All-Volunteer Effort Aims for 2008 Vote; Group Says Dog Racing is Cruel
SOMERVILLE, Mass. (Nov. 20, 2007) – Supporters of a ballot question to phase out commercial dog racing in the Commonwealth announced today that they have collected over 100,000 signatures with an all-volunteer effort, far more than the number needed to place the Greyhound Protection Act on the November 2008 ballot. If passed by voters next year, the Greyhound Protection Act will phase out Greyhound racing by 2010.
"This is an overwhelming endorsement of this humane policy," said Carter Luke, CEO of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA)-Angell. "Voters recognize that all dogs play an important role in our lives, and deserve to be protected from individuals and industries that would do them harm."
More than 2,000 volunteers in every community statewide collected signatures for the Greyhound Protection Act. These signatures are now being turned in to local town clerks, who will validate them over the next few weeks.
Committee to Protect Dogs Chairperson Christine Dorchak expressed confidence that voters would support the Greyhound Protection Act. "Even though we are the underdog in this campaign, our grassroots support will carry the day for the Greyhounds. The dedication of everyday people working together for the dogs will trump the money and muscle of wealthy dog track owners."
At two local racetracks, thousands of dogs endure lives of nearly endless confinement, kept in small cages barely large enough for them to stand up or turn around for long hours each day. Also, more than 700 dogs have been injured while racing in Massachusetts over the past five years, including dogs that suffered broken legs, cardiac arrest, spinal cord paralysis and a broken neck. Nearly 80 percent of these injuries involved broken bones.
"The public is increasingly sensitive to the needs and well-being of animals, and this measure reflects the public's abiding interest in protecting dogs from needless suffering," added Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States.
The Committee to Protect Dogs is a state ballot question committee dedicated to passing stronger dog protection laws in the Commonwealth. For more information, call Brian Adams at 617-541-5120 or visit ProtectDogs.org.
-30-
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization – backed by 10 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty—On the Web at humanesociety.org.
