Friday Hound Blogging

You know, as far back as this blog goes we've been taking weekly trips down to the dog racing side of town to check in on the overlords and just generally marvel at the fantasy world they created for themselves in which they were entrepreneurs, sportsmen and women and animal lovers. Generally we'd throw a verbal brick or two at this edifice of delusion, and occasionally we would force the overlords to stick their fingers in their ears and sing LALALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!

Lately though it seems reality has taken a wrecking ball to the whole imaginary village called Greyhound Racing and the overlords are all standing around with confused looks on their faces blinking st the shattered remains of their hallucinatory utopia. We mean check it

A Senate panel Wednesday moved a bill that would no longer require that greyhound tracks hold live races.Track owners have wanted to shed their books of  live races because they are sparsely attended money losers.

Track owners! Man,  that's like if your own momma called you ugly right there. And that's not all.

The bill's sponsor, Sen. Maria Sachs, D-Delray Beach, said that the bill allows track owners to continue holding races where it is profitable, but it does not require anyone to hold races where they are not. "The bill does nothing to prevent races from being held," she said.
Kennel owners argued that the move would put them out of business, because there would be a greatly reduced demand for their product.

Well, if by "demand" you mean legal requirement, that's correct Mr. Kennel owner, but it sounds to us like maybe you've already figured out nobody wants you around.Well, not as much as you are now anyway:

The bill's sponsor said since 1990, state taxes collected for live greyhound racing declined by 96%. The state currently mandates track owners run a certain number of races to maintain card rooms. Passage would give them the choice to eliminate racing, but continue other forms of gambling. The Naples-Fort Myers Greyhound track is in favor of the bill, and if passed, would not eliminate racing, but decrease it by about 75%.

OK so you take an event that no one comes to now, and reduce it by 75%. That's like the old song, when you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose. And that's the good news.

"Whatever gambling scheme that we had in the past is not working any more," said Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff, chairwoman of the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Finance and Tax, which passed the bill on Wednesday. "We have a decision to make as to whether we want to allow our businesses to grow or if we want to strategically and statutorily run them out of businesses," said Bogdanoff, a Republican from Fort Lauderdale.

Continuing to have greyhound racing will run the tracks out of business. That's not what you would call a rosy assessment if you're an overlord. And it gets worse.

A sensible bill sponsored by Tampa Republican state Rep. Dana Young would end the charade by "decoupling" the live race requirement from the gambling license. Race track owners, obviously, support the measure, but animal protection groups also want a change that will result in fewer races that they believe are inhumane.

Charade. Oh now that's just harsh right there, right Watson?

Watson very playful and puppy-like. He has his energy in the morning, but by the evening, he is ready for a good rest. He is affectionate; he will approach and lick your hand or stand by you and lean for attention. He can launch a stuffy across the room. He plays with toys by himself and with the family dogs.  Watson would be fine in a working family home, with well-mannered children, 6 and up. He is good with smaller children, but needs a little more training to control his enthusiasm around them. He would do best with another dog in the home to keep him company or with a family that has someone home most of the time. He would do best in a home with a fenced yard.  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.