Stopping Greyhound Racing in its Tracks
By Michael Markarian
I recently visited with my friends Christine Dorchak and Carey Theil, the leaders of the Greyhound protection organization GREY2K USA, and we took stock of the state of dog racing in the country.
Although Greyhound racing emerged in America during the 1920s and peaked in popularity in the 1980s, it historically had not been a top priority for the animal protection movement, with the exception of a number of rescue groups who adopted Greyhounds discarded from the tracks. Dorchak and Theil put the issue on the public policy agenda and have shaped the debate on dog racing over the past decade.
When they formed GREY2K USA in 2001, there were 47 active dog tracks in 15 states. Today, more than half of the operations have folded, and the number has shrunk to 22 tracks in seven states (with a 23rd track in an eighth state still in limbo). It’s a dying industry due to economic market forces and increased competition from other forms of gambling. Americans have also become more aware about the cruel and inhumane treatment of man’s best friend in commercial racing.
While at the racetrack, dogs are confined in small cages barely large enough for them to stand up or turn around for long hours each day. On average, more than 1,000 dogs live in warehouse style kennels at each racetrack. And during the races themselves, thousands of dogs are seriously injured each year, suffering broken legs, cardiac arrest, spinal cord paralysis and broken necks. Some states require reports of dog racing injuries so the extent of the problem can be monitored, but other states don’t keep any records at all and the dogs suffer in anonymity. In Massachusetts, which began keeping injury records in 2002, more than 800 dogs were seriously injured during races in just six years at two tracks, and more than 80 percent of the injuries were broken legs.
Add to that the extreme weather conditions, the dangerous methods of transportation, training dogs with live “bait” animals such as rabbits, the use of performance enhancing drugs, and the killing of dogs when they are no longer profitable. It’s an industry that has neglected animal welfare at every step from cradle to grave.
Award-winning racing writer Bill Finley recently wrote on ESPN.com that the Greyhound racing industry doomed itself by not doing “nearly enough to protect its competitors while racing and guarantee them safe, dignified retirements after their careers are over.” He casts the demise of the Greyhound tracks as a cautionary tale for the horse racing industry, which needs to do more to address the welfare of horses if it wants to maintain public acceptance. The high-profile deaths of Barbaro and Eight Belles sparked intense debate in the horse racing industry — about breeding horses for speed rather than durability, racing young horses before their bones have fully matured, using steroids and injurious track surfaces, and the absence of any national regulatory authority — and reasonable voices in the industry are pushing for real reform.
But Greyhound tracks have demonstrated that they simply can’t do it humanely, and the public no longer accepts this cruel and inhumane treatment of dogs. Massachusetts’ voters chose to phase out dog racing by approving Question 3 in 2008 by a vote of 56 percent to 44 percent, and Raynham Park held the state’s final race last December. New Hampshire lawmakers passed a bill last June allowing the state’s two remaining tracks to offer simulcast betting and other gambling not involving dog racing, and track owners quickly phased out the dogs in favor of more lucrative and humane opportunities. After Rhode Island’s Twin River dog track voluntarily closed up shop last August, lawmakers passed a bill forcing the gambling hall to start offering Greyhound racing again. Gov. Donald Carcieri rightfully vetoed the bill, but lawmakers are attempting to override that veto.
Dog tracks in other states are lobbying for public subsidies, tax breaks, and legalized slot machines and casino games to keep them afloat, but the handwriting is on the wall. Americans know that dogs deserve better. “Since our formation in 2001, 24 dog tracks have ended live racing in seven states,” says Dorchak. “The trend is truly with the Greyhounds, and we will keep working until the cruelty of dog racing ends everywhere!”
If you live in New Hampshire or Rhode Island, which are considering dog racing bills, or one of the seven states with active dog racing tracks — Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Texas and West Virginia — tell your state legislators that this is no way to treat man’s best friend.
How to Help
You can help end dog racing nationwide. Join the GREY2K USA advocacy team and consider adopting a needy Greyhound through their adoption network. Thousands of Greyhound dogs are waiting to be adopted right now. www.grey2kusa.com
Michael Markarian is chief operating officer of The Humane Society of the United States, and president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. He writes the blog “Animals & Politics” at www.michaelmarkarian.org.
