Massachusetts
residents recently flooded the office of State Senate President
Robert Travaglinia with calls, faxes and emails to defeat
a Senate bill that would have allowed approximately six thousand
slot machines to be placed at dog racetracks throughout the
state.
The funds generated by
the slot machines would have added to track revenues.
Greyhounds are gentle, child-friendly, lively yet sensitive
creatures. Standing up to 31 inches high and weighing up
to 70 pounds, greyhounds need a soft place in which to lie
down due to their tendency to develop pressure sores.
Greyhounds who are held captive for racing, however, spend
their days caged for as much as twenty two out of twenty-four
hours. They are often injured as a result of being forced
to race. When they no longer are viable for racing, they
are usually killed.
Dog racing tracks have been losing revenue, due largely
to the efforts of animal rights and rescue groups educating
the public about the cruelty associated with the sport.
Many states are now passing legislation to extend the profitability
of greyhound racing. Thanks to its recent citizen effort,
however, Massachusetts will not be one of them.
More information about how to get involved in lobbying against
the dog-racing industry, in states across America, is available
from the ASPCA Web site.
by
Kimberly Coleman
©
2003 Animal News Center, Inc.
