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States where racing is legal |
In the United States, betters wager billions of dollars on dog races every year. Dog racing is illegal in 34 states but continues in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida,
Iowa,Kansas, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. (1) However, the laws prohibiting racing are largely ineffectual, because federal law does not prohibit the interstate shipment of greyhounds used in racing. Therefore one state may ban the breeding of dogs used for racing, but dog handlers in another state can breed the same dogs and ship them across state lines.
The greyhound racing industry breeds approximately 30,000 puppies each year. Of these animals, only 15,000 actually become racing dogs. The rest are "retired," used as breeding stock, or, in a more likely scenario, shot and destroyed. "Unusable" greyhounds--those that are unfit for racing--have been disposed of in some of the worst ways imaginable-shot to death or starved to death. One greyhound was found buried alive with an ear cut off to prevent identification. (2) The racing industry also sells thousands of dogs considered unfit for racing to laboratories, which experiment on animals. Thus, greyhound racing functions not only as a "sport" and gambling enterprise, but as a breeding facility for cruel vivisection practices.
Dogs that become racing animals do not live less cruel lives. They spend 18-22 hours a day in cages and are kept muzzled at all times. Injuries such as tissue injuries and bone fractures are common during greyhound races. Some dogs have experienced spinal injuries, seizures, and death from cardiac arrest.
Several thousand rabbits and other small animals die yearly during the training of greyhounds. Trainers use these small animals as live bait, exhorting greyhounds to chase the animals around a track in order to simulate race conditions. Trainers allow dogs to catch and destroy those bait animals that are no longer able to run effectively.
Dogs that have no propensity to kill are placed in cages at close quarters with rabbits. The trainers then deny the dogs food, starving them until hunger drives them to kill their caged companions. In this way, trainers awaken bloodlust in dogs that are non-violent by character.
At least sixteen states have outlawed the use of live animals in training. However, such laws are difficult to enforce. Trainers in these states sometimes employ a "jack-a-lure," a more humane training method. These electronically powered lures race around tracks, attracting the attention of greyhounds. Yet many trainers manage to circumvent state anti-cruelty laws. They ship dogs out of state for live animal training, then ship them back, a practice that is not prohibited by federal interstate commerce laws. |
The greyhound racing industry breeds approximately 50,000 puppies each year. Of these animals, only 15,000 actually become racing dogs. The rest are "retired," used as breeding stock, or, in a more likely scenario, shot and destroyed.
Greyhounds that actually become racers live life in small cages, usually no greater than three feet in diameter. Handlers remove them from their cages only rarely; to urinate or deficate, and for infrequent races during the course of a week. |
- National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling, "Greyhound Facts," 2003
http://www.ncalg.org
Accessed 10 October 2004.
- Waterhouse, Charles, "Mayor wants change to greyhound ID methods," 28 September 2004. Available from Click Here
Accessed 10 October 2004.
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