Tracks will wind down over 26 months, allowing greyhounds to be absorbed by waiting rescue groups all across the country. Read the timeline to victory and learn how you can sponsor a hound as tracks close.
Naples Daily News - Bonita greyhound racing track would be demolished after rezone
WUWF NPR for Florida's Great Northwest - Dog Racing in Pensacola 1947-2018
Pensacola News Journal - Pensacola Greyhound Track discontinues live dog races
Orlando Sentinel - Some greyhound tracks quit early, breeding slows 2 months after racing ban passes
The New Barker - Read about the history of dog racing in Florida and the campaign to pass Amendment 13 in the New Barker.
Thanks to Doris Day for endorsing the Protect Dogs - Yes on 13 campaign to phase-out dog racing in Florida!
In 1931, Florida became the first state to authorize pari-mutuel wagering on dogs, and it is now home to eleven of the seventeen dog tracks nationwide. Racing dogs are kept confined in small, stacked cages for 20-23 hours a day and fed a diet based on raw 4-D meat. Over the past decade, over 400 greyhounds have tested drug-positive at tracks across the state, including 68 cocaine-positives. When let our of their cages to race, these gentle dogs face the risk of serious injury and death. In fact, according to state records, a dog dies every three days at a Florida racetrack.
GREY2K USA Worldwide was the chief sponsor of Amendment 13, a constitutional amendment to prohibit dog racing in Florida. The question was approved by a margin of 69% to 31% on the statewide ballot on November 6, 2018 and triggers a 26-month phase-out of live racing through December 2020. Thousands of dogs will now receive the second chance they deserve. Additionally, remaining dog tracks in the United States and around the globe will be negatively impacted as Florida is truly the hub of dog racing worldwide. It was the first place in the world to legalize commercial dog racing, and we believe that the passage of Amendment 13 signals hope for greyhounds everywhere.
By law, the holders of dog track licenses were required to offer at least 100 live racing performances each year. In Fiscal Year 2016, there were a total of 3,369 performances each comprised of 8 to 15 races, amounting to 44,364 total races.1 As of October 2018, there were 3,700 greyhounds registered at track kennel compounds across the state.2
Greyhound racing in the state is regulated by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. In May 2013, GREY2K USA lobbied successfully for an animal welfare rule that contained several greyhound provisions and required that all greyhound deaths that occur at track facilities be reported.3 Additionally, a Seminole County ballot question resulted in regulation which requires Sanford Orlando Kennel Club to report all greyhound injuries. However, Florida remains one of two states, along with Alabama, where greyhound injury reporting is not mandated.
In Fiscal Year 2016, the total amount gambled on live racing at Florida dog tracks was $87,003,278.4 This amounts to a decline of 56.6% since 2006.5
Naples Daily News - Bonita greyhound racing track would be demolished after rezone
WUWF NPR for Florida's Great Northwest - Dog Racing in Pensacola 1947-2018
Pensacola News Journal - Pensacola Greyhound Track discontinues live dog races
Orlando Sentinel - Some greyhound tracks quit early, breeding slows 2 months after racing ban passes
Read more >
Reports
GREY2K USA Worldwide's groundbreaking report on greyhound deaths in Florida shows a dog dies every 3 days.
Read the report here.
Fact Sheets
Florida Greyhound Racing is a Dying Industry
Commercial Dog Racing in the United States
Florida Adoption Groups
Greyhound Adoptions of Florida
Senior Greyhound Adoption of Florida
Florida State Links
Active Florida Tracks:
Daytona Beach Kennel Club & Poker Room (Daytona Beach)
Mardi Gras Gaming (Hallandale)
Melbourne Greyhound Park (Melbourne)
Naples-Ft. Myers Greyhound Track (Bonita Springs)
Orange Park Kennel Club (Orange Park)
Palm Beach Kennel Club (W. Palm Beach)
Pensacola Greyhound Track (Pensacola)
Sanford-Orlando Kennel Club (Longwood)
Sarasota Kennel Club (Sarasota)
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