Massachusetts to Possibly Ban Dog Racing

Nearly 50,000 signatures have been gathered statewide in support of a proposal to ban greyhound racing in the state of Massachusetts.

However, it is not certain if the matter will appear on the ballot in November. The number of signatures greatly exceeds the Secretary of State’s office required minimum of 11,000. The lawsuit to ban dog racing is now pending on the Supreme Judicial Court. The proposal to bad dog racing is in an effort to reduce cruelty towards animals. In recent years, over 800 dogs have been removed from the track due to broken bones, cardiac arrest and other life-threatening injuries. When a Greyhound is no longer needed at the racetrack, the dogs are often euthanized. The owner of one of the largest dog racing tracks in Boston claims that if the track were to be shut down, over 600 people would be out of a job.

Defenders of the ban claim that the economy should not depend upon animal cruelty, and something needs to be done.