Vet P.O.V. Greyhounds and slot machines: Today’s opportunity to tell ‘em what we really think

Flagler Dog Track is a decaying grey building in the heart of Miami which looks more like a strung out concrete coliseum than a viable sports arena. Instead of drawing the crowds and packing the parking lot on weekends, it hosts flea markets where it once held hundreds of cars while their owners played the dogs.

Today, we South Floridians vote on the fate of three such places in our area: Flagler Dog Track, Calder Racetrack and Dania Jai-Alai. It’s no exaggeration to say that their very existence hangs in the balance of our decision on whether or not to allow slot machine gambling in their establishments.

Dog racing has fallen out of favor for a lot of reasons, much as the horse racing industry and jai-alai has lost fans to other sports events and more glamorous gambling concerns. In response, these businesses want to bring back the crowds with slot machines.

Though far from the glitz of earlier days at the track, this kind of gambling would nonetheless attract sufficient income to fund its survival, Flagler Dog Track’s owners and investors argue. We employ dozens of individuals, they claim, though in my view these minimum wage positions are nothing to brag about.

Greyhound racing opponents in Miami have taken to protesting the track’s comeback by parading their dogs (mostly retired greyhounds) in front of casinos, the dog track, and other gambling establishments where slot machines are a big draw or where it’s proposed they be featured in the near future.

Much as I hold thoroughbred racing dear and grieve to see it slip slowly away, my mixed feelings on its practices combined with the horrors of greyhound racing and my lack of identification with gambling as a pastime is enough to earn my computer-assisted anti-slots vote.

These sports should be able to earn their keep independent of slot machines. Let the public decide based on standards we deem acceptable when it comes to gambling in general. If these establishments can’t survive based on the current gambling standards they must resort to for their income, what does it say about the sport of kings?—or of jack-asses, whichever the case may be.

January 29th, 2008

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Although I was involved with greyhound adoption for many years here in CT, I'd be delighted to see not only Flagler close but all the lower end tracks across the country as did the two here in CT.

Greyhounds, like thoroughbreds, run because they love it, but if they're overbred & poorly bred then the market is flooded with some lovely animals that are of no economic use, therefore expendable. And just what do we do with all those animals?

There are well over 200 greyhound adoption groups across the country with people doing their best to find the proverbial 'forever home' for these great dogs but we're fallible & despite our efforts, the dogs are not always well placed & suffer as much in poor placements as they did at the lower end tracks.

The fate of the mediocre race horse may be worse still, as the cost of keeping a horse these days can be prohitive if you have to board. And finding an appropriate boarding facility is difficult at best. What happens to the race horses that can no longer be slaughtered? Not that I'm pro slaughter but if such laws are enacted we'd also better have an alternative in place. Sure there are thoroughbred adoption & rescue groups but I have to wonder if they're truly picking up the slack.

I agree wholeheartedly with you that if the racing dog or horse can't bring in enough spectators, slots or pairmutuel betting aren't the answer. How about less breeding, more selective breeding & fewer but well-maintained tracks?

Ellie - owner of off track dogs since '77 & a former race horse

Ellie January 29th, 2008 09:39:00 AM

Ellie: I'm pro slaughter on the equine front after considering the alternatives very seriously. If they can't be euthanized humanely by their owners and their protein can be consumed then it's best to aply humane slaughter techniques, if that's indeed the way it goes.

Dr. Patty Khuly January 29th, 2008 10:49:00 AM

I was all set to say, "oh no, not you too" in response to your comment about holding Thoroughbred racing dear. But then Ellie addressed the big concerns I have. The ones that we see on TV have a king's life and they deserve it. But besides the over-breeding and poor quality of life of the ones that don't make it big (the ones at the low end tracks), they are all started in training too early and as a group suffer way too many crippling or life-ending injuries as a result. Nah, not a fan of flat-track racing am I.

On the topic of horse slaughter, on one end of that topic is humane slaughter -- before that is humane transport. To me, that's just as big of an issue.

I'd just as soon see all flat-track racing, both equine and canine, go away. No races, no ego involvement, no money purses, no gambling leads to fewer animals being bred and fewer animals cast aside. IMO, whenever animals are used directly for profit, it never leads to anything good.

Deanna January 29th, 2008 11:12:00 AM

Dr Khuly ~ I agree with you that humane slaughter with the meat being used where needed is preferable to other less desirable alternatives. I guess in an ideal world I'd like to see no breed excesses to the point where an inhumane death occurs to either a greyhound or a thoroughbred. And I agree with Deanna that if horses destined for the track were allowed to mature before being put to racing there might be fewer economic liabilities to dispose of...Ellie

Ellie January 29th, 2008 01:02:00 PM

I love greyhounds. They are so sweet.

One of the first documentaries I watched (purely by accident, it was on TV and I chanced onto it) after becoming an adult dog owner, was about greyhouds. They showed track greyhounds, ones that were finished racing for various reasons, being euthanised one after another. Not only did they show it being done, but they showed the techs wheeling out the bodies stacked 5 and 6 deep in wheelbarrows to a waiting truck where they were loaded to be disposed of. It shocked me. This was back in 1992.

I have never forgotten that sight and it is what I think of when I hear about GH tracks.

