For The Dogs: It's Time to Separate Greyhound Racing From Other Gambling
Posted August 20, 2014 11:55 am | Op-Ed (1 comment)
Racing lobbyists want you to believe that efforts to end greyhound racing are part of some grand conspiracy to expand gambling. This is categorically false. Humane groups are working to phase out commercial greyhound racing because it is cruel and inhumane.
At twelve racetracks across Florida thousands of dogs endure lives of confinement. Greyhounds are kept in warehouse-style kennels in small cages for long hours each day.
Greyhounds suffer serious injuries while competing. Florida is one of only two states, along with Alabama, that does not require reporting greyhound injuries to the public, partly because The Florida Greyhound Association, a lobby group that represents greyhound breeders, has fought to keep injury data secret.
To reduce costs, greyhounds are fed cheap meat from diseased animals that are deemed unfit for human consumption. This cheap meat was recently linked to the death of two greyhounds at the Daytona Beach Kennel Club. Female greyhounds are routinely given anabolic steroids to prevent estrus. The greyhound industry seeks to increase the profit margin for each dog and as a result cuts corners on animal welfare.
Although we do not know how many greyhounds are injured, we do know how many racing greyhounds are dying in Florida. Since May of last year, 149 racing greyhounds have died in the state. This is more than double the number acknowledged by the Florida Greyhound Association.
Sadly, those dogs died for an activity that is no longer economically viable. Greyhound racetracks are losing tens of millions annually on live racing, and are only continuing to hold races because the law requires it. Florida dog tracks have become profitable poker rooms that happen to have dogs running around in circles, with virtually no one betting on the races.
The live dog racing mandate makes little sense. That is why so many newspaper editorial boards support decoupling, a proposal to remove the state mandate for dog racing. This policy is supported by the Florida Times Union, Sarasota Herald Tribune, Panama City News Herald, Sun-Sentinel, Tampa Bay Times, Orlando Sentinel, Daytona Beach News-Journal, Lakeland Ledger, Ocala Star-Banner, and Bradenton Herald.
Many humane groups also support decoupling, including the ASPCA, Florida Association of Animal Welfare Organizations, Humane Society of the United States, Jacksonville Humane Society, Florida Animal Control Association, SPCA Tampa Bay, Greyhound Rescue and Adoptions of Tampa Bay, and Greyhound Adoptions of Florida.
Greyhound decoupling has bipartisan support in the Florida legislature and will eventually pass. Many lawmakers support decoupling because it is also a taxpayer issue. According to an independent report commissioned by the legislature in 2013, the state is losing as much as $3.3 million on dog racing because regulatory costs exceed revenues.
Finally, it should surprise no one that the Florida Greyhound Association would attack the humane community and spread wild conspiracy theories about the ongoing effort to protect greyhounds. The state dog racing mandate is effectively a public subsidy for their failing ventures. They want to keep the gravy train running for years to come.
For the dogs, it’s time to separate greyhound racing from other forms of gambling and pass greyhound decoupling.
Cary Theil is the Executive Director of GREY2K USA, the largest greyhound protection organization in the world. GREY2K USA works to pass stronger greyhound protection laws and to end the cruelty of dog racing, also promoting the rescue and adoption of greyhounds across the globe.