Guest Column Published in The News-Press, Ft. Myers

My first published guest column appeared today in the Ft. Myers News-Press!

http://www.news-press.com/article/20091128/OPINION/91127043/1015/opinion/Jennifer-Krebs--Expanded-gambling-increases-dangers-to-greyhounds

'As Florida citizens listen to the rising crescendo of voices arguing for expanded gambling at state racetracks, there are thousands of individuals affected by the decision who cannot speak for themselves.

As an advocate for racing greyhounds, I work to give those individuals a voice.

I write this surrounded by three of the retired racers I’ve adopted. They lay in peaceful repose – long, slender limbs outstretched, eyes closed in contentment. This is the life they waited years for – the life they deserve.

At thirteen Florida racetracks, thousands of dogs aren’t as lucky. There, they languish in small cages inside dimly lit buildings, seeing daylight during brief ‘turn-outs’. They’re fed raw 4-D meat (‘D’ for dead, dying diseased or disabled). Once or twice a week, they are raced, risking injury and death. They suffer broken legs, lacerations, paralysis, and cardiac arrest. Every day, the ‘careers’ of racing greyhounds end when they’re no longer competitive, and their lives hang in the balance. Adoption groups rescue some, but others meet an untimely end, many just two or three years old.

It’s hard to imagine such an ‘industry’ exists. What happened to ‘man’s best friend’?

But in greyhound racing, dogs are short-term investments. Even the fastest only race for a few years. Pressure to generate profits can lead to negligent care. And when they start costing more than they make, they become disposable.

Public interest in greyhound racing has significantly decreased. Dog racing now represents less than 1% of all wagers made annually. Since 2004, seventeen dog tracks have closed or ended live racing. Competition from other forms of gambling, coupled with increased awareness of the sport’s cruelty, has resulted in catastrophic economic decline.

The racing industry is trying to sell a product that few people want. But instead of accepting that, dog track promoters desperately grab for the only lifeline left – they fight for legalization of expanded gambling to save greyhound racing.

Proposals to legalize slot machines at dog tracks almost always tie dog racing to slot machines, requiring by law that dogs continue to race as a platform for expanded gambling. Though this marriage of two unrelated forms of gambling makes little sense, it is politically convenient. Dog track promoters can then argue for the legalization of slot machines as a way to save commercial dog racing.

Recent polling shows that the majority of Florida voters wish to see dog racing end. Declining revenues from dog tracks underscore that. But the expansion of gambling will prop up this dying industry, and increase the public subsidy of a cruel and inhumane sport.

I adopted my first greyhound in 2003, and I’ve spent many hours volunteering for adoption organizations. I’ve seen first-hand the physical and emotional scars that greyhounds bear from racing. I’ve seen the emotional toll on adoption volunteers of knowing that for every dog saved, another dies. They struggle to find foster homes, to make room for another dog from the track. They juggle ever-present bills for veterinary care, food and supplies. But the dogs just keep coming.

Please join me in being a voice for the racing greyhounds that cannot speak for themselves. Tell lawmakers that the expansion of gambling will extend the life of a dying industry, and the dogs will suffer the most. Remind them that dogs play an important role in our lives, and deserve to be protected from industries and individuals that do them harm.

For more information, please visit www.GREY2KUSA.org.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Krebs, Board of Directors
GREY2K USA

GREY2K USA is a national, non-profit greyhound protection organization with more than 25,000 members in all fifty states.'