Greyhound Racing Runs Its Last Lap in Wisconsin

by Stephanie Feldstein · 2009-12-17 16:00:00 UTC
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Kenosha's Dairyland Greyhound Park, the last of Wisconsin's dog racing tracks, is going out of business on December 31st. Although none will be operating, dog tracks are still legal in Wisconsin, one of only fourteen states without any statutes against the so-called sport. As of next year, only eight states will have active tracks.

Yet even without an accompanying law, the closure of the Wisconsin track is a victory for the dogs. Dairyland had one of the highest injury rates in the country. Like many tracks, Dairyland's profits have been slipping for well over a decade. In the last five years, 20 tracks around the country have closed. It's a dying industry, though for the dogs who will still be racing on the 23 remaining tracks across the country, it's not dying fast enough.

Dog racing represents only one percent of U.S. gambling each year, and the number has been shrinking. Yet dog track proponents keep clinging to it, lobbying for subsidies and tax breaks to keep their heads above water. Some seek expanded gambling rights and want to add slot machines to make their gambling operations more viable.

While greyhounds are wired to run, they are not wired for the cruelty of the racing industry where they are seen as little more than vehicles for gambling. Most slot machines probably receive better treatment than these dogs, who are warehoused in horrible conditions, fed raw 4-D meat (from dying, diseased, disabled, and dead livestock) that exposes them to disease, sent to the track where they face injury or death, and who then become disposable -- not always in humane ways -- at the end of their racing careers.

Midwest Greyhound Adoption is standing by to give as many of the Dairyland dogs as they can get a chance at a new life. The group has assisted with five other track closings in the region and they're keeping a close eye on this one. Some of the dogs will moved to tracks in other states, and some of the retired dogs are already being released to adoption groups. They expect around 400-600 dogs to be released from the racing kennels when the track closes on December 31st -- and that means they need a lot of foster homes. So, if you're in the Midwest and you're in the market to help a greyhound, they could use your help.

Photo credit: liza31337

Stephanie Feldstein is a Change.org Editor who has been part of the animal welfare and rescue community for over a decade, and most recently worked for an environmental organization.

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