At racetracks across the country, thousands of greyhounds endure lives of terrible confinement and many suffer serious injuries.  Greyhound racing goes against the values of our community and should be prohibited.

Not only that, greyhound racing has already economically failed.

Commercial greyhound racing began in Kansas in 1989, with the opening of two dog tracks; Wichita Greyhound Park and The Woodlands. A third track, Camptown Greyhound Park, opened in 1995 but closed just six months later. All three tracks experienced significant financial losses and, as a result, live greyhound racing ended in the state by August 2008.

Like the horse and buggy industry of yesterday, dog racing has been replaced by more modern forms of entertainment.

Slot machine subsidies DO NOT work. This policy has failed in every state that has adopted it. Four states attempted to revive dog racing with this slot machine subsidy scheme: Rhode Island, Iowa, West Virginia and Florida. In every case, gambling on dog racing has only decreased further, leading lawmakers to later reconsider the policy altogether. The Rhode Island and Iowa legislatures have already repealed these greyhound subsidies outright, allowing dog racing to end. Similar legislation is now being considered in West Virginia and Florida. Why should state government subsidize a failing business model? What other entertainment type business will line up in Topeka for this type of hand out?

Dogs in the racing industry are also subject to standard practices that are cruel and inhumane, like the killing of unprofitable dogs and the use of 4-D meat.

According to industry statements, greyhounds are kept confined in their cages for 20 or more hours per day. They are confined perpetually with two exceptions:

1. A few times per month, greyhounds are removed from their cages and taken to a track, where they compete.
2. A few times per day, greyhounds are “turned out”
in a large group and allowed to relieve themselves. These turn-outs account for a total cumulative period of three to five hours per day.