Greyhound Racing Now Outlawed In Florida
The end of U.S. greyhound racing is now in sight as dog racing “mecca” of Florida runs its last ever race, with the controversial industry now illegal in 41 states.
The US is close to completely phasing out greyhound racing as a landmark ban comes into effect in the dog racing “mecca” of Florida.
The sport has been rocked in recent years with investigation after investigation revealing cruel practices in the industry: from dogs testing positive for drugs like cocaine - which can increase their speed - to undercover videos revealing live rabbits being used and tortured in “live lure” training for the racing dogs.
And since just 2013, when Florida began tracking greyhound deaths, 493 dogs have died on its tracks according to animal protection group Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).
Now, Florida’s dog racing industry has run its final race after the introduction of the historic Amendment 13, which orders the shut down of Florida’s twelve remaining racing tracks, and the release of thousands of greyhounds for adoption.
The new law came into effect Jan 1., 2021, after millions of Floridians voted overwhelmingly in favor of a ban on the ‘sport’ back in 2018.
Reports of widespread animal cruelty have fuelled the decline in support for the controversial sport, as animal campaigners and even industry experts predict the end of the entire U.S. greyhound industry is now in sight.
"It’s no secret, dog racing has been on the decline for several years now," Palm Beach Kennel Club president Patrick Rooney Jr., told NBC News. "Dog racing was not long for this world."
And animal campaigners celebrated the news that no more dogs will suffer in Florida.
"Florida was the mecca (of dog racing), the base, the largest state with the most tracks," HSUS’s Florida Director Kate MacFall told NBC News. "Now this industry has withered."
Dog racing is illegal in 41 states Arkansas and Iowa expected to follow Florida’s lead soon. That will leave just Texas and West Virginia as states that still have active dog racing tracks, according to campaign group Grey2K USA. The greyhound protection group recently announced The Greyhound Protection Act of 2020, which seeks to prohibit dog racing nationwide in the U.S. You can show your support for the bill by urging your Representative to co-sponsor the groundbreaking legislation.
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The news comes just weeks after H5N1 bird flu was identified for the first time among dairy cattle in Texas and Kansas.