An in-depth article on the decline of dog racing in the US published by National Geographic shines a light on the challenges faced by Greyhounds, both on and off the track.

Earlier this year, the last Greyhound track in Texas closed.  At the end of 2020, dog racing will end in Florida with the closure of the state’s last 3 tracks.  In 2022, the remaining tracks in Iowa and Arkansas will close, leaving just West Virginia as the only state with legal dog racing.

The closure of Florida’s tracks is seen as a major animal rights victory, given the past popularity of Greyhound racing in the state.  In 2018, 70% of Floridians voted “yes” on an amendment to ban Greyhound racing at the end of 2020.

The article notes that dog racing got its start in the US with the invention of the mechanical lure.  It was invented by a man who had seen dogs chase real rabbits and thought the use of a mechanical hare would be more humane.

Florida became the center of the dog racing world in the US.  Like other sports that involve betting, there were some illegal activities surrounding Greyhound racing.  Unfortunately, they included dosing the dogs with performance enhancing drugs, like cocaine.

Animal rights advocates have also had long standing concerns about the poor treatment and living conditions of working Greyhounds, as well as the many injuries they sustain on the track.  The article also points out that dogs not fit enough to race often faced sad ends.

Dog racing had been on the decline in Florida years before the ban was proposed, mostly due drops in attendance and betting as an aging fanbase was not being replaced by a younger one.

Greyhound advocates report that an estimated 8,000 dogs still associated with the tracks will need to find new homes.  Luckily, many interested adopters have already been contacting agencies working to rehome the dogs.

To learn more about efforts to ban dog racing in the US and internationally, check out the website of advocacy group GREY2K USA Worldwide.  Interested in adopting a retired racing Greyhound?  The National Greyhound Association maintains a list of adoption groups.