Greyhound Racing to End in Massachusetts

Years ago when my daughter was playing on the local travel softball team, I became friendly with one of the mothers who rescued greyhounds. One day she turned up at the game with her two wonderful dogs--both of whom were sporting coats in the chilly Spring air--and I fell in love with the breed.

Previously, I had been under the misconception that dogs known for their lightning speed were a handful. The truth is they are big couch potatoes. Sure they can run fast, but they also are not in the least bit high strung or hyperactive "throw me the ball" types. They are true snugglers and do not belong on racetracks or in tight, cramped crates.

There is a great story in The Christian Science Monitor about one woman's commitment to end the sport of dog racing and her thirteen year fight in Massachusetts to get the sport banned. The dog lobby, as her group learned, is a powerful one and not above making their case with evidence of increased revenue for states and jobs.

In the end, Christine Dorchak, the president and general counsel of GREY2K USA, learned that tales of cruelty had to be combined with real live records from actual dog tracks to make their case. "When Massachusetts television viewers saw track video of a greyhound named Cawla Hawley somersaulting and crashing into a wall, they learned how dangerous dog racing can be," she writes. "The injury records of Carolina Alarm, who died of a heart attack; Die Cut, who was paralyzed; and Hibbert, who skull was crushed, spoke volumes. Most important, the kennel photos of dogs confined in tiny cages raised the simple question: Would I treat my dog that way?"

Last month, 56 percent of voters and nearly 300 out of 351 towns in Massachusetts "voted for the dogs" meaning dog racing will gradually be phased out in Massachusetts and officially end by January 1, 2010.

While it is tempting to credit Dorchak's targeted public awareness campaign with the success, there are probably a combination of factors that made 2008 the right time for the bill to pass. Not the least of these is declining attendance (and revenues) at dog tracks as well as the growing trend to treat animals as people, especially dogs and cats. The anti-cruelty campaign found deaf ears in 1995 but passed easily in 2008--an indication of our society's changing view of "humane" treatment for non-human beings.

Hurricane Katrina shown a spotlight on the plight of animals "left behind" as well as the people who refused to evacuate because of their animals. As a result, national legislation mandated future evacuations make provisions for animals. Certainly the Barbaro story continued to shine the spotlight on animal welfare as has the recent trend to adopt and rescue animals.

So timing is everything and luckily for beautiful greyhounds, the end may soon be coming to a sport that is known for its lack of respect for its athletes.