Vote Victory To Ban Dog Racing!
Great news coming from Massachusetts, on November 4th a ban was passed on dog racing. A huge victory considering in 2000 a similar ban was defeated.
The Massachusetts ban on dog racing has been a long time coming-in 2000, a similar ballot measure was narrowly defeated, and attempts to get the question included on the 2006 ballot were unsuccessful.
With the ban’s passage this week (57 percent to 43 percent), commercial dog racing will be phased out in Massachusetts by 2010. There are two dog tracks in the state-each of which is believed to currently house about 1,000 greyhounds.
Because the phase-out will occur over a period of 14 months, greyhound advocacy groups such as Grey2K USA are confident that they will be able to find homes for any racing dogs who become available for adoption.
This is fantastic news, it’s about time. It once again goes to show that as dog lovers we need to stand together and make our voice heard. We will not be ignored, the people have spoken. Thanks Dogsters!
These types of laws make me nervous. I mean, I have a hound. He likes to race. Our racing is called “lure coursing”, but who’s to say that the sport of lure coursing won’t be next on the chopping block. I fear that as long as agility or rally or flyball don’t get attacked by the animal-rights activists no one will really care.
Plenty of veternarians in Massachusetts opposed this legislation. I heard a very good discussion on it on NPR’s All Things Considered http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95653230. Honestly, it doesn’t make much sense for the owners of racing dogs to abuse their animals or to keep them penned up in crates … these dogs are atheletes, they are born to run and they will only run their best when they get plenty of training and exercise. Sure, have the state vets on site, have regulations and inspections to prevent cruelty, but remember that Greyhounds were bred for running. I don’t think it’s abusive to let them do that any more than it is abusive to lure course with sight hounds, hunt with gun dogs, do schutzhund with shepherds and herding with collies. They’ll be going after sled dogs next, then it will be field trials and terrier races. Banning dog sports is part of the animal rights agenda. Do not confuse animal rights with animal welfare, the two have nothing to do with one another.
I have read the comments above and I agree to a certain extent, but I also understand that a lot- not all- of these animals are abused and forced to run even if they are getting too old or after a serious injury. Here in Spokane they were electrocuting, giving some dogs pain blockers, and also doping them so they would run faster, earning the owners more money. These practices should be banned. If you have dogs that love to run, give them plenty of room, time, and attention, if really love your dog.
In response to Linda Way:
Those practices are abhorrent! But there are already laws on the books to protect those animals. And they should be enforced! New laws that make blanket restrictions are NOT the answer. Proper enforcement of existing animal protection laws are.
We agree with Rachel, we have our races and our goto ground trials all of which might come under attack by these activists. The whole basis of these attacks, and mom knows cause she follows all the dog news, is an ultimate end to breeding. These activists sugar coat all this legislation under things like this and soon there won’t be any activities for our dogs to take part in and you won’t be able to find anything in the pet world but pound dogs and cats. Gone will be the legitimate breeder, gone will be the Earthdog trials, agility trials, etc.
Mom has been to shelters she volunteers there and the dogs they get in where she goes are the ones that are dangerous. These are grown dogs that have been mistreated and are not fit for families. Big dogs that can and will tear you apart, and they try to repair the amage but it doesn’t always work.
That law is just one step closer tothe banning of all dog activities and of the breeding of good quality dogs at affordable prices.
Is GreyHound racing wrong then? I don’t know much about it, but maybe if I learn more about it, I’ll be against it too. Enlighten me, please. [Seriously.]
Cookie -
No, there is nothing inherently wrong with Greyhound racing. There are some irresponsible, even abusive people, that do not treat their racing animals well. The problem is NOT with the sport, it is with the way some people care for the animals. The solution is NOT to ban the sport. Rather existing animal cruelty laws need to be diligently enforced.
I have to agree with a few people…Why are you going to ban something that these dogs have been bred to do? Yes there are alot of problems with neglect and abuse but why cant they just enforce the laws they have on that? It’s like telling people they cant race horses anymore. They have the same problems but they havent ban that (yet) it’s what these animals love to do.
Those dogs love to run, but now the people that train them are going to be out of work and the dogs are going to be adopted out to families that can’t give them nearly enough.
In addition this law is paving the way to outlaw dog sledding too. My Siberian Husky would be super pissed at me for the rest of her life is she wasn’t allowed to pull me around anymore. All I have to do is pick up the harness and she starts to go wild. I’ve learned I can’t even let her see me move the harness to another shelf if I’m not going to take her out. She definitely knows the difference between her walking leash and harness compared to her pulling harness too… she’s not nearly as excited over just going to for a walk as compared to pulling. I’m sure those greyhounds are the same way… they love to run, why would you take that away from them?