by Christine Dorchak for The New Barker dog magazine.
History awaits the Greyhounds this fall. On Election Day, Florida voters will have the opportunity to turn back the hands of time and end dog racing in its most established state. As many as 8,000 lucky greyhounds stand to receive the second chance they deserve, closing out nearly 100 years of exploitation and cruelty.
The first recognized commercial greyhound racetrack in the world was opened in 1919 in California. By 1930, sixty-seven dog tracks had opened all across the United States – none legal. No state would authorize this new business, even during the height of the Great Depression.
But Florida was different. It became the first jurisdiction to allow dog tracks to operate legally – as long as it received a piece of the action. In 1931, Sunshine State lawmakers passed a racing bill over Governor Doyle E. Carlton’s veto. By 1935, there were ten licensed tracks in operation in the state, some controlled by known criminals such as Meyer Lansky.
Dog racing sought to promote itself as elite and glamourous, but the truth about this so-called “sport” has now been revealed in state documents, financial reports and testimony from track workers themselves. Kept in warehouse style kennels, in rows of stacked metal cages for 20-23 hours a day, the dogs are fed a diet based on raw, diseased meat. When let out of their cages to race several times a month, they face the risk of serious injury. Broken legs, crushed skulls, snapped necks, paralysis and heat strokes are common. Some dogs have even been electrocuted while racing. According to information gathered by the state’s Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering, a greyhound dies every three days at Florida’s eleven racetracks.
Cheating is another hallmark of this industry. Over the past decade, there have been more than 400 greyhound drug positives, including 70 cocaine positives. Greyhounds have also been found with pain killers like novocaine and oxymorphone in their systems. Females are routinely given anabolic steroids to build muscle and prevent loss of race days during their heat cycles, a practice which prompts both animal welfare and race fixing concerns.
Thankfully, dog racing is now illegal in 40 states, and since 1990, the amount of money wagered on dog racing in the Sunshine State has plummeted by 74%. Tax revenue has declined by 98% and the tracks themselves now lose a combined $34 million. If it were not for a state mandate requiring racetracks to offer a minimum number of races as the platform for other, more popular forms of gambling, this antiquated activity would have ended long ago. Until it does, the state will continue to waste as much as $3.3 million per year regulating this dying industry.
Statewide polling shows that Florida voters will vote yes to end dog racing if they are fully informed about its humane and economic problems. You can help the greyhounds by learning more about Amendment 13 and by spreading the word that it’s time to set the greyhounds free.
About the author Christine Dorchak is one of the drafters of Florida’s Amendment 13. As president and general counsel of GREY2K USA Worldwide, she works to pass laws to protect greyhounds and promote the adoption of ex-racers across the globe. Since its formation in 2001, GREY2K has helped to close down dozens of American dog tracks and prevented the expansion of commercial dog racing to countries such as South Africa and the Philippines. For more information, go to grey2kusa.org/greyhoundhistory Visit GREY2K USA on Facebook or Twitter.
About Amendment 13 If approved, Amendment 13 will phase out commercial dog racing in Florida, prohibiting the activity by December 2020. The measure has no effect on other forms of gambling. Greyhound adoption groups across the country are standing by to bring the greyhounds into loving homes. Learn more about the campaign at protectdogs.org.
About The New Barker Heading into its 13th year of publishing, The New Barker dog magazine is reaching upwards of 30,000 dog lovers in print each quarter. A full size lifestyle print magazine, The New Barker features original stories, award-winning photography and always a charming cover of an original work of art by a different artist. The New Barker is all about dogs and the people who love them. Find out where to stay, play, dine, shop and just have fun with your dogs by subscribing to The New Barker, today.
Bruce and his Newfoundland Ransom are regulars at a lot of dog-friendly events around the Tampa Bay area. The family’s Newfoundlands have been featured in The New Barker several times, over the years. We first met Ransom as a puppy, during a Clearwater Threshers Baseball Bark at the Park. During Sunday’s event, Bruce said, “Thankfully, for many of us, our dogs have been forever immortalized on the pages of The New Barker. I am happy to have saved the magazines over the years and enjoy revisiting them. Always good memories.”
Koda’s Story (above), as told by his humans: As a puppy, he was left outside with his litter mates to fend for themselves. “Our dad found him on the side of a busy road. He was the only puppy alive. The others died while trying to get across the road,” said one of the two sisters with Koda. They nursed the pup, a Lhasa Apso mix, back to health. “And, 13 years later, here he is,” they said.
K9 Knox and Deputy Wilkins (above): Tracking is tough, as evidenced by the swamp track work done last month by K9 Knox and Deputy Wilkins. A vehicle, traveling southbound on US 41 at a high rate of speed, was the subject of a case in Hernando County. When the vehicle slowed, the driver jumped out and fled on foot into a densely wooded, swampy area. Pasco Sheriff’s K9 Knox and Deputy Wilkins, along with Corporal Andrew Denbo, tracked the subject through the swamp and located the suspect, who was almost entirely submerged in mud.
Partner Rescue Groups: The rescue groups are vital to any shelter, as they help to reduce crowding, by pulling dogs. We said hello to the volunteers at several of the rescue groups participating at Woofstock: 
Sweet Reese (above): She is also available for adoption through Skyway Dachshund Rescue. The group pulled her from Pasco County Animal Service when she was also very pregnant. All of Reese’s puppies were healthy and have since been adopted. Now, it’s Reese’s turn to find her forever home.
Neat Stuff – It’s always nice to put a face to the months of email correspondence. We met Jane with 
It’s A Wrap – The work that all of these companies put into their products, then the time they take to travel, display and talk about them is impressive. Equally impressive: the number of pet retailers walking the floor looking for the most innovative products to bring to their customers. Check in with your local independent retailer and find out what new goodies are in store for you and your dog. Until next year, #GlobalPetExpo. We were doggone tired and our feet were definitely barking by day’s end.
