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Throughout history, Greyhound racing has often been touted as an innocuous opportunity to witness the immense speed and grace of these long-legged dogs. However, the unfortunate truth is that the competitive “sport” couldn’t be further from harmless. Just consider these alarming facts from the Animal Legal Defense Fund that paint a clear picture of what the industry is really like:

Every three days, an innocent dog dies because of Greyhound racing in Florida. Of those poor canines, 94 percent are three years old or younger. It is not uncommon for Greyhounds used in the racing industry to be drugged. Over the past decade, more than 400 racing Greyhounds have tested positive for cocaine, novocaine, oxycodone, and lidocaine. Further, female dogs in the industry are routinely injected with anabolic steroids in order to keep them racing and enhance their performance. When they aren’t being exploited on the racetrack, racing Greyhounds are confined in metal cages stacked on top of each other. For an average of 20 to 23 hours each day, they are trapped in these horribly inhumane kennels which hardly allow them to move around at all. What’s worse, they are given nothing more than shredded paper or discarded pieces of carpet to lay on. Sadly, the lucky few Greyhounds who are rescued from racing tracks often have physical and emotional trauma for the rest of their lives.

As these facts show, Greyhound racing is a deeply cruel industry which has no place in modern society. Thankfully, people are beginning to realize this and demand change.


In Florida, which is home to 11 of the 17 Greyhound racing facilities remaining in the U.S., a coalition of organizations has proposed an amendment that would completely phase out Greyhound racing in the state by 2020 if passed.

Called Amendment 13, this proposed change would save thousands of dogs from the cruelty and abuse of this antiquated industry. Plus, it would set an important precedent and lead the way for the other five states where active race tracks still exist — Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Texas, and West Virginia — to ban the disturbing “sport” as well.

If you live in Florida, please use your voice to enact animal-saving change by voting YES on Amendment 13 this November! And while you’re at it, be sure to SHARE the little-known facts you’ve learned about Greyhound racing with all the animal advocates you know.

If we all work together, we have the power to create a world where sweet dogs are no longer tortured and taken advantage of for human profit and entertainment!


Image Source: Pixabay

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