The closing of a dog track is the best possible news for greyhounds, and today we bring confirmation that two more dog tracks will be shut down within days.
On August 7, local Kansas voters rejected a proposal to approve slot machines at Wichita Greyhound Park. Within moments of the news, track owner Phil Ruffin announced the shutdown of his struggling facility. WGP will wind down activities within three months time.
Two days later, on August 9, the general manager of Florida’s Tampa Greyhound Track also announced an end to live racing. Citing low attendance, track owners will cease live racing operations on August 18.
With these closures, 36 operational tracks remain in 13 states. Thanks to the efforts of greyhound advocates like you, six tracks will have closed and an additional two ended live racing within the past three years.
This trend will continue, and thousands of greyhounds will be spared if we all keep working.