New battle lines are being drawn over who will eventually handle adoptions for the dogs that are currently being produced through breeding and training kennels, one week after Florida voters overwhelmingly decided to ban greyhound racing, eliminating 11 of America’s remaining 17 dog tracks by the end of 2020.
No one will be held responsible for persuading Floridians that the dogs needed to be saved in the first place, if the racing industry and its supporters get their way. The National Greyhound Association, which registers all racing greyhounds and fought the ban, has declared that it will avoid cooperating with any animal rescue organizations that supported efforts to outlaw the sport in the Sunshine State.
Jim Gartland, executive director of the association that supports dog racing, said, “We had over 100 adoption groups that helped support us throughout this ordeal in Florida.” They are all what we refer to as responsible, endorsed adoption groups, and those are the organizations that we will be collaborating with to place these dogs, under the direction of Greyhound Pets of America. ”Advertisement.
The fight over access to up to 7,000 greyhounds, some of which may race in other states where it is legal, is a reflection of a larger divide that informs politics surrounding animal welfare.
While acknowledging that the animal industry will continue to exist, some claim to support improving animal welfare standards. Despite their reluctance, these organizations cooperate with the industry because it provides them with adoptable dogs. For instance, in the field of commercial breeding, some organizations that identify as “puppy mill rescues” purchase dogs from the breeders they criticize. Most adoption organizations that opposed Florida’s ban on greyhound racing have supported or taken a neutral stance on racing.
On the opposing side of the aisle are activist groups that campaign to completely ban certain animal-related industries, such as dog breeding, retail pet stores, and racing. Advertisement.
This division manifested in the case of Florida’s greyhounds between organizations that have long taken in the industry’s “retired racers” for adoption and groups led by the Massachusetts-based Grey2K organization. It collaborated with organizations such as the Humane Society of the United States, the ASPCA, and others who claim that the dogs are cruelly treated during racing and abandoned once they are too damaged and battered to compete.
Some supporters of the racing industry claim that now that the ban has been implemented, activists in favor of it have no right to claim the dogs that will eventually require new homes.
According to Vera Rasnake, head of media relations for Greyhound Pets of America, which opposed the ban, “that’s the one thing that really is frustrating.” The animal activists are there, and they want a piece of it. They don’t even know this breed. They lack even the basic knowledge necessary to transition them properly. ”Advertisement.
That opinion was echoed by Joanne Johnson of the South Carolina-based Greyhound Crossroads, which was also against the ballot measure.
Johnson complains that “you’re driving out of business all these people, shutting down breeders and racetracks, but there are no provisions in that amendment for the dogs and their welfare.” If you had to retire your racing dogs, those are the last people you would send them to. ”.
Instead of finding homes for greyhounds, Grey2K, which has worked to pass legislation pertaining to them since 2001, has a sister organization that awards grants to organizations that do so. According to its president Christine Dorchak, the industry’s efforts to end Florida racing by distributing dogs only to adoption organizations that disagreed with the ban are nothing new. She claimed that whenever a dog track closes, “rhetoric” from the racing industry and “adoption groups that they have harassed or are funding” ramps up. ”Advertisement.
According to Dorchak, “the industry will try to keep a tight rein on these dogs.” Now that they have a list of which groups are on the good list and which are on the bad list, it is quite obvious. They always say that. We’ll end up getting dogs into our network. We always do. ”.
It can be difficult for dog lovers who want to help or adopt a greyhound to figure everything out. Since Florida’s racing ban was passed, numerous organizations, both real and fake, have claimed they are attempting to raise money to aid greyhounds.
Dorchak claimed that despite the fact that neither she nor the other lobbyists for the ban have ever heard of these organizations, she has personally received emails from them asking for donations for Florida’s ban.
She sighed in frustration, “They were asking for donations to keep up the work of helping the dogs.”
The National Greyhound Association’s Gartland encourages dog lovers to visit his organization’s website for a list of what he refers to as “approved” adoption organizations—those that the sector intends to collaborate with only. Advertisement.
Dorchak says if that’s how things go, it’s okay with her. The racing industry’s closure is all that matters, she said.
She said, referring to promises made by racing-related organizations to maintain control over adoptable dogs, “It’s the happy ending we’ve all been working towards, but some people who oppose the end of dog racing and lose — they have to color this happy ending with confusion, false information, and basically scaremongering.” “These desperation tactics really frustrate me. They hinder our ability to act quickly to rescue the dogs, which is what we should all be concentrating on. ”.
This day could not have come soon enough, and we are honored by our part in making it so. The animals who were supposed to be the stars of greyhound racing paid a terrible price over the decades that the sport thrived in the United States. Florida started keeping track of greyhound deaths in 2013, and since then, 493 dogs have perished on its tracks. These dogs were three years old or younger in 94% of the cases. One dog was reportedly killed on a Florida track every three days in 2018, when the state had 11 tracks open for business.
