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Should greyhound racing be ended in Iowa?
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In this Friday, Dec. 11, 2009 file photo greyhounds race around the first turn at the Raynham Park dog track, in Raynham, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, file)
Greyhounds suffered 175 injuries while racing at Iowa’s two racetracks between January 2011 and July 2012, and 24 injured dogs had to be euthanized, according to a report from a national greyhound protection organization.
Broken legs were the most common reported injury over the 19-month period at the tracks in Council Bluffs and Dubuque, The Des Moines Register reported. Other common injuries were sprains, tears and other broken bones. The group says several dogs suffered more severe injuries, including a fractured skull and a broken neck.
The report was compiled from records gathered by Grey2K USA, based in Somerville, Mass., the country’s largest greyhound protection organization. The research found that the Council Bluffs track, which has races year-round, had 106 dog injuries. The Dubuque track, which offers races between April and October, had 69 injuries.
Carey Theil, the group’s executive director, said the report should prompt the Iowa Legislature to end greyhound racing in the state.
Do you agree? Should greyhound racing be ended in Iowa?
Greyhounds were born to run! They love to run! There will be accidents regardless of anything. I dont see any reason to ban greyhound racing in Iowa.
Greyhounds were not “born to run”, they are “bred to run”… by greedy breeders who only see them as dollar signs. Make no mistake… those who breed and race greyhounds aren’t in it because of what the dogs love, they are in it for the money. And when profits are involved, the dogs always LOSE. Dog racing should be banned all over the country. It’s cruel and inhumane, and aren’t we trying to move beyond the past where animals were used and abused in so many ways; think dog fighting, cock fighting, bull fighting… it’s all the same, just like dog racing, it’s cruel and inhumane. Human beings have evolved beyond this, haven’t we?? Think Michael Vick and Ronnie Williams (the trainer in Florida who killed about 40 of the racing greyhounds that were in his care). It’s beyond time for all societies to demand a more civilized and intelligent form of entertainment. It’s time for us all to boycott the exploitation of greyhounds and the cruelty and death that is greyhound racing.