Mass. voters OK Greyhound racing ban

BOSTON — Veterinary opinions in Massachusetts are mixed on the subject of dog racing, but voters have spoken and two Greyhound racetracks now must shut down by 2010.

Humane groups claimed victory when the Greyhound Protection Act passed by a 12 percent margin. Veterinary groups remained neutral.

"The Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) doesn't have an official position," says Dr. Monica Mansfield, a spokesperson.

An MVMA poll found that about 70 percent of members favored the ban, not enough to warrant an official stand.

A previous proposal to ban Greyhound racing failed in 2000.

"My opinion was, has always been, that I was in favor of the ban because I felt like it was asking the dogs to do this job that often set them up for injuries and then, when they are done with the job, it's someone else's responsibility to take care of them," Mansfield says.

Having worked in a practice near one of the racetracks, Mansfield says she has seen some of the foot problems and nutrition issues involving racing dogs.

"There was a very high rate of euthanasia, and there were injuries off the track," Mansfield says. But some of her colleagues who worked at the tracks or with track veterinarians felt the dogs were cared for adequately, Mansfield adds.

Humane and rescue groups are steadfast in their opposition to dog racing.

"This is a fantastic win for dogs in Massachusetts, and it marks the demise of an industry that exploits dogs for entertainment and profit," Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) President and CEO Wayne Pacelle wrote on the group's Web site after the election.

There have been more than 800 reported injuries on two Massachusetts dog-racing tracks since 2002, according to HSUS.

Opponents argued that passage would put the well-being of dogs before the well-being of more than 1,000 workers, including track veterinarians, who will lose those jobs when the tracks close in 2010.

The ban prohibits any type of dog racing or exploitation of dogs for entertainment, with violators subject to a $20,000 fine. The ban permits races to be telecast and viewed at the tracks from locations outside the state.

The Committee to Protect Dogs, the ballot-question committee formed to help pass the measure, will help find homes for dogs kept at the two racetracks.