BREAKING NEWS!
Connecticut is the 43rd state to ban dog racing

On May 9, 2024, Governor Lamont signed SB 132 into law, making Connecticut the 43rd American state to outlaw dog racing. Read our press release.

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Dog racing is a cruel activity and it has no place in Connecticut. It's mind boggling to think that at one time people considered this a legitimate sport, and I give credit to animal advocacy groups for their activism that has raised awareness about the abuse and extreme conditions these dogs face, leading to bans in nearly every state across the country. Signing this bill is an easy decision.

— Governor Ned Lamont, Press Release, May 9, 2024

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Christine spoke remotely before the General Law Committee members.GREY2K President Christine Dorchak dedicated her testimony for SB 132 to the memory of her dog Gina. Read her submission.

All the Connecticut dog tracks are closed and greyhound racing is illegal in the state.

Plainfield Greyhound Park, the state’s first track, opened in 1976,1 and Shoreline Star Greyhound Park, a former jai alai fronton, was converted into a racing facility in 1995.2 By 2005, live racing had ended at both facilities after years of declining attendance and diminished wagering.3

Outlawing dog racing took many years. A bill prohibiting dog racing was first filed in 2017 and passed in the Senate, but stalled in the House.4 In 2021, the House of Representatives passed a ban on dog racing but the Senate did not.5 In 2022, the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Security approved a measure to ban live racing but the bill was not called for a plenary vote.6 Championed by Representative Mike D'Agostino and Nicole Klarides-Ditria, the bill was refiled and passed in the House in 2023, but the Senate took no action.7

Finally, in 2024 SB 132 received a favorable public hearing before the Joint General Law Committee, passed in both chambers and was signed into law by Governor Ned Lamont on May 9, 2024.8

Connecticut News



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NBCConnecticut - New professional soccer team and stadium are coming to Bridgeport in 2025

Connecticut News Junkie - Commentary: Keep dog racing in the past by Christine A. Dorchak

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Take action to stop Connecticut dog racing now

URGENT! Contact your state senator NOW to ban dog racing in Connecticut

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GREY2K USA applauds bipartisan effort to prohibit dog racing in the Nutmeg State, May 9, 2024

Governor Lamont signs law banning dog racing in Connecticut, May 8, 2024

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Learn about dog racing internationally

Learn more about dog racing in other countries

Read our International Fact Sheet (PDF)


  1. William Yardley, “As Racing Ends, What About the Dogs?” The New York Times, May 5, 2005, nytimes.com (accessed November 15, 2017).
  2. Chris Elsberry, “Autotote takes over Shoreline Star,” Connecticut Post Online, April 6, 2006.
  3. “Attendance and Amounts Wagered at Pari-mutuel Facilities,” Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, 2007.
  4. Raised S.B. No. 848, Session Year 2017, Connecticut General Assembly, cga.ct.gov (accessed November 15, 2017).
  5. Raised H.B. No. 6048, Session Year 2021, Connecticut General Assembly, cga.ct.gov (accessed December 7, 2021).
  6. Raised H.B. No. 5174, Session Year 2022, Connecticut General Assembly, cga.ct.gov (accessed May 11, 2022).
  7. Raised H.B. No. 6615, Session Year 2023, Connecticut General Assembly, cga.ct.gov (accessed May 10, 2024).
  8. Rob Polansky, “Dog racing is now officially banned in Connecticut,” WFSB, wfsb.com (accessed May 10, 2024).

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