Ebro - The Story Never Seems To End

It’s been almost a year since the horrors of the atrocities at Ebro Greyhound Park were first reported.  This was pre-blog days for me, but I posted long and loud on Facebook about this.  What Ronnie Williams did was beyond what I could comprehend.

I cannot forget the horror of that discovery.  And for greyhounds, I should not forget.  Ever.

His attorney foolishly applied the first motion for dismal on the grounds that “Williams didn’t do anything to kill the dogs; they died as a result of what he allegedly didn’t do.”

???  I am rarely at a loss for words (apparently).  What?!?

Then came the ridiculous second motion (yes, second because the first was summarily denied) filed by Williams’ attorney that the case should be dismissed because the statue under which Williams is charged is “unconstitutional because of its vague definition of willfully causing an animals pain and suffering and “does not give fair warning” to people of common intelligence.

The term “common intelligence” has a very vague meaning.  It could mean, at minimum, the ability to dress yourself.  It could mean to function in society without violence.  It could mean the abilty to do the job you were hired for and not cause harm to those in your care.

Williams, I am assuming, can put his own pants on, but I don’t know that.  Beyond that, no.  To willfully stuff starved, deceased greyhounds (by your own neglect) into freezers and trash bags, that was willful cause of pain to animals.  To starve them, duct tape them, that was willful. 

Soapbox.  I could apologize, but I won’t.  His vile story needs to be told.

But Ebro Greyhound Park’s story doesn’t end with Williams, although I wish it did.

DeeBug was a current racer when she was pulled.  She was not pulled because of an injury, although she has many scars from her reported collisions.  She was pulled out of racing because a trainer chose to remove her rather than send her to the next track on her schedule.  Ebro.

Although I do not agree with his chosen profession at all and do not remotely agree with the industry’s existence, I thank him for that small gesture.  For me, it brought a ray of sunshine in my life.

And the hell-hole Ebro, again, continues to make news.  The latest in new state records received from the state of Florida, in a short 45 days, 28 greyhounds suffered substantial injures and 10 were euthanized. 

Enough.  I believe the racing industry needs to no longer be subsidized by taxpayer funds, but more importantly, tracks like Ebro need to close NOW!!  It’s a dangerous place, for more reasons than Ronnie Williams.  Even the PRs know it as such.