Good news! Another nail in the greyhound racing industry’s coffin. Hooray!

All the tracks in New England are gone. So many hundreds of dogs that no longer will be bred. Mercifully.  Thankfully.

The best part is even the track owners didn’t want to race any more.

“The legislation had the backing of the current and prospective new owners of the Twin River slot parlor in Lincoln who wanted out of the dog-racing business which, for years, had cost more than it made.”

Here’s a video also.

Tags: Good News, Nationwide Greyhound Racing by NoMoreRacing
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Whoopee! Read the article.

By a close vote, Senators rejected a bill that was geared at making slot machines more profitable for owners of The Woodlands horse and dog tracks in Kansas City, Kan. as well as Camptown Greyhound Park in Frontenac.

Another measure that was hotly contested was the allowing for a revote in Sedgwick County to ask for slot machines to be placed at the Wichita Greyhound Park. That measure was voted down by a 20-18 vote.

Under current state law, the share of slot revenues to track owners is capped at 40 percent whereas the new bill would have increased that to 58 percent. Track owners have said that the current percentage makes opening not profitable. The new bill would have also dropped the minimum investment in a casino in southeast Kansas from $225 million to $100 million.

Tags: Good News, Nationwide Greyhound Racing by NoMoreRacing
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The sound is sweet and melodic not like the sounds of dogs crashing into railings and breaking their legs.

Oh, how sweet it is…progress of dog tracks closing and not to reopen in THREE  northeast states — New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.

Read the update and rejoice!

Tags: Good News, Nationwide Greyhound Racing by NoMoreRacing
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Wow! Florida must be flush with money (unlike Arizona). Florida must be flush with so much money for offering a $19 million dollar tax break to the dog tracks.

Gotta keep those dogs running and the dog tracks afloat because the dog racing industry can’t seem to be doing it themselves. Has Florida heard that greyhound racing is a dying industry?

If you have a legitimate business in Florida where dogs are not injured, are not carted away in kill trucks, and where dogs don’t die and you’re not getting a big tax break — you better contact your legislators to find out what the criteria is in order to get a big tax break.

Boycott Florida!

Tags: Greyhound Racing, Nationwide Greyhound Racing by NoMoreRacing
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We have health care reform or so some people are cheering about. I think it’s somewhat of a cop out but I guess in its own way, it’s progress. The insurance companies are still bound to get richer without doing anything to earn it. People with preexisting conditions will be able to get insurance if they can afford it…the question is the “if.” Kudos to Obama for sticking with it.

One of single payer’s biggest objections from angry uneducated masses encouraged by Sarah Palin is that universal health care was considered socialized medicine because those that don’t have, would be entitled to have. Of course, we already have Medicare and Social Security so their arguments were loud but skewed.

Here’s a definition of socialism: Socialism is a system which ignores borders. For any wealth to be accumulated within a country, it has been done at the expense of the workers. These workers have the power to form revolutionary groups regardless of what current political controls are in place.

That got me thinking about greyhound racing.

According to this excellent article in the Las Vegas Sun, much of greyhound racing is subsidized. Wasn’t that the whole problem with health care reform? The naysayers don’t want anything that is subsidized especially health care for the have nots.

According to the article:
“Still, Harrah’s calls greyhound racing a giant waste of money and resources — including real estate that could be used for more profitable enterprises. “It’s like a horse and buggy manufacturer getting a subsidy from an auto manufacturer,” Harrah’s spokesman Gary Thompson says. “We’re subsidizing a dying business.” ”

Nobody wanted to subsidize health care, why subsidize greyhound racing especially in a bankrupt state like Arizona?

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer will probably put the kibosh on Arizona health care under the Obama plan but she and the Arizona Department of Racing will still subsidize greyhound racing at the expense of health care, state parks, and tourism.

Socialism is a system which ignores borders: If socialism has ignored borders, the same can be said of the greyhound racing industry. Like when was the last time they have been accountable for missing dogs or drugged dogs or dogs pumped full of steroids with no paperwork to back up the administration of dosing? In Arizona, some of the injury reports don’t even list the dogs’ names or why or how they died. How is that accountable? A Green Valley veterinarian admits to dosing racing greyhounds with steroids even though there is a South Tucson voter approved ordinance against the practice. This is operating recklessly without borders.

Socialism: For any wealth to be accumulated within a country, it has been done at the expense of the workers. In greyhound racing, the workers are the dogs. They do all the work. They have no say so in their working conditions or diet. The Las Vegas Sun article says they’re on a strict diet. All you adopters out there who feed your dogs 4D meat (RAW dead, diseased, downer, and disabled meat), please raise your hand? They may live like kings and queens (according to the article) at one track but as they start to lose they are hauled from the A track to the B track to the C track to end-of-the-line tracks where their vitality has been stripped only to be euthanized or disappear when they are no longer profitable.

