On July 1, 2026, the Douglas County Fair announced its plan to host the fair's annual turtle race on the blacktop at the fair grounds on 8/1/2026.

Turtle racing may seem like harmless fun, but it causes significant distress and sometimes permanent injury to the participants. There are other fun fair activities that are still exciting and fun without injuring living animals.

Here is what a turtle race consists of:

Several turtles, often wild-caught by the fair officials or individual participants, are placed within multiple rings drawn on blacktop. The turtles may be painted or have tags placed on their backs so they can be identified. The turtles are then encouraged to race each other to the outside of the second ring. There is cheering and yelling. The first turtle outside of the outer ring wins. 

Five years ago, this announcement and practice probably would not have raised a red flag for me. I might have even attended the event and cheered on a favorite turtle. Now that I have my own rescued turtle and reptiles, I realize how harmful and dangerous this practice is for the animals involved.

Like my turtle, Lego, most turtles thrive in calm, natural environments. Turtles are homebodies. They have a strong internal homing device that causes them to look for home frantically when they are away from their home.

Below is a list of risks posed to turtles forced to participate in races:

• Some turtles’ shells are painted for races. This can cause additional stress and introduce toxins into turtles’ bodies. It can also prevent turtles from accessing the sun’s vital UVB rays. 
• If a turtle is taken from the wild and not returned to its home radius, the turtle will likely frantically look for its home for the rest of its life. 
• Risk of injury from being forced into cramped spaces with other stressed turtles 
• Risk of burns from racing on hot pavement
• Risk of dehydration due to lack of proper food and water supplies before and after races 
• Risk of disease due to the weakening of turtles' immune systems caused by the stress of the event and potential exposure to parasites and illnesses from other turtles.

This petition calls for an end to turtle racing in Douglas County, KS after this year to give the community a chance to say goodbye to the tradition and come up with a new, more humane tradition to replace it. Other cities and counties have banned turtle racing and replaced the events with similar, yet humane, activities such as remote control turtle racing.  The fair can continue to be a place of joy and learning without compromising the integrity of our wildlife. 

Douglas County, KS is known as a particularly progressive community within KS. It only makes sense for Douglas County to set itself apart from other KS counties that are unfortunately still holding turtle races. By ending the races, Douglas County will serve as a leader in animal welfare and ethically responsible entertainment. 

Join us in urging the Douglas County Fair committee to officially end all turtle races after the summer of 2026. Sign the petition today to lend your voice to this important cause.

Photos Posted by the Douglas County Fair:

Helpful Resource on Turtle Racing:

Turtle Racing - A Threat to Wild Populations?​

Assessing the Behavioral and Health Effects of Turtle Racing on Eastern Box Turtles​

Video of Turtle Race