EBRO — Animal rights groups continue to push for legislation that they believe will spell the end for dog racing in Florida.
In other states, such as Massachusetts, they helped abolish the industry.
And they said they are making headway in the Sunshine State.
It rubs Rick Hess, whose family owns the track and whose grandfather started it, the wrong way.
He said greyhounds are born to run.
“If greyhound racing was ever to be abolished, people will still continue to breed and race them,” he said. “The difference is it will encourage illegal racing, gambling and unregulated breeding activity.”
He added if that happened the state would lose thousands of job opportunities and many other indirect services related to the industry.
“It would cost the state to prosecute and police the illegal activities,” he said.
It is unfair to stereotype anything, especially making a blanket statement that greyhound racing is “inhumane,” Hess said.
“There are bad people in all forms of business, and all it takes is a few of those bad guys to really hurt an industry’s image,” he said. “There are many wonderful people in this business taking excellent care of these animals. Greyhounds love to run, they are bred for this purpose. It’s how people treat them during and after their racing career is what we should focus on.”
Even though the greyhounds and kennels are not owned by the racetrack, the track’s presiding judge, along with state officials, perform weekly kennel inspections to ensure the safety and well being of the greyhounds, Hess said.
“We also have veterinarians on-site to ensure the greyhounds are fit to race and assist with any health-related issues that may come up during the races,” he said. “Their diet and nutrition is better than the average house pet, and they have plenty of companionship during their racing career.”
He said some may argue that the greyhounds are confined to small kennel quarters and compare their lifestyle to the average house pet.
“The fact is, these greyhounds do not know any difference for them to compare a day at the beach or park, so they are happy with what they are used to,” he said. “If someone really wanted to label and compare, they could think about the reality of what goes into making a steak or burger the next time they order one of those.”
Certain “extremists” have painted ugly pictures against greyhound racing over the years, he said. “The truth is, it is a very unique and beautiful sport where the many people involved are honored and privileged to be a part of,” he said. “Over 95 percent of the greyhounds are adopted into loving homes. Nearly 1,000 greyhounds were placed into adoption programs last year here at Ebro. Many greyhounds that race throughout the country start and finish their career at Ebro. We are considered a gateway to the racing world.”
Were the state to allow slots at the track, a proposal that Washington County voters approved, it could have the revenue to upgrade the kennel facilities, and perhaps provide larger kennels and therapeutic amenities like those offered to thoroughbreds, he said.
“I would like to add a therapeutic pool and ultrasound muscle therapy, along with many others on my wish list,” he said.
Carey Theil, the executive director of Grey2K USA Worldwide that led the effort to get rid of racing in Massachusetts and is leading the lobbying effort in Florida, said greyhound racing is animal abuse on many fronts. He said state records show that between Aug. 10, 2013 and May 31, 2014, 10 greyhounds died at the Ebro track.
One of the dogs was “Emily Sharp, a one-year-old brindle greyhound who died at Ebro on May 22, he said.
“Emily died after she fell during a training race and suffered a broken right front leg,” he said. “When she died, she was preparing to officially race for the first time.”
He said greyhound racing dogs are kept in small kennel cages for 22 hours a day, with four, 30-minute bathroom breaks. He said they are fed meat from downed animals that has been declared unfit for human consumption, and the female dogs are given steroids so they don’t go into heat.
Many dogs die from injuries sustained during racing, Theil said.
Starting on May 21, 2013, the state began requiring that all greyhound deaths be publicly reported for the first time. In total, between May 31, 2013 and May 31, 2014, a total of 141 greyhound deaths have been reported.
“This averages out to a racing greyhound death every three days,” Theil said.
Theil said Hess was correct in one of his comments.
“Greyhounds do love to run. We certainly agree with that that,” he said. “That’s why it is so cruel to keep them in a cage for 20 hours a day.”
Theil also said greyhound racing is costing the state money. He said the state spent between $4.1 million and $6.4 million in 2012 regulating dog racing. During the same year, state revenue from greyhound racing amounted to only $3.1 million.
Theil said his organization has been pushing for the passage of a bill that would allow tracks to have poker rooms and not force tracks to offer live dog racing.
He said the votes are in the Legislature to have this pass, and it will eventually. He expects bills calling for decoupling to be introduced again this year.
“We have the votes in both chambers and both parties,” he said. “The challenge with decoupling is twofold: Number one, it gets caught up in a bigger debate about casino gambling and slots and tribal casinos, and the politics become complicated; and number two, track owners fight with each other. Some track owners want to use decoupling as an opportunity to get something else every year.”