In October of 2019 the
track management of Daytona Beach Racing & Card Club contacted me to
discuss the movement of the soon to be retired greyhounds at the Daytona
facility. Delaware North wanted to do the right thing and start moving
greyhounds out as soon as possible once they were no longer racing. I saw this
as they did not want hundreds of greyhounds sitting at the track during the
last few weeks of racing. When it came to adoption, Delaware North has always
done what’s right for the greyhounds, in my opinion.
Since
October 2019, track management kept in contact with me and planned to move
greyhounds off the facility as they were graded off as there was no need to
keep hundreds of greyhounds sitting around when they could be quickly moved to
adoption groups.
Sadly, the efficient
effort by the Daytona track to professionally transport 80 Grade D retired
racing greyhounds was destroyed and the greyhounds waited at the track longer
than necessary as two individuals stonewalled the effort. I can only
surmise the outrage and stonewalling by these two individuals was not about the
retired greyhounds but more about themselves. Was it a financial perk? Was it
an issue of some type of salary? Was its personal glory? Will the truth ever
come to light? Keeping greyhounds at a track that is closing just so
individuals can in some way benefit is not sound. If you are about what is best
for the greyhounds then each retired greyhound that is ready for adoption
should at that time be sent to adoption in the safest, most effective manner
possible.
(And for those who
claim to be "in the know" as to my movements, I can state that I have
not made any trips - secret, private, public and/or personal - to Florida in
recent memory. For those who claim otherwise, feel free to produce copies of
flight, hotel, rental car, photos or other documentation as fact that I was in
Florida during the time you claim.)
I know many in the
greyhound racing industry who do right and always have. Unfortunately, there
are many from the adoption side that are now so entrenched under the pro-racing
banner they no longer put their mission of adoption first and instead direct
their focus on how to be more pro-racing than the next guy. Can greyhound
racing in the United States survive to continue as is? My observation is that
if the racing enthusiast greyhound adopters keep wearing blinders, acting as if
they are the sport's salvation and continue to attack anyone who can see the
facts rather than buy into the "what if", then the greyhounds
and the sport will suffer due to a few who fail to put both the truth and greyhounds
first.
Will I be attacked on
social media because of this blog? Of course, I will, because those who prefer
the lynch mob mentality will never contact me to discuss