Earlier this year, Alabama and Texas closed their last racetracks. Forty-one states, including Florida, have banned greyhound racing. Only West Virginia and Iowa will still have greyhound racetracks after Arkansas’ final track closes in 2021. The sport is in a downward spiral in these states as well, but is being supported by tax dollars.
Greyhound racing was abandoned by spectators as awareness of this cruelty increased, and the animals frequently ran in front of nearly empty stands. Momentum to end racing in Florida, the last remaining stronghold of this industry, was so strong that when we and our partners Grey2K USA Worldwide and Doris Day Animal League pushed for Amendment 13 to outlaw greyhound racing in the state in 2018, the measure passed by almost 70 percent. Doris Day Animal League was the largest donor to the campaign because this was a legacy issue for Doris Day. And this occurred in spite of the American Kennel Club, the NRA, and the Farm Bureau, three influential organizations that lobbied against this measure, having deep pockets and voicing vociferous opposition.
Greyhound racing was never a good idea, and fortunately, it will soon be a dead one. According to a recent National Geographic article, although greyhound adoption agencies are trying to find homes for the dogs racing at the last three remaining tracks, the industry will not accept assistance from any adoption group that supported the ban.
The final three racetracks in the state have announced the dates for their final races in December as a historic law we assisted in passing that outlaws greyhound racing in Florida is about to go into effect at the beginning of 2021. When the dogs finish their race on December 17 at the Palm Beach racetrack, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say By March 31st, this cruel “sport” will essentially be extinct throughout the United States, not just in Florida.
Rooney predicted that dog racing, horse racing, and the rodeo might one day follow the circus in disappearing from our culture. “Anything with an animal component to it is going to have a difficult time surviving in this society that we are becoming,” he said. “We are becoming more sensitive to animals’ feelings and treatment, whether they are real or imagined.” “.
Abarbanel stated that “dog racing, as a whole, hasn’t adapted much to new entertainment options.” “Even in comparison to horse racing, which has struggled to draw in new patrons, dog tracks have not managed significant change. “.
In the U.S., there were more than 60 dog tracks open for business in the late 1980s. S. according to the association, with action taking place in Connecticut, Colorado, Arizona, Wisconsin, Idaho, Kansas, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Oregon, Vermont, and New Mexico.
The Mega Millions game sold $2. 6 billion in tickets in 45 states, Washington D. C. and the U. S. Virgin Islands in fiscal year 2019-20. That represents a significant increase from the $434 million that Mega’s predecessor, The Big Game, sold in 1996–1997 in just six states.
Operators of Southland Casino Racing, in West Memphis, Arkansas, have already said theyll stop running by Dec. 31 2022. A subsidy to the Iowa greyhound industry sunsets at the end of 2022, which could finish dog racing two years from now in the Hawkeye State.
The majority of the 600 dogs at the track will be adopted out following the final race on December, according to Theresa Hume, director of publicity for Palm Beach Kennel Club. 31, but she was also unable to provide a precise breakdown of how many will still compete.
Nearly a century of greyhound racing at St. Petersburg’s Derby Lane will be permanently closed on Sunday at 12:30 p m. matinee. On December 31 at 11:59 p.m., the Palm Beach Kennel Club will host the state’s final race. m. , the very last minute allowed by law.
Animal welfare organizations that supported Amendment 13 centered their outreach and television advertising campaign on what they described as pervasive harm and doping. According to the Humane Society, greyhounds can spend up to 23 hours per day in cages during racing, and their $3 million effort described the confinement that comes with it.
Florida voters overwhelmingly approved Amendment 13 in November 2018, which would outlaw greyhound racing by the end of 2020. Nine Florida tracks have since stopped the practice, leaving just two to run 1,200 dogs until the very end of the state.
Join our free Stephinitely newsletter, where columnist Stephanie Hayes shares ideas, emotions, and amusing stories every Monday. Loading.
FAQ
Is greyhound racing still in Florida?
Forty-one states, including Florida, have banned greyhound racing. Only West Virginia and Iowa will still have greyhound racetracks after Arkansas’ final track closes in 2021.
What states still allow greyhound racing?
Today, only Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Texas, and West Virginia still permit greyhound racing and maintain active tracks. Although there are no active racetracks in four states, greyhound racing is still legal there. Those states are Wisconsin, Connecticut, Kansas, and Oregon.
Did greyhound racing get banned in Florida?
Some supporters of the racing industry claim that now that the ban has been implemented, activists in favor of it have no right to claim the dogs that will eventually require new homes. According to Vera Rasnake, head of media relations for Greyhound Pets of America, which opposed the ban, “that’s the one thing that really is frustrating.”
What will happen to all the greyhounds in Florida?
The 1,200 Florida racing greyhounds will either be adopted out or relocate to one of the three states where the sport is still practiced.