I am normally a person that loves seeing (most) dogs do what they were originally bred for. In their case I prefer seeing good old lure coursing for fun.

I hope it works out for the dogs benefit in your case.

Marie January 29th, 2008 02:03:00 PM

Marie ~ That documentary goes back some 20 years & it was indeed brutal. Certainly conditions for many greyhounds has improved because the industry is no longer the closed industry it used to be. Adoption people all over the country are keeping an eye peeled for the kind of atrocities that took place through the 70s & 80s. Don't get me wrong, all people involved in greyhound racing aren't good doobies but there are far fewer massacres happening these days. As a matter of fact there are far fewer greyhounds being sold to research, again because too many people & the Greyhound Protection League in particular are watching...Ellie

Ellie January 29th, 2008 02:22:00 PM

The problem is that as long as horse slaughter is legal there will continue to be more widespread overbreeding in equines vs if there were not the slaughter 'alternative'. Also, humane transport is an issue, it's not as though they are dropped off at the slaughterhouse by the former owner. They go to auction, where they are crowded in pens tightly with other horses they don't know.
If you know horses, you know this means kicks and bites and general unease. They are run through the ring, squished into more pens, loaded on trucks (in some areas, double deckers cattle trucks can still be used). Horses fall, horses are injured.. they arrive at the feedlot and often have minor to major injuries. They wait for the feedlot owner to have a full load, then back on the truck, cramped as tightly as they will fit.
Off to slaughter.

Not to mention that we use medicines on our horses in the us that are NOT approved for use in animals meant for human consumption. In racehorses and valuable animals, or animals with soundness issues that might cause them to end up at the feedlot, the use of such veterinary medicine is more likely.
What is in the horsemeat we are sending to slaughter? The horses don't come with medical records at auctions, there is no way of knowing what that horse was medicated with when. Horses are not held for a minimum amount of time to allow drugs to process through their system prior to being slaughtered..

Additionally, looking at it from a Co2 point of view, the main consumers of horsemeat from the US are asian. That's a long way for meat to travel to meet the market, not exactly earth-friendly. Not that alot of the meat and produce americans consume hasn't traveled as far. In a world when we should be thinking about trying to eat more locally grown foodstuffs, it doesn't make sense.

Will America gain a taste for horsemeat? I doubt it. Besides, there is still the issue of medication being used that is not supposed to be used on animals where any part or product of them (milk, eggs, meat) is used for human consumption.

To me, the short run will be hard with the banning of horse slaughter, but the long run will cause a stabilization of horse populations as overbreeding no longer pays off and the number of horses reaches a more sustainable level.

Jenn January 29th, 2008 02:26:00 PM

Jenn asked: Will America gain a taste for horsemeat? I doubt it.

Jenn ~ Horsemeat was made available to the US consumer many years ago. It didn't curry favor then & I agree it probably wouldn't today.

Ellie January 29th, 2008 02:31:00 PM

I have 5 retired racing greyhounds and I am active with a volunteer group. From what I have read, other tracks that have added the slots have only seen a temporary boost in income and what ends up happening is people come to the races JUST for the slots, which seems pointless to me.

My greyhounds love running and I know many racing owners who love their dogs and treat them like family (and cry real tears when they leave their care to go into adoption groups/homes) so for these people and for the hounds who love it, I would hate to see racing end, but I agree with what someone else said - that if it can't support itself without adding other non-related gambling, maybe it is time for that particular track to go.

Alisha January 29th, 2008 04:34:00 PM

Alisha: Pretty stuff on your site! Keep it up!

Dr. Patty Khuly January 29th, 2008 06:08:00 PM

I've been involved in greyhound rescue for almost 15 years. I'm not against racing. I think it needs to be regulated a lot more than it is. I think standards should be set for all states to follow. Living in Massachusetts I know the dogs here are treated better than in Flordia or texas or anywhere down south or out west. I know this because I visit the tracks here and see the dogs coming in from other states. Dogs from Flordia and Texas are usually the worst looking. Grey2k is trying to ban racing here. I wish they would go away. they spread lies and rumors. They say 200 dogs were put to sleep in Massin 2006. I know that the number was 4 in 2006. All for medical reasons. Horse racing is no better. I can't agree that at least you can eat them idea. Killing is killing. Control over breeding and standard kennel and track conditions across the country is the answer not banning racing. I've had my phone line cut because of my views. It's amazing what these freaks will do. Virgina consumers want PETA classified as a slaughter house. Lets ban PETA . Beam me up Scottie.

Ken January 30th, 2008 09:04:00 AM

Well, folks, the ballot ammendment passed. By a wide margin. Slots-R-Us here in Miami-Dade County!

Dr. Patty Khuly January 30th, 2008 12:42:00 PM

There's every possibility, Doctor, that slots will make no more difference in your area than they did here in CT. Once the novelty wore off, so did attendance at the both Shoreline Star & Plainfield drop again & the tracks were forced to close. We can hope.

Ellie January 30th, 2008 12:50:00 PM

"Well, folks, the ballot ammendment passed. By a wide margin. Slots-R-Us here in Miami-Dade County!"

Of course it did Dr. Patty! $$$$$$$$$$$$$ was in everyone's eyes, taxpayer (hoping new fees don't get instituted), municipalities, counties. All counting on cash rolling in.