State Lawmakers Are Going to the Dogs

Collin lives with an adopted family in Alabama.

We have not yet reached the halfway point in the 2014 state legislative season, and greyhound advocates have already won several important victories.

• In Colorado, the state legislature passed a prohibition on commercial dog racing. This makes Colorado the 39th state to outlaw greyhound racing.

• In West Virginia, it is likely that greyhound racing subsidies will be permanently cut by 10%.

• In Iowa, a House committee has approved a bill to end greyhound racing. The measure is now awaiting a vote by the full House of Representatives.

• In Florida, a Senate Committee has included a greyhound injury reporting requirement, along with a reduction of dog racing, in the initial draft of their comprehensive Gaming bill.

There is also growing momentum in Florida for greyhound decoupling, which would significantly reduce greyhound racing in the Sunshine state and help thousands of dogs. Right now, a racing greyhound dies in Florida every three days.

Each of these victories represents a step forward for greyhound advocates. Also, these advances come on the heels of a very productive 2013 legislative season, when greyhound protection laws passed in four states.

Not too long ago, greyhound breeders used the legislative process as a means of propping up and continuing their cruel business. But the tide has turned, and this same process is now being utilized by the humane community to help greyhounds and end dog racing. Without a doubt, the legislative process has gone to the dogs.

Greyhounds Win Victories, but the Best is Yet to Come

Rescued greyhound Flak living the good life in Texas.

Across the country state legislatures are adjourning, ending what has been the best session for greyhounds in at least three years. Several states passed important greyhound protection laws, while others rejected attempts to prop up the cruelty of dog racing.

• In Arizona, lawmakers passed a requirement that greyhound injuries be reported to the public.

• In Arkansas, Texas, and Arizona, laws were passed to increase the maximum penalties for dog track violations, including the strongest penalties ever.

• Proposals to revive greyhound racing were rejected in Texas and Kansas, while a bill to encourage the legalization of dog racing in Hawaii was defeated.

• Lawmakers defeated a bill that would have required the Texas Racing Commission, a regulatory agency, to promote greyhound racing.

• In Colorado, lawmakers refused to permanently extend greyhound simulcasting.

Each of these victories is important. Taken together, they reflect a growing consensus that greyhound cruelty is a serious issue that deserves legislative attention. They also suggest that the dog racing industry, which was once a legislative force to be reckoned with, has lost much of its influence.

GREY2K USA was actively involved in every one of these efforts. We joined other animal protection groups, grassroots volunteers, state regulators, and compassionate lawmakers to make sure that the greyhounds were given a voice. In fact, this legislative session is a textbook case of how we approach our work as a non-profit greyhound protection organization.

First, we extensively research greyhound racing until we know the industry better than it knows itself. Second, we collaborate with other humane organizations and grassroots volunteers. Finally, the coalitions we form engage in the public arena and call for positive changes to help greyhounds.

This recipe for success works, and our victories this year bode well for future greyhound protection campaigns. As Frank Sinatra once sang, the best is yet to come.

National Greyhound Association Admits They Don't Know What Happens to Dogs

Yesterday, the Wichita Eagle published a letter from Gary Guccione, one of the nation's most prominent supporters of dog racing.

Guccione, who is the Secretary-Treasurer of the National Greyhound Association (NGA), was responding to a pro-greyhound letter published days earlier by GREY2K USA Board Member Caryn Wood. The NGA is an organization that was formed decades ago to support the dog racing industry.

Guccione argued that "racing greyhounds are among the best-cared for animals in the world," and claimed that they know exactly how many greyhounds are adopted out each year. Specifically, he wrote:

"Almost 95 percent of all racing greyhounds are either adopted or returned to the farm when they retire."

This would be good news for greyhounds, if it were only true. There is only one problem: it isn't. In fact, just seven weeks ago the same Gary Guccione told a completely different story to a Colorado adoption advocate.

Specifically, Guccione was asked about what happens to greyhounds that are bred in Colorado. His message was forwarded to us when we were asked for the same information. When Guccione was put on the spot, here is what he wrote:

"No cumulative annual records are available that we're aware of on disposition, whelped, where they race, where they end up, etc."

Finally, we hear the truth. The National Greyhound Association has absolutely no idea how many greyhounds are adopted each year and how many are euthanized. Sadly, greyhounds are not being tracked by anyone and their ultimate fate is completely unknown.

The NGA's 95% adoption claim is a myth that dog racing supporters have been perpetuating for years, a false statement they have made over and over again in an attempt to defend this cruel industry. From this point forward, the NGA should be challenged every time they make statements on greyhound adoption. They are clearly not a reliable source.

Former Greyhound Tracks Make New Start

As greyhound racing slowly ends, communities are turning the page. In Bridgeport, Connecticut the former Shoreline Star dog track has become the largest municipal animal shelter in the state. In East London, former Walthamstow Stadium is in the process of becoming affordable housing. These projects prove that the end of greyhound racing can ultimately be beneficial to the communities that were once dependent on dog racing revenue.

That is why I was so pleased today to learn that in Colorado, the property that once housed Mile High Greyhound Park is being purchased by the Commerce City Urban Renewal Authority. The Authority plans to demolish what it left of the track, and launch one of the largest urban renewal projects in the Denver Area. According to City Manager Jerry Flannery:

"This is an opportunity, a bold step [and] a proactive step by the Urban Renewal Authority in Commerce City to look at controlling its destiny in this area and region ... The connectivity of the area has been stifled a little bit by the size of this site, so we want to connect the community and make it one."

This is a wonderful step forward for this property, which once housed thousands of greyhounds. Countless dogs endured lives of terrible confinement at the track, and many suffered serious injuries. Additionally, a greyhound trainer was repeatedly fined for "mistreatment of (a) racing animal" at Mile High, and a dog tested positive for cocaine at the facility in 2005. These issues were documented in a Report on Greyhound Racing in Colorado we released last year.

Greyhound racing goes against our values as a community, and must end. This positive change will not only help greyhounds, but can also pave the way for new developments that have beneficial impacts for the community as a whole. To the municipalities that are still dependent on dog racing, take note. Commerce City is giving you a glimpse of the path forward.