It seems that people in Florida who happened to be burdened by souls passed the Greyhound Welfare Act a while back which basically says to the overlords, "Hey, you know how you're always telling us you treat the dogs like members of the family because they represent such a large investment of time and money? How you make sure they get the best care at the track and are adopted into loving homes when they retire? How about doing that FOR REALS!"
Well, as you will no doubt be unsurprised to find out, when the overlords were confronted with doing what they say they do and business as usual they chose...guess what? Business as usual.
Greyhound racing resumes today with the Sarasota Kennel Club appealing to state regulators for a waiver to save its season. In May, Florida's Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering passed new rules ordering all racetrack operators to house their dogs in metal cages instead of wood. On Oct. 25, SKC alerted the Department of Business and Professional Regulation — which oversees Florida's pari-mutuels — to its inability to comply.When asked what caused this "inability" when the track management knew for years this was coming a spokesperson for the track who declined to give his name due to outstanding warrants said, "Perhaps 'inability' isn't the right word. Apathy might be better. Indifference. Lack of concern. You know, stuff like that. Oh, and don't forget greed. Those metal cages aren't cheap."
Gotcha Mr. Overlord sir. And we might throw in stupid too because wooden crates absorb urine and are bacteria farms. Plus they attract ticks and since greyhounds represent such an enormous investment of time and money and since it just doesn't make sense to put them in situations which may result in them not being able to perform at their best, if you've got wooden crates...you're dumb.
You're also dumb for waiting until the season started to ask for your waiver. This is a state agency, dude. What are you thinking? It's going to take them weeks if not months to decide what to do with you. Meantime you're sitting on your hands waiting and all those people who don't come to the track anyway are...um...not coming. So dumb and lack foresight, right Florida Division of Parimutuel Wagering Committee Chairman Rep. Robert Schenck?
Florida's regulation of dog racing is so lax that a Sarasota greyhound track was allowed to start its racing season last week in defiance of a state rule that bans the use of unsanitary and dangerous wooden crates.Well there you have it Mr. Overlord. This is what happens when you ignore state agencies whose sole purpose is to keep things on the up and up in the industry. This is Florida taxpayers' dollars at work right here. You've got no one to blame but yourself so you might as well...wait what?
"In all our years of covering regulatory agencies, I can’t quite fathom a regulatory agency allowing this to occur,''said Michael Diamond of Spectrum Gaming, a consulting company hired by Florida lawmakers to complete a report on gambling in Florida.Oh now that's a little harsh, don't you think Mr. Diamond? After all, we're just talking about putting a few dogs at risk here, something that's done at greyhound race tracks all the time. Let's not make this a bigger problem than it is, OK?
The failure to regulate costs taxpayers money. Although the division is supposed to be self-sufficient, making up in fines and fees what it spends in oversight, lawyers and investigations, Spectrum found that the net cost to taxpayers to regulate dogs is $4 million. Diamond said he spent six months looking at the agency and concluded the regulation is “inadequate” in part because of the way the state laws are structured and in part because of the agency’s reluctance to enforce the laws. Horse and dog tracks consistently understate their revenues from simulcasts, resulting in millions in unaccounted for and unregulated wagering. Gulfstream Racetrack in Hallandale Beach, for example, reported $102 million in simulcast and intertrack wagering in 2012 but failed to report another $605 million, the report said.Wow! That's some serious change that's floating away there Mr. Diamond. We bet you got the Committee's attention now, huh Representative Schenck?
But if the lax oversight by the governor’s agency was news to legislators, it didn’t seem to matter. The reaction from the committee to Diamond’s report was silence.Umm...could that be stunned silence Mr. Schenck?
When pressed after the meeting by a reporter, Committee Chairman Rep. Robert Schenck, R-Spring Hill, said the examples are evidence “why we’re taking a look at it comprehensively and why we’re talking about regulatory structure.”Oh. Uh, talking. Ok, erm...Let's see. Ah. Take that Sarasota. You want to defy state regulation? Hey Gulfstream Racetrack. You want to disappear $605 million while the people of Florida pay $4million to watch you do it? Well, you go right ahead because we're going to talk about it. Yes sir and you can be sure we'll talk about it a lot.
Sometimes you just have to come down hard on people, right Peter?
Introducing Peter, a 9 year old brindle love bug. He is currently living with both large and small doggies, and cats in his foster home and is also good with kids. He seems to prefer the small doggies in his foster home over the big ones but gets along well with everyone. He loves having a fenced yard so he can walk around and sniff and mark every blade of grass. He likes to ride in the car, seems to be somewhat particular with his food. Sleeps on his back w four feet in the air (Roaching) and is an all around relaxed, good boy. 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.
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