Last days of dog racing

Florida ban will hasten the end of a cruel ‘sport’

Florida overwhelmingly voted this month to ban dog racing, a brutal “sport” responsible for the deaths of more than 400 dogs in that state alone since 2013.

Thanks to a campaign by humane advocates, including Doris Day, the ballot measure to shut down Florida’s dog tracks by the end of 2020 passed with nearly 70 percent of the vote.

Dog racing was already illegal in 40 states, including Ohio and Pennsylvania. And outlawing the practice in Florida will do much to end the suffering of track greyhounds because that state has 11 of the 17 dog tracks in the United States.

But dog racing still takes place in five states, including West Virginia, which has races at Wheeling Island Racetrack. Other tracks can be found in Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa and Texas. Dog racing also remains legal in Connecticut, Kansas, Oregon and Wisconsin, but no dog tracks operate in those states.

Racing greyhounds face a terrible existence. Florida records reveal that many die from broken necks or heart attacks. Others are electrocuted by the high-voltage lures used to lead them around the racetrack. Many dogs also are doped — sometimes with cocaine — to make them faster.

The end of this gruesome practice may be in sight, thanks to the Florida ballot measure. Now, the other states that allow dog racing must ban it as well.

And Florida’s racing greyhounds will need new homes once the tracks are shuttered there in 2020.

Dog lovers around the country must step up in two ways. They must follow Florida’s lead and shut down the dog-racing industry in all 50 states. And they must offer loving new homes to the thousands of Florida greyhounds who deserve a better life.