TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Legislation requiring the reporting of greyhound racing injuries unanimously cleared a Senate committee in the state Capitol on Wednesday. Supporters make no bones about their real objective, which is to prohibit the sport all together.
Seventy-four greyhounds died in track-related accidents during the first year of reporting. More have died since then. Lawmakers now want every injury reported, but sponsors make no bones about their real objective.
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"So let's make this year the one that we make a step toward ending this archaic and barbaric practice," said Sen. Eleanor Sobel.
The reporting legislation is being supported by dog breeders and owners, but they want to go further: They want to require tracks to fix the things causing injuries. Those include fixing bad surfaces, covering exposed high-voltage lines running the lure around the track, and making the arm holding the lure flexible.
"We can stop deaths and injuries now," said Jack Corey, of the Florida Greyhound Association. "We could cut down by 50 percent the animal deaths immediately."
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GREY2K USA, which advocates for the end of dog racing, didn't speak at the hearing but had plenty to say afterward.
"I don't believe greyhound injury reporting will end greyhound racing, but it will directly help a large number of dogs," said Carey Theil, of GREY2K USA.
With 12 active tracks, Florida licenses more greyhound racing than any other state.
Breeders say greyhound racing creates 3,000 jobs, and breeders are pointed about what they call the real objective of the reporting legislation.
"Their ultimate goal is to do away with live greyhound racing and become minicasinos," Cory said.
The bill cleared its first hurdle unanimously. The legislation has been filed for the last eight years. Last year it cleared the state Senate but was never voted upon in the House.