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President Speaks: Spring 2011 (Opinions & Things as I See Them ...)
So much is happening so quickly! I've been trying to get this written for weeks and every day brings something new to the story of retired racing greyhounds!
Briefly, both Florida and Arizona have moved House and/or Senate bills through subcommittees or committees to remove the required live racing to keep the "racinos" going. Simply put ... bills to decrease dog racing are making their way through the State Houses of two of the oldest and bleakest states where dogs still run for their lives! As of March 2011, that is seven states, 23 tracks still running; 16 of those are in Florida and one in Tucson, AZ.
As you can imagine, the racing supporters are shocked. They're amazed! They're really pissed off because the cards and electronic
components of the gaming industry are tired of losing money by running greyhounds that no one is watching or betting on! They've seen millions of dollars lost by having to prop up a part of the gaming industry that's time has passed.
Thus, the interests with the real lobbyists and real money have gone to their state governments and asked to "decouple" or unburden themselves from supporting dog racing at tracks where it is endangering their ability to remain in business. And it isn't rocket science for the lawmakers to figure out what the loss of big gaming would do to the tax bases of their respective states. So at last, the writing on the wall is coming to pass and greyhound owners, breeders, trainers are shocked and outraged that some of them are going to need to look for different jobs.
Looking back at old President's Newsletters before the Internet is always interesting. By chance I pulled out Spring 1995 and found that I had written the following:
"The simple truth is that in 1991 there were 53 greyhound tracks in the American Greyhound Track Operators Association, and legal racing in 19 states, with live racing in all 19 states. In 1994, there were 38 member tracks and live racing in only 16 states. These are not the figures of a business in a stage of growth. They are the numbers of a business that is going to have to make some real changes if it hopes to still be able to say, "Heeerrreee Cooommmmeeees Sparkyyyyyy in the year 2000."
So, I was off by a decade, but what is really fascinating is that another paragraph from that same President's Newsletters could be read on any one of today's anti-racing greyhound adoption related Blogs or Facebook pages!
"Reluctantly, we've had to accept that we can't save them all. Therefore, it makes no sense to take them from one bad situation and place them in one that is less than ideal. This philosophy comes with the knowledge that the lack of enough homes IS THE RESULT ... not the cause of the mass destruction of racing greyhounds. The cause of the problem is the industry's steady production of dogs. Even during a time of obvious business decline, when tracks are closing and other forms of gaming are taking previous track patrons, the industry has asked for a whopping, voluntary 20% decrease in breeding! They've mouthed the words of concern for the dogs and played shell games with support for adoption programs.
The fact is, they have been forced to address this issue of the GREYHOUNDS; things were much easier and profitable for them
BEFORE anyone knew they killed dogs. Now, they must accept that sooner or later, they will have to get serious in order to survive. Smoke and mirrors will only go so far."
Will 2011 be the year the smoke and mirrors are replaced with the cold, hard, economic fact that people do not want to bet on the lives of greyhounds ... sweet gentle greyhounds just like the one their daughter, son, cousin, friends or parents ADOPTED! The one that looks like Blazer or Tango or Stormy? Maybe Husker Chubs, Pat C Nickel, Pedo's Wizard, Noble Machine, Flying Rescuer, USS La Pon Rural Robert and Fiery Sweet Frank were losers at the track … but they and thousands of others are the real reason no one wants to prop up greyhound racing any more.
This is not and never will be an animal rights issue; they never spent a dime at any of the tracks, nor do they support adoption.
It is Joe the plumber, Rose the nurse, Jack the accountant and Susan the teacher, their families and friends who never went to or stopped going to dog races - then got others to avoid the business that makes greyhounds run for their lives.
Since 1988 we’ve given these dogs names, faces and personalities. Sent them out to schools, nursing homes, prisons, county fairs, RV Shows, pet fairs, home shows anywhere people could meet them. They’ve been seen in magazines, movies, on fashion runways and even The Simpsons and Barbie have adopted greyhounds. The industry ignored us or made fun of us as they bragged that they won their battle for “Racinos.” The cards and slots would keep the dogs here to stay.
20 years can change a lot of things! In 1991, 53 tracks in 19 states in 2011: 7 states offer live action greyhound racing via 23 tracks with Florida and Arizona seriously considering decreasing their number of tracks because of lack of attendance and interest.
This didn’t happen overnight, but as social change goes – it happened pretty quickly. Cell phones and the Internet probably made more difference than can be measured. But it wasn’t pictures of caged or underfed or dead greyhounds that filled the social networks. It was hounds in beds, on sofas, howling when the answering machine turns on, making snow angels, opening the fridge and eating the butter and all the other things we’ve captured them doing as our pets! Adopted greyhounds are what made this happen. Surely nothing will ever change the love and comfort we receive from our dogs; and I truly believe that it was this love that finally got the attention of the gaming industry as more and more seats remain empty. And fewer and fewer races are run.
WAY TO GO GREYHOUNDS!
Please contact local newspapers and of course the State Houses in both Florida and Arizona to encourage the end of racing in Tucson and the passing of the decoupling bills in Florida.
Letters to the editors, comments about stories or other letters can help reach people everywhere and gain their support. Here are some ideas!
Also make use of your Facebook or My Space, etc.
| FLORIDA: Honorable Rick Scott Governor of FL The Capitol 400 S. Monroe Street Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001 My Florida House.gov for specific lawmakers |
ARIZONA: Honorable Jan Brewer Governor of AZ 1700 West Washington Phoenix, AZ 85007 Arizona Legislature.gov for lawmakers Tucson Citizen.com |
| Newspapers: Orlando Sentinel Sun Sentinel Naples News Miami Hearld Bradenton Hearld And many others. |
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- Sally Allen, President
USA Defenders of Greyhounds
Be sure to read previous President Speaks letters from USA Defenders of Greyhounds, Greyhound rescue organization
Carmel, IN 46082