We continue to support the ending of greyhound racing in the state of WV. We will be back! Today’s Senate vote was a vote to use taxpayer dollars to make WV the animal cruelty capitol of America!
2/19/20 Democratic Senators voted as a caucus with 10 Republican Senators to defeat SB 285 with a final vote of 11 YEAS and 23 NAYS. Floor comments proved these Senators want WV to become the greyhound capitol of America. ‘Let’s give it a chance’ they said, ‘sure some dogs die but they do in every sport.’ One Senator said ‘he did not know if the dogs were treated bad but he had been on his county commission and if you want to see dogs treated bad, just go to your local animal control center.’ It came down to jobs and the dogs were expendable! No thought was given to the 81% of West Virginians who do NOT want this subsidy nor greyhound racing in this state. We puzzle over losing 600 jobs with the closing of Fairmont Regional Medical Center, a vital service, yet we subsidize 400 jobs from mostly ‘out of state’ breeders for a cruel industry! Go figure. We can’t!
This is a battle lost but the war will continue until greyhound racing is eradicated in West Virginia. There will be another session and there will certainly be another day in a voting booth.
In 2017, a bill to end it passed the WV State Legislature but then it was sadly vetoed by the Gov. Now in 2020. there is another chance with SB 285 which will end the $15 million greyhound breeding subsidy which would end greyhound racing in our state. SB 285 features a $3 million dollar worker retraining fund, a $1 million greyhound adoption fund plus a $500 personal tax credit to any state resident who adopts a West Virginia greyhound!
Please send this email to your delegates and Senator. This is a guideline. Please personalize.
As a constituent, I’m writing to ask that you support ending greyhound racing subsidies in our state.
Every year, greyhound breeders are subsidized with more than $15 million that could otherwise be used for vital services like fixing our roads, investing in health care or substance abuse treatment. Also, an outdated state law requires casinos to hold money-losing dog races. Both of these policies need to change.
According to state records, a racing greyhound dies every ten days in West Virginia. Greyhounds endure lives of confinement, and many suffer serious injuries. Over the last decade 9,091 greyhound injuries have been reported at local dog tracks, including more than 3,000 dogs that suffered broken bones. Drugs are also systemically used to increase racing profits. For example, female greyhounds are routinely given methyltestosterone, an anabolic steroid, to prevent a loss of race days. This cruelty should not be rewarded!
Greyhound racing goes against our values, and should end. Just a year ago Florida citizens voted to phase out commercial dog racing, by a commanding 69% to 31% margin. Arkansas recently announced that greyhound racing will be phased out by 2022, leaving us as one of the final states to sanction this inhumane activity.
A recent survey by Mark Blankenship Enterprises found that 81% of West Virginia voters oppose greyhound racing subsidies. Please stand with those voters, and with me, and vote to end these subsidies as soon as possible.
A few more points that you can make on this argument against greyhound racing:
Here is more data to use in a letter to your delegate.
- $15 million in state gambling subsidies goes to greyhound breeders
- According to state record, every 10 days, a WV greyhound dies.
- 2 racetracks in WV in Wheeling and in Cross lanes could be retooled for something else. Stock car racing, Senior / Assisted Living or Residential Housing, Business Office Space or perhaps a water park? There are real world examples of former dog tracks continuing to provide jobs. The Sarasota Kennel Club is in the process of being transformed into 340 units of affordable housing and an assisted living facility. Similarly, Sanford Orlando Kennel Club is under contract to be redeveloped as a 32 acre mixed use property possibly including housing, retail, and office space.
- Gambling on dog racing in WV declines by 34% between 2010-2017
- More than 1500 greyhounds live in stacked warehouse styled kennels in WV with no limits on confinement. They are fed 4-D dogfood which is the lowest on the chain of cheap food from dying, diseased animals.
- Females are routinely given steroid drugs to ensure they can run which is prohibited elsewhere but continues in WV
- Since 2007, more than 800 disciplinary cases have been reported including 100 drug cases and 19 cases of animal abuse.
- Job loss is actually more like 200-400 and those employees can be retrained into other areas SB 285 has $3 million to retrain personnel
———————————————————————————————————
There are two Facebook pages to visit on this topic. First is GREY2K USA site: https://www.facebook.com/GREY2KUSA/
The 2nd one is West Virginians against Greyhound Racing: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=west%20virginians%20against%20greyhound%20racing&epa=SEARCH_BOX
PLEASE GO LIKE BOTH OF THESE FACEBOOK PAGES TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT!
GREY2K-USA_Greyhound_Racing_in_West_Virginia Excellent information on racing in WV!
Greyhound Protection Act Endorsement Form Have your group endorse the effort of GRE2K to end greyhound racing.
PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION HERE!
https://greyhoundracingfacts.org/