Socialism: These workers have the power to form revolutionary groups regardless of what current political controls are in place. Unfortunately, the workers or greyhounds in this case don’t have the know-how to form revolutionary groups. They might refuse to come out of the starting box unless kicked or they might cause interference. The revolutionary groups are you and me and the thousands of people who are now speaking out on blogs, tweeting, educating the masses via Facebook, protesting at tracks, articles like the Las Vegas Sun,  and powerful advocacy groups making a difference state by state.

A sport that is propped up by racinos, slot machines, and casino-style gambling is a sport that no longer needs to exist. A dying antiquated sport supported by older folks dragging their walkers and oxygen.

A dying sport indeed.

Tags: Nationwide Greyhound Racing by NoMoreRacing
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Greyhound racing is a mistake.

You betcha.

This week, former Iowa State Senator Bill Dieleman joined the effort to end live greyhound racing there.  I wish Arizona had a legislator who thought greyhound racing was a mistake and had the courage enough to speak out.

In a video statement, Dieleman explains how in 1983 he and others were trying to defeat a pari-mutuel racing proposal. Convinced that adding dog racing to the bill would keep horse racing out of Iowa, Dieleman added a dog racing amendment.

On the video, he urges his former colleagues to correct the mistake of greyhound racing saying that Iowa can put the dollars currently used to prop up the faltering dog racing industry to better use. The report further notes that purse supplements benefit few with more than 50% of the moneys going to 20 recipients and about 42% going to out-of-state operations.

The same can be said for Arizona. Did you know that in 2009, six percent of the breeders of 612 winning greyhounds earned $223,112 in breeders awards? The Arizona Department of Racing promotes and encourages the breeding of greyhounds which is stupid.  That’s $365 per dog. Is that more than Arizona pays per student?

But back to Iowa…redirecting the funds away from dog racing to the state is equivalent to:

* Approximately 200 teachers in Iowa public schools, or
* An additional 100 state troopers, or
* Nearly 200 state social workers could be hired to assist needy Iowans; or
* More than 180 correctional workers to keep Iowa facilities safe.

That seems like a no brainer.

Did you know that the Arizona Department of Racing is primarily financed by the General Fund? In 2009, Tucson Greyhound Park earned $4.1+ million from live racing and $9+ million from simulcast betting. Yet, they didn’t pay any pari-mutuel taxes to the state on these earnings. This is not a new event. They have not paid pari-mutuel taxes for at least a dozen years…for much more profitable years.  What other business doesn’t have to pay taxes? They do pay for some licensing. One of the licensing is to prove that your race dog is Arizona bred. Breeders pay the state a whopping $3 per dog (adobe acrobat required/PDF).

And don’t even get me started about the hardship tax credit Tucson Greyhound Park receives or else I’ll vomit my breakfast across the room.

Arizona legislators should redirect funds away from propping up a faltering industry that is more about the wagering than greyhound welfare and redirect funds and salaries paid to state veterinarians (who already have flourishing private practices) and from a handful of others.

What about taking the General Fund money that props up the Arizona Department of Racing and instead:

* Open the rest areas on the weekends
* Keep our state parks open longer
* Boost tourism

I wish Arizona had a Bill Dieleman, someone with a clear voice, reputable conscience  and the courage to speak out. Go Bill!

Tags: Arizona - Show Me the Money, Nationwide Greyhound Racing by NoMoreRacing
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Every Iowan should be asking themselves why their state needs greyhound racing?

The answer is — they don’t.

And they have the option right now in the legislature to end the cruel and abuse sport of greyhound racing. Enough is enough. Please contact your Iowa legislators and ask them to do the right thing.

Watch the video — it’s graphic.

Watch the TV report. Thanks to KCCI-TV for their great coverage!

Hurrah for Harrah’s who wants to pay the state of Iowa $10 million a year for the next 7 years ($70 million total) so they can stop subsidizing greyhound racing.  I didn’t realize greyhound racing was subsidized in Iowa too. I thought Arizona was the only state dumb enough to do so and participate in state-sanctioned animal cruelty.

Tags: Nationwide Greyhound Racing by NoMoreRacing
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Protesting at Mardi Gras Casino in Florida

Go Florida Go!

End dog racing in Florida now!

Put those KILL trucks out of business.

Get ready for more anti greyhound racing protests in Florida and beyond.

End dog racing in Florida now!

Read the Broward Palm Beach blog about tragedies at Mardi Gras dog track.

Tags: Greyhound Racing, Nationwide Greyhound Racing by NoMoreRacing
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Previously this blog posted that 62 racing greyhounds died according to state injury reports compiled between January 2008 and September 2009 (21 months) from Wheeling Island Racetrack & Casino; it was contested in the comments of that post as a rebuttal. Go read it; the comment was not censored.

Herein lies the difference between the pro racing camp and the anti racing camp. The pro racing camp says, “only 55 died.”

