Dear Friends:

The fight to protect greyhounds has once again begun in Florida. Several bills to help greyhounds have been filed by state lawmakers in Tallahassee, and we need your help to push them over the finish line!

• The most significant bill (filed as Senate Bill 2594 and House Bill 1437) will eliminate minimum live racing requirements and significantly reduce greyhound racing in the Sunshine State. Currently, Florida law requires tracks to race a minimum number of days per year to keep their permits active with the state. Those requirements are much higher than many tracks want to conduct live racing. This bill’s passage would likely mean that dog racing would end at several local racetracks and fewer greyhounds would endure lives of terrible confinement and suffer serious injuries.
  

Volunteers at a Rally in Florida

• Another bill to help greyhounds would give state inspectors the right to inspect greyhound kennels. This measure (filed as Senate Bill 2316 and House Bill 1215) would give Florida greyhounds a basic protection that dogs already have at most racetracks across the country.
  

These important measures will help protect thousands of dogs that are now racing at Florida racetracks. We must do everything in our power to ensure their passage!

Please do three things today to help pass these important proposals:

1. Send an e-mail to the sponsors of SB 2594 and HB 1437 and thank them for supporting the greyhounds. Tell them how grateful you are for their efforts to reduce dog racing. If you have an adopted greyhound, be sure to tell them about your greyhound companion!
   

   Senate Sponsor, Senator Don Gaetz:
   850-487-5009
   gaetz.don.web@flsenate.gov
   web site
   
   The Capitol
   Room 320
   Senate Office Building
   404 S. Monroe Street
   Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
   
   House Sponsor, Representative Mike Horner:
   850-488-8992
   mike.horner@myfloridahouse.gov
   web site
   
   The Capitol, Room 323
   House Office Building
   402 S. Monroe Street
   Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
   

2. Contact your state lawmakers and ask them to support SB 2594 and HB 1437. Tell them that these important bills would reduce dog racing in the state, and should be approved.
   

3. Also contact your state lawmakers and ask for their support of Senate Bill 2316 and House Bill 1215. Tell them that Florida greyhounds deserve the same basic protections that dogs receive in other states, and that it is important that state officials have the power to inspect greyhound kennels.
   

Thank you for taking the time to help with this important effort, and thank you for caring about the greyhounds. We will keep you informed as these bills move through the legislative process.