Friday Hound Blogging

OK, so life didn't quite turn out the way you expected. You were an average kid, wanted to be a cowboy, or an astronaut or something, but then you found out that tkaes...uh...talent and brains. So you thought, what the heck, you'll become an overlord. The dogs do all the work, and you just cash the checks. What could go wrong?

Well, there is that whole, nobody comes to the track anymore thing.

Dog and horse racing could be on their last legs in Kansas, according to a report to a Senate committee. "The best word to describe the state of that industry is 'grim,' " Stephen Martino, executive director of the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission, told the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee. "Well, pointless, hopeless, inefficacious, worthless, shoddy, tawdry, nugatory, and pathetic are good words too, but I'm just giving you the overview here."

The decline meshes into the long-running debate over whether to allow slot-machine gambling at the tracks. Martino said the racing industry is thriving in Arkansas, Florida, Rhode Island, West Virginia and Iowa, where slot machines are allowed at the tracks. "OK, technically, the racing industry is still dying in those states because people are spending their money on the slots, not the racing, but at least it's keeping the owners off welfare."

State Senator Phil Journey said, "I think it's incumbent on the (racetrack) management to promote their businesses and do what they can to increase their revenue."

"Sir, those people don't know what 'incumbent' means," Martino responded.

Martino said that revenue has decreased so much that the tax income from wagering on racing no longer covers the state's cost of regulating the industry. He projected a deficit of $962,000 in 2008. "That's a heck of a lot of two dollar bets," he added.

Abilene is home to the Greyhound Hall of Fame, and according to Martino's report, Dickinson County alone is home to 60 greyhound farms and 23,000 greyhounds."I think people have kind of lost sight of that," Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley said. "I mean, if we can't exploit the greyhounds, what will we do with them?

Got any suggestions, Cookie?

Santa Fe Cuyler AKA “Cookie” monster is sweet, quiet, sensitive, and loving. He is a shy boy who is seeks attention from his foster family, but is slow to trust new people. He loves to walk and his foster dad says he will walk with you “forever” if you can keep going. Cookie is a Second Chance at Life Dog from the Coldwater Prison Program. Cookie would do well in a working family home with another average to larger size dog to help build his confidence. He would probably be good with older, well-mannered children, 10 and up. He needs a patient family that will show him love and affection, allowing him to blossom. He would make a good watch dog, as he barks at strangers. For more information about this dog, and other rescued racing greyhounds looking for homes, go here. If you don't know about the plight of racing greyhounds go here.

Bongo Update: He is much more confident. He is not afraid of loud noises. Bongo is a very curious dog; his nose is into everything. He tends to “counter-surf” and his foster mom is working on correcting this. He’s doing less “counter-surfing” Even though he is a tall boy and can reach the table, he is getting better with his table manners. He knows “wait”, “NO” and “leave it.” He has become the attention hound and always wants to be near his foster mom.