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3.7K Views
9 years ago
Major Track in Florida is Ending Greyhound Racing!
Image Credit: Scott Robinson/Wikimedia Commons
Many of us were first introduced to the sad reality of greyhound racing in a Christmas episode of The Simpsons where Homer goes to the racetrack to win money for Christmas presents but ends up adopting a greyhound who was mercilessly discarded like garbage after he did not win a race. The lovable greyhound named Santa’s Little Helper won over the hearts of the Simpsons kids and America alike and showed us how valuable adoption is.
Although the tale of Santa’s Little Helper is fictional, the truth it reveals is a sad reality. Like horses used in racing, greyhounds are discarded like objects when they no longer win races and bring in a profit. In addition to this, the greyhound racing industry is riddled with corruption, including the doping of greyhounds with cocaine.
Recognizing greyhound racing as cruel and inhumane, most states in the U.S. do not conduct these races. In fact, according to a news brief on Care2, only six states, Iowa, Alabama, Arkansas, Texas, West Virginia, and Florida still conduct greyhound racing, with Florida being home to twelve of the nineteen remaining greyhound tracks in the country. The report states 383 greyhounds died at racetracks in Florida in the past four years, yet the practice is still allowed.
However, there is a glimmer of hope for greyhounds, as one of the oldest greyhound tracks in the country at Magic City Casino in Miami, Florida has announced they will be putting an end to greyhound racing!
In its place will be jai-alai competitions with willing human participants. According to the Miami Herald, this is the first time a pari-mutuel gambling facility has ended animal racing while still being allowed to conduct other types of gambling, like slot machines.
We are happy to hear this news and hope it is a sign for more victories to come. This type of “entertainment” has been losing favor with people as the truth behind the industry is revealed, and reportedly, attendance for greyhound racing in Florida dropped 50 percent between 2006 and 2014. All tracks will be forced to close once people stop supporting them, so please be sure to share this with your network to educate your friends and family about the realities of the racing industry!
Image Source: Scott Robinson/Wikimedia Commons
There was an interesting article on Greyhound racing in our local paper. Viewership was greatly decreased and it is costing more for Florida to oversee and manage the tracks then they make for the state. Many in the Legislature would like to close the tracks but it seems in order to have card house or slots they have to be tied to par mutual wagering. Jai-ali is a great replacement. My idea was they could bet humans running around the track or riding bikes.
I hope the greyhounds are adopted or sent to a nice sanctuary with lots of space to run.
Hooray! I just hope this doesn\’t mean the end of greyhounds.
If all tracks close and there is no more racing, then yes, that will be the end of greyhounds as we know them. AKC greyhound breeders for show are few and far between. People – do not just by into what the anti-racing people say! Do you homework! Find out for yourself! Go to a track and see for yourself. See how the dogs are taken care of. See how they are treated by the kennels. Talk to people who are actually working there. These dogs are not "forced" to run! They have been bread to run for thousands of years and they love it! If they are not fed well and taken care of they will not run fast! It is in the kennel\’s best interest to take really good care of them! Think about it! Top human athletes train, eat properly, get enough rest, so they can perform at their best. So do the greyhounds! Some common sense here – please! If you have not been there and witnessed the situation you are trying to get rid of – then you cannot speak with any knowledge and authority on the subject. I have been there.
Hooray. Hopefully, we can now look to ban dogs as pets next, or at least lift the bar on ownership. It\’s so inhumane to treat these poor creatures as pets for our own amusement. An interesting study from The Guardian in the UK confirms they are miserable when left at home by their owners when they go to work. Lets do it!