Advocates for animal welfare are intensifying pressure on Churchill Downs, renowned for hosting the Kentucky Derby, regarding the utilization of greyhound racing at their venue. They contend that this practice is inhumane and archaic, citing its dwindling presence across the United States as proof of evolving societal views.
A leading animal protection group, Grey2K USA, has initiated a campaign to expose Churchill Downs as the last significant American corporation still engaged in greyhound racing. They have established a website, TwinspiresCruelty.org, to shed light on this matter and are imploring the CEO of Churchill Downs to cease greyhound racing through a Change.org petition and targeted advertisements on Facebook within Kentucky.
Christine A. Dorchak, President and General Counsel of Grey2K USA, underscored the discrepancy between Churchill Downs’ corporate social responsibility principles and its ongoing backing of greyhound racing, a practice she asserts clashes with prevailing American values.
With greyhound racing now prohibited in 42 states, activists are emphasizing the troubling figures linked to this industry. In 2021 alone, over 600 greyhounds sustained injuries, encompassing nearly 200 bone fractures.
Dorchak denounced Churchill Downs and its subsidiary, TwinSpires, for bolstering a fading industry accountable for the confinement, demise, and maltreatment of countless dogs. She labeled their actions as “unconscionable avarice” in today’s increasingly compassionate economic landscape.
The current is shifting against greyhound racing. In 2018, Florida paved the path by prohibiting it with massive public approval – 69% of electors supported the prohibition. Currently, legislation to outlaw this inhumane activity across the country has been presented in Congress with significant bipartisan approval – over 105 supporters – and the endorsement of 250 animal rights organizations. It’s evident that the future looks bleak for greyhound racing.
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