Greyhound Racing Updates: Massachusetts, Iowa, and Beyond

categories: Activism and Actions, Animals in Entertainment, Companion Animals, Politics and Law

Published September 26, 2009 @ 07:24AM PT

In the last week or so, greyhounds were raced for what should be the last time in Massachusetts. As you may recall, voters in that state supported an end to dog racing last November, and animal advocates -- GREY2K USA in particular -- had been awaiting the final race ever since. Not surprisingly, though, greyhound breeders and others with an economic interest in the continued exploitation and endangerment of the dogs want the decision overturned. So Massachusetts readers, please be sure to keep contacting your state legislators about this issue and to sign up for GREY2K USA's action alerts, so that the group can keep you updated.

The battle over greyhound racing is far from over; dogs are still suffering in several states courtesy of this cruel, unnecessary industry (see a state-by-state map and information here), so advocates outside Massachusetts have as much reason to sign up for the nonprofit's alerts as anyone else. One of the states still racing dogs to death is Iowa, whose Des Moines Register ran an article this past week covering GREY2K USA's recent report on the state's racing industry and the injuries and deaths of dogs there:

A national advocacy group that wants to abolish dog racing in Iowa said today that 101 greyhounds were injured at Iowa tracks in 2008, including 10 dogs that were euthanized.

GREY2K USA of Somerville, Mass., obtained public records from the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission that documented the injuries. The organization provided copies of the injury reports to The Des Moines Register to substantiate its findings.

Read the rest here. I'm glad to see that the majority of the comments on the article thus far are pro-dog and anti-racing -- and that readers are calling out one of the people quoted in the article, a representative of the Iowa Greyhound Association who insisted, unconvincingly, "The No.1 thing in the greyhound industry, and I am sure it is the same thing for horses, is the welfare of the greyhound and the horse." The priority is money, not the animals. And that's no great secret. Otherwise, there wouldn't be an exploitative greyhound "industry" (or horse racing industry) at all, not to mention all the cruelties, suffering, injuries, and death that go along with both.

See an informational GREY2K video below:

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Photo of rescued greyhound Lilly by Flickr user aturkus

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Comments (10)

As a signer on all and any GRACEhound petition/pledge I can find - Thank You for your activism!

A non-US resident but a Reader from Israel.

Posted by Sa R on 09/26/2009 @ 08:51AM PT
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DON'T ENGAGE IN DOG-RACE GAMBLING. CRUEL. DOGS ARE PENNED UP. MADE TO RACE WITH HURT/INJURED LEGS. BREEDING OF THESE BEAUTIFUL DOGS IS A CRIME. WHEN MADE TO BREED AND THE PUPS THAT DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO RACE ARE PUT TO SLEEP/DROWNED.

Posted by KAY SUTTON on 09/26/2009 @ 09:11AM PT
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ITS ABOUT TIME!! I SAY WE MAKE THE REAL GREEDY IDIOTS,NOW- RACE AROUND THE TRACK AND THEY WILL SUFFER A HEART- ATTACK IN THE PROCESS.....NOW (APART FROM THE HEART-ATTACK) YOU BLOODY MORONS WILL REALIZE WHAT THESE POOR DOGS HAD TO ENDURE AT YOUR SADISTIC EXPENSE.....TOO BAD I WASN'T A JUDGE- YOUR STIFF PENALTIES WITH ME -WOULD ONLY START FROM HERE!! ACTIVIST ALEXANDRA MARCELLA MANOLESCO-AMI!!

Posted by Alexandra Marcella Manolesco-Ami on 09/26/2009 @ 11:20AM PT
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Phoenix Greyhound Park to shut down, too! http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2009/09/25/20090925greyhounds0925-ON.html

Thanks for keeping up with the greyhound news, Stephanie!

Posted by Mary Martin on 09/26/2009 @ 03:03PM PT
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I've never been to a greyhound track and will never go. Can't support that business at all.

Posted by Marc Rasmussen on 09/27/2009 @ 05:33AM PT
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Thank YOU, Mary Martin, for your link on Phoenix GreyHound Park....I have just posted that on my Twitter Site, as well!! HUGGIES/KISSIES!!Activist Alexandra Marcella Manolesco-Ami!!

Posted by Alexandra Marcella Manolesco-Ami on 09/27/2009 @ 10:01AM PT
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what I want to know is WHEN are you going to hit the High Schools and tell those teenagers that "they can't run track" because it's "human cruelity" Whats next the "Ballet" because it causes "leg strain"?

Posted by custer grey on 09/27/2009 @ 01:47PM PT
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Hi Custer: I will "hit" the high schools when they breed their runners with the goal of making a profit off of the winners, when they gamble on the outcome of the races, when they force the runners into small cages for 22 hours a day, and when they kill those who are not winners or who are injured. Same goes for ballet.

Posted by Olivia White on 09/27/2009 @ 04:28PM PT
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What's with all of the trolls lately?

I'm beginning to wonder if they are all related or know each other. No causes. No support. Just ignorant comments. Fishing for attention. Maybe they are all the same person?

Just a bunch of hit and run drivers. People with nothing better to do.

Custer? Grey? Time to get a life and move on.

Posted by Michele McCowan on 09/29/2009 @ 04:49PM PT
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Custer is clueless.....

Posted by Kathy Jackson on 09/28/2009 @ 10:44AM PT
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Stephanie is an independent animal rights advocate, a vegan, a tree-hugging environmentalist, and a freelance editor and writer. She lives in St. Louis with an aging corgi-lab and an adolescent rescued pit bull.