The bills speak for themselves as they move forward. It is an economically sound view. And it is fair market practice. No one industry (greyhound racing) should ever be subsidized by the states’ taxpayer money to continuously support another to justify its existence. Not to mention that many of those funds go out of state… Listen. If greyhound racing is as popular as the racing industry claims, then they no longer need subsidies. Let them prove it..
So, time to review those states reviewing the situation.
Roll call: Iowa – Here! Arizona– Here! Florida – Here! Aw, come on, FL. One more for us! Here! Thank you, FL.
Each year is a step closer to elimination of greyhound racing; the mistreatment and euthanizing of healthy, non-money making, greyhounds. Imagine, no more subsidies given to out-of-state owners that leave the states’ taxpayers footing the bill?
But back to the ridiculous.
As most know, Skechers aired an ill-advised commercial to promote one more sneaker. Their mistake this time (instead of a Kardashian disaster) was filming it at an Arizona greyhound track with a, shall we say, less than stellar record… They fluffed it up with props or digitally-enhanced greenery and, essentially a total mockery of what these dogs face. And while the bulldog went back home, those greyhounds got tossed back into a cage.
They made, in a sad little commercial, greyhound racing appear to be something remotely popular.
(Amazing what technology and the almighty $$ does, huh…)
Those of us who value the lives of the greyhounds as a pet (not a money-generating machine) protested – in person or in letters and in emails.
Sadly, the ad still aired, but in the entire brouhaha of this promotion, a plethora of industry issues come to light. So, perhaps the glorification of a failing track and a failing industry can do some good.
Facebook groups were created to counteract the facts of the industry, others were created to bespeak of “love”. All created by the same group – those heavily invested in the industry. What they have shown is the very ugly underbelly of the racing industry. The coarseness and the viciousness, the personal attacks on those who want to see an end to racing all show a desperate industry, unable to substantiate their claims, but ready to charge blindly forward.
But the ugliest of the underbelly of the industry appeared on Facebook when, amongst themselves, questioning their own stated adoption rates and how many were still being euthanized, one poster piped up:
“Ya'll need to keep moving west on the Panhandle. PE is still euthanizing perfectly healthy dogs. We try to take every one of them but track politics betwn trainers makes that impossible for us. We also have more dogs than I'd like to think about that have just "dropped off the grid" No clue at all what happened to them, I have a guess but no proof.”
Healthy dogs? Euthanized? What??
They decry, oh we love our dogs, we live for our dogs, we die for our dogs (as one poster stated). That mantra from the owners does NOT hold water. Your dogs die for YOU.
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