his best friends Ned (Gabriel Olds) and Scott (Jerry O'Connell) to his uncle's Hollywood mansion in hopes of finding the film goddess. / See 'Calendar'/Page 4