Greyhound Lovers to Protest S.F. Skechers Store over Super Bowl Ad

By Erin Sherbert Fri., Jan. 27 2012 at 8:20 AM

Greyhound lovers everywhere want Skechers to dump its new Super Bowl ad before it airs on Feb. 5 -- and it's not necessarily because they'd rather see a sweaty Kim Kardashian on screen.

The group is upset by the fact that the ad was shot at a racetrack in Tucson, Ariz., which the group claims mistreats greyhounds. Already, they've gathered more than 115,000 signatures from supporters across the nation, and next Grey2K -- a greyhound advocacy group -- plans to hold boycott rallies in front of Skechers stores across the nation, including one in San Francisco.

The commercial (watch a brief snippet of it above) stars a French bulldog named Mr. Quiggly, who wins against a pack of racing greyhounds, with the help of his Skechers.

According to the petition, which is hosted at Change.org, Tucson Greyhound Park is where "greyhounds are kept confined in small cages which are barely large enough for them to stand up or turn around."

"Skechers has turned a blind eye to the cruelty of dog racing," said Grey2K USA President and General Counsel Christine Dorchak, who started the campaign. "By filming its ad at Tucson Greyhound Park, Skechers is glamorizing one of the most notorious dog tracks in the country.

"It's not too late for Skechers to do the right thing. It is time for the shoe company to stand up for the real underdogs, the long-suffering greyhounds who live and die at Tucson Greyhound Park each year," she added.

The protest is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. in front of the Union Square Skechers store, 200 Powell (at O'Farrell).

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Tags:

Change.org, Kim Kardashian, Mr. Quiggly, Skechers, Super Bowl, Tucson Greyhound Park

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Jtstormjr

Really????? They are selling shoes not dog racing...stop taking things so serious. It is suppose to be funny...that is what is wrong with this country...every things has be make a statement

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coppersmom

skechers are cheap sh+t shoes, poorly made in china for dumb people.

ValWolf

It is unconscionable that Skechers would shoot an ad at this notorious dog track where hundreds of dogs live lives of confinement and suffer injuries on the track.

At Tucson Greyhound Park, greyhounds are kept confined in small cages which are barely large enough for them to stand up or turn around. They are fed raw 4-D meat, the meat of downed, diseased, disabled or dead livestock. This was documented in a recent video investigation.

While racing, greyhounds face the risk of serious injury. According to state records, between January 2007 and November 2009, nearly 1,000 greyhound injuries were reported at Arizona racetracks. The most common injury was a broken leg, and other reported injuries included fractures, sprains, dislocations, muscle tears and strains, lacerations, a cracked skull, broken backs, heat stroke, puncture wounds and paralysis. To learn more, please see our full report and video at www.grey2kusa.org.

Val Wolf, Board Member GREY2K USA

Robert Gross

Christine Dorchak and her business partner Carey Theil would like you to think that Greyhound Racing is cruel, and that those participating in it are abusing their animals. This is a complete lie. Greyhound Racing is a very safe sport. This is a sport and yes, like any sport, there are injuries. They'll tell you that 200 Greyhounds were injured at a race track over a two year period, but don't tell you that this happened over a span of 15,000 races, consisting of eight Greyhounds in each race. Visit allaboutgreyhounds dot com for reliable information about Greyhound Racing. Remember, 40% of every dollar you donate to Grey2k goes straight into Carey and Christine's pocket.

coppersmom

robert..I'd like to strip you down naked..and make you run around a track..faster pussycat faster until you puke. then I'll put you in a cage and haul you around in a wheeled conveyance ..til you puke again... I might remember to feed you some garbage..because I know you'll only be good for a certain amount of time as a dog used for "sport". then discarded to the rendering plant.. You say that greyhound racing is a very safe sport...And you are right..It's perfectly safe .for people who desire a legal way to abuse these beautiful dogs for their gambling jones. disgusting....as are you.

Robert Gross

Well Coppersmom, you certainly have a way with words.

coppersmom

and doggies.

Kabaamm

Christine Dorchak and her partner, Carey Theil, rake in $40,000 a year from grey2k, and have large expense accounts to boot! Hardly a "non-profit"! Their REAL agenda is to stop gambling, not to mention get rich off the donations from uninformed donors. They do next to nothing for greyhound welfare, just ask how many they have placed into adoption homes. Better yet, ask how much they have donated to the incredibly hard working adoption groups throughout the country. Try zero!

coppersmom

they are on the front lines..putting their lives at risk ...to rescue these marvelous creatures..too bad there isn't some sort of neutron bomb you could use on a greyhound racing track. All the humans participating would vaporize..The dogs and the people who love them would be free. to go.

coppersmom

hey Kabaamm...do you get a woodie when a dog is gasping and in pain? or just when you win money?and Kabaamm...where are you from?? the emirate of azwholia?

Barker

Where do you come from where $40,000 a year for a 24/7 job is an outrageous sum? Advocacy is an important part of fixing the problem of dog racing, just as re-homing retired Greyhounds is.