Colorado Votes Against Re-opening Dog Track
I didn’t know about this until it was over, and thank heavens it all turned out okay, but greyhound racing came close to being revived in Colorado. Mile High Greyhound Park was almost given a window of opportunity to reopen.
Thankfully, Charmaine Settle, a Grey2K USA board member, sprang into action. According to an e-mail I received last night from Grey2K USA:
With just 48 hours notice, Charmaine and her husband Bill created a presentation for the legislative committee considering a bill to restore dog racing to Colorado. She also engaged representatives from the Rocky Mountain Animal Defense League, Colorado League of Humane Voters, Focus on the Family and the Humane Society of the United States to testify for the greyhounds. Thanks to these efforts a vote to advance HB 1095 failed.
If HB 1095 had passed, Mile High Greyhound Park might have re-opened and the cruelty of dog racing would have recommenced in Colorado. Thanks to Charmaine this will not happen and we will remain vigilant to ensure this harmful proposal is not revived.
Greyhound racing is per se illegal in 35 states. In five others the tracks have closed but a statute that actually prohibits dog racing hasn’t been enacted yet. Pari-mutuel dog racing remains legal and operational in 10 states: Arizona, Texas, Arkansas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Alabama, West Virginia, New Hampshire and Rhode Island (and a ban will go into effect in Massachusetts in 2010). If you’d like to know more about greyhound racing and how to stop it, contact Grey2k USA or the Grey2K USA Education Fund.
Sweet Violet Rays–if she could only speak on behalf of her canine friends…This pathetic "Greyhound Industry" would be Shut Down over night…thanks for this good news, Mary.