The anti racing camp is appalled when one racing greyhound dies, let alone 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, or 62.

These reports also document individual dogs that suffered fatal injuries.  For example:

•    On July 1, 2009 a greyhound died after being hit by the mechanical lure and suffering head trauma and seizures.

•    On September 2, 2009 a dog was euthanized after suffering a spinal cord injury.

•    On September 4, 2009 a greyhound was euthanized after suffering a broken leg.  On the same day, another dog collapsed after a race and died.

These are just some of the ways how racing greyhounds die and not just in West Virginia. To anti racing people, this is heart wrenching and mind numbing. To you pro racing folks, it’s status quo, business as usual. That’s the difference in our DNA – to you it’s a business and to us – it’s animal abuse.

But back to the rebuttal article:

“West Virginia racing regulations do not require racetracks to report dog injuries to the Racing Commission.”

HOW’S THAT FOR STATE REGULATION?

“We have 360 performances, 15 races in each performance and eight dogs in each race. Thats 43,200 dogs in a years time that are on our track, he said.”

THAT DOESN’T MEAN 43,200 DIFFERENT DOGS WHICH WOULD MEAN SERIOUS OVERBREEDING. THE SAME ONES ARE RUNNING EVERY 4 DAYS OR SO UNTIL THEY SUSTAIN A CAREER-ENDING INJURY OR AGE JUST TIRES THEM OUT.

“In the 21-month period GREY2K studied, she said, the track raced 86,000 dogs. Only 55 died.”

86,000 RACING GREYHOUNDS IN ONE TRACK IS AN OUTRAGE AND SO IS ONE DEAD GREYHOUND MUCH LESS 55 OR 62.  BUT IT’S NOT 86,000 DIFFERENT DOGS…

I READ THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 1,000 GREYHOUNDS SUPPLYING EACH TRACK AT ANY GIVEN TIME (THAT COULD BE A LOW NUMBER), AND PROBABLY ANOTHER 500 TO 1,000 WAITING IN THE WINGS.
THAT WOULD MEAN THE PERCENTAGE OF INJURIES AND DEATHS GOES UP. 55 OR 62 DYING OUT OF 86,000 SOUNDS LIKE THE ODDS ARE IN THE PRO RACING CAMP’S FAVOR (BUT STILL A HOLOCAUST TO THE REST OF US).

BUT IN REALITY — IT SOUNDS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT IF SOMEONE THINKS ABOUT 55 OR 62 DOGS DYING OUT OF A POOL OF MAYBE 2,000 OR 3,000. AND IT’S STILL MORE THAN ONE PER WEEK.

“And of those dogs that do incur an injury, 50 to 60 percent come right back and continue to race.”

ANOTHER OUTRAGE, HOW MANY OF THOSE 50 TO 60 PERCENT CONTINUE TO RACE TO THEIR DEATH?

AND SINCE THERE’S NO STATE REGULATION: HOW DO WE KNOW THE FIGURES BEING DISCUSSED ARE ALL OF THE INJURIES AND DEATHS THAT ACTUALLY OCCURRED AT THAT TRACK?

Tags: Greyhound Injury, Greyhound Racing, Nationwide Greyhound Racing by NoMoreRacing
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Wheeling, WVa. – According to recently released state records, more than 700 greyhounds were reported injured at Wheeling Island Racetrack and Casino since 2008, and more than 1,000 dogs were prevented from racing because they were lame, injured, or because of illness.

“These terrible greyhound injuries are occurring every day at Wheeling Island,” said GREY2K USA Executive Director Carey Theil.  “Dogs are suffering broken legs and other serious injuries on a daily basis.”

In total, at least 707 greyhounds were reported injured at Wheeling between January 2008 and September 2009, according to state records provided by the West Virginia Racing Commission.  More than 100 of these injuries involved broken legs, and other reported injuries included dislocations, broken ankles, lacerations, fractured skulls and spinal injuries. Additionally, 62 dogs died or were euthanized during this period.

These reports also document individual dogs that suffered fatal injuries.  For example:

•    On July 1, 2009 a greyhound died after being hit by the mechanical lure and suffering head trauma and seizures.

•    On September 2, 2009 a dog was euthanized after suffering a spinal cord injury.

•    On September 4, 2009 a greyhound was euthanized after suffering a broken leg.  On the same day, another dog collapsed after a race and died.

In addition, state records indicate that 561 greyhounds were prevented from racing because of lameness or injury, and 576 greyhounds were prevented from racing because of illness.

“Greyhound racing is cruel and inhumane and should end,” said Theil.  “Dogs play an important role in our lives, and deserve to be protected from individuals and industries that would do them harm.”

GREY2K USA is a national, non-profit greyhound protection organization with more than 25,000 supporters in all 50 states.

Blogger’s note: Another black eye for dog racing. What else is new?

Tags: Greyhound Injury, Nationwide Greyhound Racing by NoMoreRacing
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